Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Mar;44(2):205-214.
doi: 10.1016/j.jgr.2017.11.001. Epub 2017 Nov 8.

Comparing eight types of ginsenosides in ginseng of different plant ages and regions using RRLC-Q-TOF MS/MS

Yu-Lin Dai  1 , Meng-Dan Qiao  1 , Peng Yu  2 , Fei Zheng  1 , Hao Yue  1 , Shu-Ying Liu  1
Affiliations

Comparing eight types of ginsenosides in ginseng of different plant ages and regions using RRLC-Q-TOF MS/MS

Yu-Lin Dai et al. J Ginseng Res. 2020 Mar.

Abstract

Background: This article aims to compare and analyze the contents of ginsenosides in ginseng of different plant ages from different localities in China.

Methods: In this study, 77 fresh ginseng samples aged 2-4 years were collected from 13 different cultivation regions in China. The content of eight ginsenosides (Rg3, Rc, Rg1, Rf, Rb2, Rb1, Re, and Rd) was determined using rapid resolution liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (RRLC-Q-TOF MS/MS) to comparatively evaluate the influences of cultivation region and age.

Results: Ginsenoside contents differed significantly depending on age and cultivation region. The contents of ginsenosides Re, Rc, Rg1, Rg3, and Rf increased with cultivation age, whereas that of ginsenoside Rb1 peaked in the third year of cultivation. Moreover, the highest ginsenoside content was obtained from Changbai (19.36 mg/g) whereas the lowest content was obtained from Jidong (12.05 mg/g). Ginseng from Jilin Province contained greater total ginsenosides and was richer in ginsenoside Re than ginseng of the same age group in Heilongjiang and Liaoning provinces, where Rb1 and Rg1 contents were relatively high.

Conclusion: In this study, RRLC-Q-TOF MS/MS was used to analyze ginsenoside contents in 77 ginseng samples aged 2-4 years from different cultivation regions. These patterns of variation in ginsenoside content, which depend on harvesting location and age, could be useful for interested parties to choose ginseng products according to their needs.

Keywords: Cultivation; Ginsenosides; Harvest age; Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry; Regions.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Extracted ion chromatograms (EICs) of the eight ginsenosides studied.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
ESI-Q-TOF MS/MS spectrum in negative-ion mode. (A) Ginsenoside Rd. (B) Ginsenoside Re. (C) Ginsenoside Rg1. (D) Ginsenoside Rf. (E) Ginsenoside Rb2. (F) Ginsenoside Rc. (G) Ginsenoside Rb1. (H) Ginsenoside Rg3. The nomenclature used in this study for fragment ions of ginsenoside follows that proposed by Domon and Costello . ESI, electrospray ionization.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
ESI-Q-TOF MS/MS spectrum in negative-ion mode. (A) Ginsenoside Rd. (B) Ginsenoside Re. (C) Ginsenoside Rg1. (D) Ginsenoside Rf. (E) Ginsenoside Rb2. (F) Ginsenoside Rc. (G) Ginsenoside Rb1. (H) Ginsenoside Rg3. The nomenclature used in this study for fragment ions of ginsenoside follows that proposed by Domon and Costello . ESI, electrospray ionization.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Contents of eight kinds of ginsenosides in ginseng of different ages (2 years, 3 years, and 4 years) from Mudanjiang.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
(A) Contents of five protopanaxadiol-type ginsenosides from 4-year-old ginseng in different production areas. (B) Contents of three protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides from 4-year-old ginseng in different production areas.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Map of the distribution of 13 ginseng-producing areas in Jilin, Liaoning, and Heilongjiang provinces in China.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Nah S.Y. Ginseng; recent advances and trends. J Ginseng Res. 1997;21:1–12.
    1. Chen Y.J., Zhao Z.Z., Chen H.B., Brand E., Yi T., Qin M.J., Liang Z.T. Determination of ginsenosides in Asian and American ginsengs by liquid chromatography–quadrupole/time-of-flight MS: assessing variations based on morphological characteristics. J Ginseng Res. 2015;41:10–22. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Choi K.T. Botanical characteristics Pharmacological effects and medicinal components of Korean Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer. Acta Pharmacol Sinica. 2008;29:1109–1118. - PubMed
    1. Xie J.T., Mehendale S.R., Li X., Quigg R., Wang X., Wang C.Z., Wu J.A., Aung H.H., ARue P., Bell G.I. Anti-diabetic effect of ginsenoside Re in ob/ob mice. Biochim Et Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 2005;1740:319–325. - PubMed
    1. Metori K., Furutsu M., Takahashi S. The preventive effect of ginseng with du-zhong leaf on protein metabolism in aging. Biol Pharmaceut Bull. 1997;20:237–242. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources