Abstract
(1) Background: The ability to determine the age of ginseng is very important because the price of ginseng depends on the cultivation period. Since morphological observation is subjective, a new scientific and systematic method for determining the age of ginseng is required. (2) Methods: Three techniques were used for a metabolomics approach. High-resolution magic-angle-spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (HR-MAS NMR) spectroscopy was used to analyze powdered ginseng samples without extraction. Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS) and gas chromatography quadrupole time-of-fight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF/MS) were used to analyze the extracts of 4-, 5-, and 6-year-old ginseng. (3) Results: A metabolomics approach has the potential to discriminate the age of ginseng. Among the primary metabolites detected from NMR spectroscopy, the levels of fumarate and choline showed moderate prediction with an area under the curve (AUC) value of more than 0.7. As a result of UPLC-QTOF/MS-based profiling, 61 metabolites referring to the VIP (variable importance in the projection) score contributed to discriminating the age of ginseng. The results of GC×GC-TOF/MS showed clear discrimination of 4-, 5-, and 6-year-old ginseng using orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) to 100% of the discrimination rate. The results of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, 16 metabolites between 4- and 5-year-old ginseng, and 18 metabolites between 5- and 6-year-old ginseng contributed to age discrimination in all regions. (4) Conclusions: These results showed that metabolic profiling and multivariate statistical analyses can distinguish the age of ginseng. Especially, it is meaningful that ginseng samples from different areas had the same metabolites for age discrimination. In future studies, it will be necessary to identify the unknown variables and to collaboratively study with other fields the biochemistry of aging in ginseng.
Highlights
Ginseng has been used as a natural medicinal ingredient in East Asia for thousands of years.It is a perennial crop, and 4–6-year-old ginseng is used in many medicines [1]
The main primary metabolite was sucrose, and other primary metabolites such as glucose, organic acids, and amino acids were found in the ginseng
Valine, 4-aminobutyrate, sucrose, isoleucine, leucine, glutamine, phenylalanine, choline, arginine, alanine, and ethanolamine were decreased in 5-year-old ginseng, but they were increased in 6-year-old ginseng
Summary
Ginseng has been used as a natural medicinal ingredient in East Asia for thousands of years. It is a perennial crop, and 4–6-year-old ginseng is used in many medicines [1]. Ginseng’s medicinal properties are dependent on the cultivation period, and 6-year-old ginseng is considered to be the most effective [2]. Molecules 2019, 24, 2381 in Korea, it is readily available in markets. This may be because some 4- and 5-year-old ginseng is sold as 6-year-old ginseng. As the price of ginseng is dependent on the cultivation period, the ability to determine its age is necessary to correct the turbulent market. Previous studies have analyzed the saponin content in ginseng extracts [3] and recorded observations of ginseng’s morphology, including the roots, stems, stem scars, rhizomes, secretory ducts, and growth rings [4,5]
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