摘要Medicinal and edible plants(MEPs)have attracted increasing interest worldwide due to their natural origin,reliable efficacy,and minimal side effects in recent years.However,the complex and fluctuating levels of inherent chemical constituents and exogenous hazardous contaminants have triggered wide-spread concerns about their efficacy and safety.Developing analytical methods for both active compo-nents and exogenous contaminants concealed in these samples is central to the quality evaluation,in which sample preparation is crucial.This paper systematically reviewed the evolution of standard sample preparation methods,microextraction techniques based on novel solvents and nanomaterials,and innovative integrated techniques from 2019.Accordingly,their merits and weaknesses were dis-cussed by showing fruitful applications in identifying and quantifying active components in these plants.Further,successful applications for analyzing exogenous contaminants were prominently showcased,highlighting the management of pesticides,heavy metals,mycotoxins,and polycyclic aromatic hydro-carbons(PAHs).Finally,forthcoming trends in sample preparation techniques were delineated to illu-minate the development and implementation of more advanced sample preparation technologies.