Analysis methods and food application of Gastrodia elata and related products: A review

Gastrodia elata Blume (G. elata) widely reputed as an important traditional herbal medicine and food in China and other Asian countries, can manage headache, epilepsy, pediatric acute, and chronic convulsions in modern clinical practice. It has been revealed that G. elata contains a variety of chemical substances, which have attracted more and more attention from the food science community. Hence, a comprehensive search of published literature from the beginning to 2024 in Web of Science and CNKI, and the keyword of G. elata was used. This review systematically summarizes analytical methods of bioactive phytochemicals in G. elata. We also depicted known biological harmful constituents in this review. In addition, abundant food products made from G. elata have been developed and sold on market, and different processing methods of G. elata containing foods have significant effects on the bioactive phytochemical composition of G. elata. Hence, we further summarized the impacts of food processing on the development of G. elata related functional food products. In a nutshell, this review summarizes the bioactive phytochemicals, analysis methods, and application of G. elata and its associated food products, and aims to provide a valuable reference for the full utilization of resources of G. elata.