A Metabolomic Approach for the Discrimination of Red Ginseng Root Parts and Targeted Validation

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 22; no. 3; p. 471
• Main Authors: In, Gyo, Seo, Hyun Kyu, Park, Hee-Won, Jang, Kyoung Hwa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 15.03.2017; MDPI
• Subjects: Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid - methods; Classification; Ginseng; Ginsenosides; Ginsenosides - analysis; Ions; Liquid chromatography; Markers; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Metabolomics; Metabolomics - methods; Multivariate statistical analysis; Panax - chemistry; Panax ginseng; Plant Roots - chemistry; Principal Component Analysis; Principal components analysis; red ginseng (RG); Roots; Sapogenins - analysis; Statistical analysis; Tandem Mass Spectrometry - methods; ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QToF-MS); ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QToF-MS); metabolomics; Panax ginseng; red ginseng (RG)
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules22030471

Ginsenosides are used as existing markers of red ginseng (RG) quality, and ginsenoside ratios are also indicative of the different components of red ginseng. For the analysis and classification of ginsenoside content, red ginseng was separated into three parts, namely, main roots, lateral roots, and fine roots, and each extract was subjected to ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QToF-MS) with multivariate statistical analysis. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed a clear discrimination between the extracts of main roots and fine roots and suggested discrimination markers (four for the main roots and five for the fine roots). The fine root markers were identified as ginsenoside. We identified two markers for the main roots of red ginseng in this study. Moreover, the contents of 22 ginsenosides were analyzed in all three components of red ginseng. Fine roots have the highest protopanaxadiol (PPD)/protopanaxatriol (PPT) ratio. The PPD group of ginsenosides, which is quantitatively dominant in fine roots, clearly distinguishes the main roots from the other parts.