Holistic quality evaluation of commercial white and red ginseng using a UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS-based metabolomics approach

• Published in: Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis 2012-03, Vol.62, p.258-273
• Main Authors: Zhang, Hong-Mei, Li, Song-Lin, Zhang, Hong, Wang, Yun, Zhao, Zhi-Li, Chen, Shi-Lin, Xu, Hong-Xi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Analytical, structural and metabolic biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Chromatography, Liquid - methods; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General pharmacology; heat; Holistic quality evaluation; least squares; mass spectrometry; Medical sciences; Metabolomics; Metabolomics approach; Multivariate Analysis; Oriental traditional medicine; Panax; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; postharvest treatment; principal component analysis; Quality Control; Red ginseng; Tandem Mass Spectrometry - methods; ultra-performance liquid chromatography; UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS; White ginseng
• ISSN: 0731-7085; 1873-264X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2012.01.010

► Holistic qualities and characteristic components were studied of WG and RG. ► Holistic quality inconsistencies of commercial WG and RG were identified. ► Non-standardized processing procedures result in inconsistent quality of WG and RG. ► A nitrogen-containing component was detected as characteristic of RG firstly. ► Malonyl ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg1 were found to be characteristic components of WG. In traditional Chinese medicine practice, white ginseng (WG) and red ginseng (RG) have traditionally been used for different purposes. In the present study, an ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS)-based metabolomics approach was developed to evaluate the holistic qualities and to explore characteristic chemical components of commercial WG and RG. Through unsupervised principal component analysis (PCA) and supervised orthogonal partial least squared discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) of the data from UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS, holistic quality inconsistencies of commercial WG and RG were identified, and the possible reasons involved were deduced by further elucidating the characteristic components of the groups. Heat treating and sulfur-fumigation were likely the main reasons for the quality differences in WG, and non-standardized processing procedures might have caused the inconsistent quality of RG. Together with ginsenoside Rg3, a nitrogen-containing component and ginsenoside 20(R)-Rh1 were detected as characteristic components of RG, whereas malonyl ginsenoside Rb1/isomer and malonyl ginsenoside Rg1/isomer were found to be characteristic components of WG. It was suggested that post-harvest handling procedures for WG and processing procedures for RG should be standardized using the identified characteristic components as chemical markers to ensure the consistent quality and consequently the efficacy of WG and RG.