A comparative study on commercial samples of Ginseng Radix

A total of 37 commercial samples of Ginseng Radix, the origins of which belonged to Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, P. quinquefolia Linn. (American ginseng), and P. notoginseng Burkill (sanchi-ginseng), respectively, were collected from the Taiwan herbal markets. The contents of nine ginsenosides, Rb₁, Rb₂, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, Rg₁, Rg₂, R₀, and three malonylginsenosides, mRb₁, mRb₂, mRc, in these samples were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. It was found that the saponin contents in P. notoginseng and P. quinquefolia were generally higher than in P. ginseng. The ginsenosides that were of the highest contents in the white-ginseng, red-ginseng, and shihchu-ginseng samples of P. ginseng were Rb₁ and Rg₁, those in the root-hair of P. ginseng were Rb₁ and Re, those in P. notoginseng were Rb₁, Rg₁ and Rd, and those in P. quinquefolia were Rb₁, Re, and mRb₁. Among the samples, those of P. quinquefolia did not contain Rf and Rg₂, whilst those of shihchu-ginseng and red-ginseng of P. ginseng contained none or only traces of the malonylginsenosides. From the data of chemical analysis of a herb's constituents and its external appearance, we can postulate not only the quality but also the origin of the herb.