Chemical studies on crude drug processing. V. On the constituents of ginseng radix rubra (2): Comparison of the constituents of white ginseng and red ginseng prepared from the same Panax ginseng root

Abstract

In order to characterize the chemical change of the constituents of various Ginseng Radices which may occur during their processings, the chemical constituents of Ginseng Radix (white ginseng) and Ginseng Radix Rubra (red ginseng), which were prepared by processing the same Panax ginseng root, have been investigated in comparison with the constituents of the fresh root of Panax ginseng. It has been found that fresh ginseng root and red ginseng contain glycero-galactolipid (6) and steryl glucoside fatty acid ester (7) while white ginseng lacks 6 but contains 7 in less quantity. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry reconstructed ion current (RIC) chromatography of the acetylene-alcohol constituents has confirmed that fresh ginseng root and white ginseng contain panaxynol (1) and panaxydol (2) while red ginseng contains, in addition to 1 and 2, heptadec-1-ene-4, 6-diyne-3, 9-diol (3) and panaxytriol (4). It has also been shown that aqueous hydrochloric acid treatment of 2 provides 4 and a new chlorine-containing acetylene 5. Comparison of total triterpene-oligosides by making use of a thin layer chromatography-chromatoscanner, has confirmed that 1) demalonylation of malonyl-ginsenosides in fresh ginseng root, 2) elimination of the glycosyl residue at C-20 of the aglycone moieties in ginsenosides, and 3) isomerization of the hydroxyl configuration at C-20 of the aglycones, may occur during the processing for preparing red ginseng and provide ginsenosides characteristic of red ginseng.