Chemical Profiling in Moutan Cortex after Sulfuring and Desulfuring Processes Reveals Further Insights into the Quality Control of TCMs by Nontargeted Metabolomic Analysis.

•The mechanisms of compound changes were illustrated in sulfuring and desulfuring processes.•One hundred nineteen metabolites were characterized from two Paris herbs, including seven potential new compounds.•PCA analysis can clearly separate the metabolic profile data of normal, sulfured and desulfured Moutan Cortex.•Twenty-eight biomarkers for discrimination of normal, sulfured and desulfured Moutan Cortex were screened.