A Multianalytical Approach for Determining the Geographical Origin of Ginseng Using Strontium Isotopes, Multielements, and 1H NMR Analysis

Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is widely used as an Oriental medicine in the East Asian regions, particularly Korea and China. In the study, the strontium isotope ratios (Sr-87/Sr-86), multielements, and metabolite profiles of 35 ginseng samples collected from Korea and China were examined in an attempt to develop a method to distinguish the origin of ginsengs from the two countries. A multivariate statistical approach was performed to analyze the multielements and the H-1 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data. Results of a t-test for Mg, Fe, Al, and Sc showed significant variation between Korean and Chinese ginsengs, indicating potential tracers for discriminating them. Discriminating between the ginsengs from the two countries was generally successful when both the Sr-87/Sr-86 ratios and rare earth element (REE) contents were used together. Moreover, principal component analysis (PCA) derived from the H-1 NMR data revealed a significant separation between the ginsengs originating from the two countries. The major metabolites responsible for differentiation were sugars such as glucose, xylose, and sucrose. The results suggest that this multiplatform approach offers a comprehensive method to distinguish the origin of ginsengs.