Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometry-Based Metabolic Characterization of Panax Notoginseng Roots

Abstract

The radix of Panax notoginseng is an important herbal resource for clinics, commercial markets, and the health industry worldwide. The quality of P. notoginseng roots is known to be associated with its cultivation age. This study used H-1-nuclear-magnetic-resonance-spectrometry-based metabolic profiling to characterize P. notoginseng roots. Twenty metabolites-including four ginsenosides-contributed to the composition of P. notoginseng according to age. A partial least-squares regression model using a combined data set from two solvent systems was the best predictor of cultivation age. Finally, receiver-operating-characteristic analysis was used to screen potential markers of P. notoginseng root age. These results may be applied to the development of medicinal and nutraceutical products using P. notoginseng roots.