Abstract
Ultrahigh pressure (UHP) treatments are non-thermal processing methods that have customarily been employed to enhance the quality and productivity of plant consumables. We aimed to evaluate the effects of UHP treatments on ginseng samples (white ginseng: WG; UHP-treated WG: UWG; red ginseng: RG; UHP-treated RG: URG; ginseng berries: GB; and UHP-treated GB: UGB) using metabolite profiling based on ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-linear trap quadrupole-ion trap-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ-IT-MS/MS) and gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS). Multivariate data analyses revealed a clear demarcation among the GB and UGB samples, and the phenotypic evaluations correlated the highest antioxidant activities and the total phenolic and flavonoid compositions with the UGB samples. Overall, eight amino acids, seven organic acids, seven sugars and sugar derivatives, two fatty acids, three notoginsenosides, three malonylginsenosides, and three ginsenosides, were identified as significantly discriminant metabolites between the GB and UGB samples, with relatively higher proportions in the latter. Ideally, these metabolites can be used as quality biomarkers for the assessment of ginseng products and our results indicate that UHP treatment likely led to an elevation in the proportions of total extractable metabolites in ginseng samples.
Highlights
Ginseng, a renowned traditional herbal remedy, is commonly associated with the dried roots of several species in the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae [1]
The principal component analysis (PCA) score plot for the ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-linear trap quadrupole-ion trap-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ-IT-MS/MS) data showed that the ginseng berry products were clearly separated from other ginseng products along PC1 (14.1%), whereas the white
PC1 (14.1%), whereas the the white ginseng were clearly separated from other ginseng products along
Summary
A renowned traditional herbal remedy, is commonly associated with the dried roots of several species in the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae [1]. Major commercial ginseng products are derived from P. ginseng (Korean ginseng), P. quinquefolius (American ginseng), and P. notoginseng (notoginseng) [2]. Its various commercial analogs include fresh ginseng, red ginseng, white ginseng, and sun ginseng. Ginseng root supplements are reported to improve diabetic conditions, immune functions, cardiovascular conditions, psychological functions, prevent certain cancers, and reduce fatigue [4,5,6]. The major active components of ginseng are the ginsenosides, a diverse group of steroidal saponins. These components are differentially distributed in different plant parts, including the roots, leaves, seeds, and berries. Each part of the ginseng plant exhibits distinct ginsenoside profiles with a myriad of pharmacological effects [7]
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