Background : The geographical origin of Panax ginseng Meyer, a valuable medicinal plant, is important to both ginseng producers and consumers in the context of economic profit and human health benefits. We therefore aimed to discriminate between the cultivation regions of ginseng using the stable isotope ratios of C, N, O, and S, which are abundant bio-elements in living organisms. Methods and Results : The C, N, O, and S stable isotope ratios were measured by isotope ratio mass spectrometer, and then these isotope ratios profiling was statistically analyzed with chemometrics. The various isotope ratios found in Panax ginseng roots were significantly influenced by region, cultivar, and the interactions between these two factors (P ≤ 0.0002). In particular, δ18O was lower in ginseng roots grown at high altitudes (r = −0.47), while δ34S was higher in ginseng roots grown close to coastal areas (r = −0.48). Chemometric results provided discrimination between the majorities of different cultivation regions. Conclusion : Our case study extends the understanding about the variation of C, N, O, and S stable isotope ratios in ginseng root depending on cultivation region. Hence, the analysis of stable isotope ratios is a suitable tool for discrimination between the regional origins of ginseng samples from Korea, with potential application to other countries.

Background : Despite the presence of various bioactive compounds in ginseng, there is lack of study about the phenolic metabolites in ginseng especially depending on the cultivation soil and the fertilizer types. Therefore, this study aims to develop an (-)ESI-LC-MS/MS analytical method for the measurement of selected phenolic compounds in the ginseng root. Methods and Results : Total phenol content in ginseng root was measured with the Folin-Ciocalteau method using UV/Vis spectrophotometer. Then, the 56 selected phenolic metabolites in ginseng root were measured with the (-)ESI-LC-MS/MS. The brief LC-MS/MS analytical conditions were as follows; Thermo Scientific Syncronis C18 HPLC Column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) was used. Optimized instrument settings were as follows: Curtain gas 20 psi, collision gas 2 psi, ion spray voltage –4500 V, nebulizer gas 40 psi, heating gas 70 psi, and its temperature 350℃. Total phenol content was higher in the ginseng cultivated in the paddy-converted field than that in upland. In particular, the total phenol content was about 6% decreased in the ginseng root cultivated with the food waste fertilizer compared to the control (p < 0.05). Six phenolic constituents including caffeic, chlorogenic, p-coumaric, ferulic, gentisic, and salicylic acids were found in the ginseng root by using the LC-MS/MS in MRM (multiple reaction monitoring) Mode. These six phenolic compounds occupied approximately 20% of the total phenol content measured in the corresponding ginseng root. The chlorogenic acid was the most abundant phenolic metabolite found in the ginseng root, accounting for ≥ 95% of the sum of six phenolic compounds, in this study. Conclusion : This preliminary study can be useful for the study on content and composition of phenolic metabolites in ginseng root with the aspect of metabolomics. We plan to further optimize the LC-MS/MS analytical method and then provide the extended understanding on the phenolic metabolism in the ginseng root with respect to the ginseng cultivation conditions.