Study Of Nutritional And Active Ingredients Of Panax Ginseng C. A. Meyer From Different Producing Regions

Ginseng is the root and rhizome of Panax Ginseng C.A. Meyer, which holds important pharmacological value. The main bioactive components are ginsenosides and polysaccharides. In addition, there are active and nutritional ingredients such as sterols, flavonoids, volatile oil, organic acids, proteins, amino acids, nucleosides, vitamins and inorganic elements in ginseng. There are research evidences showing that the pharmacological effects of natural medicine are the synergistic effect of various ingredients performed through multi-pathways. Thus identification and determination of various components from ginseng can provide the basis to pharmacological investigation. Ginseng is also widely used in health care products, food and cosmetics industry in China. However, only a little research was concentrated in investigating nutritional and active ingredients other than ginsenosides and polysaccharides. Ginseng will be involved in numerous health care products and food as it has been accepted as new resource food. Determination of the contents of active components will provide reference for determining the recommended daily servings and additive amount of these products as well as make ginseng products more acceptable by consumers in exploiting overseas market. So investigating the composition and contents of active and nutritious components of ginseng will not only provide evidence for evaluating the nutritional value of ginseng, but also contribute to promoting the competitiveness of ginseng industry in China.Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer is widely cultivated in Northeastern China, Korean peninsula, Siberia and Japan, etc. A systematical analysis of fresh ginseng samples of different producing regions and ages is needed to evaluate the quality synthetically. 42 ginseng samples of 4, 5, 6 years old from 17 producing regions in Northeastern China, South Korea and North Korea were collected during September~ October, 2014, which were then dried to be tested.Multiple extraction, purification and detection methods were developed to determine the contents and composition of ginsenosides, sterols, vitamins and flavonoids in ginseng samples. The relationship among composition & content of each ingredient, ages and producing regions were analyzed. Hierarchical cluster analysis was adopted to provide more obejective and scientific suggestion for classification of ginseng. Fingerprints of ginsenosides and unsaponifiable matter were set up to provide basis for quality identification.Main reseach contents are as the following:(1) Ginsenosides: Ginsenosides were extracted by water decoction and purified by D101 macroporous resin. Vanillin-perchloric acid colorimetric method was adopted to determine total ginsenosides. HPLC-PDA method was developed to determine the contents of 19 ginsenosides or aglycones. The relationship among ginsenosides composition & content, ages and producing regions were analyzed. Cluster analysis was adopted to classify ginseng samples scientifically according to composition & contents of ginsenosides.(2) Sterols: The extracting and purifying method of sterols from ginseng was developed: extracted and saponifed in ethanol, the extraction was extracted by diethyl ether for purification. H3PO4-H2SO4-Fe Cl3 colorimetric method was compared with Liebermann-Burchard reaction colorimetric method to determine total sterols. HPLC-ELSD method was developed to determine stigmasterol and β-sitosterol.The relationship of total sterols & sterol monomers with ages and producing regions of ginseng samples were analyzed.(3) The extraction and preparation methods of 10 vitamins(VB1, VB2, niacin, VB6, VB12, nicotinamide, biotin, folic acid, calcium pantothenate, VC) in ginseng were developed. HPLC-PDA method was adopted to determine 10 vitamins. The relationship among vitamins’ contents, ages and producing regions were analyzed.(4) The extraction method of flavonoids was developed and the contents of total flavonoids of all the samples were determined by Sodium Nitrite-Aluminium Nitrite colorimetric method. The relationship among flavonoids’ contents, ages and producing regions were analyzed.(5) The finger-prints of ginsenosides and unsaponifiable matter were set up according to the HPLC spectrogram of each sample.