In China, rhubarb (da-huang in Chinese; daiou in Japanese) has been processed with liquor, e.g., liquor-dipping (LDi), liquor-soaking (LSo), and heated after being processed with liquor (LH) since ancient times. We previously found that LH rhubarb was used as a substitute for LDi rhubarb, a purgative, or LSo rhubarb, a remedy against blood stasis described in the ancient Chinese medical literature. Now, liquor-sprayed and heated (LSpH) rhubarb, called 'liquor-rhubarb' is used due to its expected effects against blood stasis. However, the characteristics of LH rhubarb have not been elucidated scientifically. In this report, we prepared LDi, LSo, liquor-sprayed (LSp), LDi and heated (LDiH), LSo and heated (LSoH), and LSpH rhubarb using 16% ethanol (as a substitute for huangjiu) and compared the contents of their principal compounds. The sennoside (a purgative) contents of LDiH, LSoH, and LSpH were significantly decreased, while the anthraquinone (an anti-inflammatory) contents of LSoH and LSpH increased to the same level as LSo, and the lindleyin contents of LSoH and LSpH were greater than that of LSo. Therefore, we found that LH rhubarb does not have an increased purgative effect and that the LSoH and LSpH processes may produce greater anti-inflammatory effects than LSo.