Shandong Science ›› 2026, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (3): 12-21.doi: 10.3976/j.issn.1002-4026.2025064

• Traditional Chinese Medicine and Natural Active Products • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Difference analysis of ginsenosides in different parts of Panax quinquefolius L. based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

LIU Yuemeng1a,1b(), DONG Hongjing1a,1b, XIE Yao2, WANG Xiao1a,1b, LIU Jing2,*(), LI Lili1a,1b,*()   

  1. 1 a. Shandong Engineering Research Center for Innovation and Application of General Technology for Separation of Natural Products, Shandong Analysis and Test Center; b. Key Laboratory for Natural Active Pharmaceutical Constituents Research in Universities of Shandong Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250014, China
    2 Beijing Dawn Aerospace Bio-Tech Co., Ltd., Beijing 100043, China
  • Received:2025-05-27 Revised:2025-09-24 Published:2026-06-20 Online:2025-12-12

Abstract:

Ginsenosides are important chemical components of Panax quinquefolius L. and are closely related to its pharmacological activities. In this study, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) was used for high-throughput analysis of ginsenosides in the roots, leaves, and seeds of Panax quinquefolius L., leading to the identification of 72 ginsenosides across these parts. Both univariate and multivariate analyses revealed significant differences in the content and types of ginsenosides among the different plant parts. Based on statistical significance (p<0.05) and biological significance (fold change>4), 23 differential saponins were identified in the roots vs. leaves comparison, 26 in the roots vs. seeds comparison, and 27 in the leaves vs. seeds comparison. Content analysis revealed that the total amounts of Rg1, Re, and Rb1 in the leaves and roots were roughly equivalent and higher than in the seeds, while most other ginsenosides were more abundant in the leaves and roots than in the seeds. The pseudo-ginsenoside F11, which is unique to Panax quinquefolius L., was most abundant in the leaves, whereas acetylated pseudo-ginsenoside F11 was most abundant in the roots. 20(S)-Ginsenoside Rh1, acetylated ginsenoside Rg1, and quinquenoside IV were all significantly different among the three parts and could serve as markers for differentiation. This study reveals distinct ginsenoside profiles in the roots, leaves, and seeds of Panax quinquefolius L., providing technical support for its efficient development and utilization.

Key words: Panax quinquefolius L., different parts, ginsenosides, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS)

CLC Number: 

  • R284.1

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits third parties to freely share (i.e., copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and adapt (i.e., remix, transform, or build upon the material) the articles published in this journal, provided that appropriate credit is given, a link to the license is provided, and any changes made are indicated. The material may not be used for commercial purposes. For details of the CC BY-NC 4.0 license, please visit: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0