In the present study, discrimination between two processed ginseng genera and exploration of the characteristic chemical markers of processed ginseng were performed. In targeted analysis, ginsenoside Rf was confirmed as a chemical marker of KRG. Additionally, ginsenoside Ra1 and F2 were extracted

as potential chemical markers of KRG and ARG, respectively. An optimized UPLC-Q-TOF MS-based metabolic profiling method was developed for the analysis and evaluation of two processed ginseng genera. All known biomarkers, such as ginsenoside Rf and 24(R)-pseudoginsenoside F11, were identified. And additional potential biomarkers such as 20-gluco-ginsenoside Rf were extracted from huge amounts of global analysis data using the proposed metabolomic approach. Thus, such metabolomics techniques should be buy Luminespib frequently applied in ginseng research. All authors declare no conflicts of interest. “
“Panax ginseng Meyer is a slowly

growing perennial herb belonging to the Araliaceae family. It has been cultivated for its highly valued roots and used in traditional medicine as a natural adaptogen for >1000 yr [1]. Ginseng has numerous pharmacological effects on humans, including anticancer [2], [3] and [4], antidiabetic [5] and [6], immunomodulatory [2] and [7], neuroprotective [2], radioprotective [8], antiamnestic [2], and antistress [9] properties. Most of selleck chemical the medicinal effects of ginseng have been attributed to triterpene saponins, which are referred to as ginsenosides. More than 40 ginsenosides have been isolated and identified from white and red ginseng, showing different biological activities based on their structural differences [10], [11], [12], [13], [14] and [15]. Two types constitute >80% of the identified ginsenosides: protopanaxadiol (PPD)-type saponins (sugar moieties are attached to the β-OH at C-3 and/or

C-20) such as ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Rd, and protopanaxatriol (PPT)-type saponins (sugar moieties are attached Erastin molecular weight to the α-OH at C-6 and/or β-OH at C-20) such as ginsenosides Re, Rg1, and Rf [16]. The cultivation of P. ginseng is difficult due to the long duration (4–6 yr) needed for cultivation, and due to plant diseases such as red skin and root rot. Furthermore, ginseng needs to be cultivated under special conditions to meet its requirements of about 30% full sunlight. High exposure to light (50% solar radiation) decreases the levels of ginsenosides in Panax pseudoginseng [17], while exposure to >36% sunlight has been reported to cause photobleaching and leaf death in P. ginseng plants [18]. Although there have been many studies on the production of ginsenoside using tissue and cell cultures, the productivity has been low. To meet the demand for safe agricultural products of high quality, the cultivation of ginseng by hydroponics was developed in Korea [19] and [20].