Investigation of Ginsenosides and Antioxidant Activities in the Roots, Leaves, and Stems of Hydroponic-Cultured Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer)

Abstract

There has been very little reported on ginsenoside composition and antioxidant activity of hydroponic-cultured ginseng roots (HCR), leaves (HCL), and stems (HCS). We profiled 6 ginsenoside compounds in HCR, HCL, and HCS using high-performance liquid chromatography. Antioxidative activity of HCR, HCL, and HCS were evaluated using total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free-radical-scavenging activity assays, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Total ginsenoside contents of HCL and HCS were significantly higher than that of HCR (P<0.05). Rb1 was detected in HCR (23.02 mg/g) but was detected at very low levels in HCL and HCS (2.07~7.30 mg/g). Rg1 was the most abundant ingredient in HCL, followed by Rd; this was different than for HCR and HCS. The TPC and TFC ranged from 52.82~155.31 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g and 194.71~256.52 mg quercetin equivalent/100 g, respectively, of which HCL contained the highest levels. Moreover, HCL was the most effective in both DPPH and FRAP activities. In this study, we also evaluated the inhibitory effect of HCR, HCL, and HCS on the activities of mushroom tyrosinase through whitening activity test. The inhibitory effect of HCL on tyrosinase activity was higher than that of HCR and HCS. This study provides information about ginsenoside contents and the antioxidative activity of hydroponic-cultured ginseng, and suggests that the whole ginseng plant (including roots, leaves, and stems) may be a beneficial functional vegetables.

Comprehensive Comparison of Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Panax ginseng Sprouts by Different Cultivation Systems in a Plant Factory

“…In addition, there was a large amount contained in soil-cultured PGSs [ 29 ] and mountain-cultivated ginseng sprouts [ 24 ]. Our results are similar to those of prior studies, which showed that Rg1 and Re were the major ginsenoside compounds in hydroponic-cultured ginseng and soil-cultured ginseng, respectively [ 5 , 6 , 30 ]. We expected identified Rg1 and Re to be the critical compounds between the DWC and the SSC systems in a plant factory.…”

Growth and bioactive phytochemicals of Panax ginseng sprouts grown in an aeroponic system using plasma-treated water as the nitrogen source

“…The changes in bioactive phytochemicals depend on biological (e.g., organ, growth and development stages, and age) 2 , 9 , 47 , 55 , 56 and environmental factors (e.g., stress, light quality, and cultural practices) 4 , 14 , 19 , 49 , 57 , 58 . In our study, NO 3 ‒ in the PTW, together with K + , was involved in the enhanced free amino acid and ginsenoside contents in the P. ginseng sprout.…”

Saponins derived from the stems and leaves of Panax ginseng attenuate scrotal heat‐induced spermatogenic damage via inhibiting the MAPK mediated oxidative stress and apoptosis in mice

“…Ginsenosides are widely distributed in roots, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds of P. ginseng , and more than 100 ginsenosides have been isolated and identified. In recent years, increasing studies on chemical, pharmacological and clinical aspects have proved that the pharmacological action of ginsenoside isolated from the stems and leaves of P. ginseng (GSLS) is similar to that from the roots (Lee et al, 2017; Song et al, 2019). Importantly, not only the ginsenoside content of the stems and leaves of P. ginseng is significantly higher than that in ginseng roots, but also the commercial price is also significantly higher than that.…”