Coptis chinensis Franch., Ranunculaceae, is a widely used herbal medicine in Asian countries. It exhibits many important pharmacological effects. The rhizome is used as the crude drug for this medicinal plant. The objective of this study was to determine whether the aerial part (stem and leaves) can be employed as a complementary material for medicinal purposes. Ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled to a hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis was applied to detect fifteen alkaloids. Network pharmacology analysis indicated that these compounds might interact with important glucose-lipid metabolism–related targets. Appropriate dose of streptozotocin and high-fat diet were used to establish the model of glucose-lipid disorder in Kunming mice. Blood glucose level was determined by handheld blood glucose meter. Peroxidase antiperoxidase kit was used to test the serum total cholesterol and triacylglyceride level. Hematoxylin/eosin staining was performed to analyze the degree of damage in the liver and kidney. Our data demonstrated that aerial part contained a similar chemical composition with the crude drug. Network pharmacology analysis and animal experiments also indicated that extracts from the aerial parts exhibited a good glucose-lipid metabolism regulatory activity. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2021, Sociedade Brasileira de Farmacognosia.