Analysis of Ginsenosides in Steamed Panax quinquefoliums L. Liquid Waste Concentrates by UPLC Orbitrap HRMS

A method was applied to determine the contents of 15 ginsenosides in steamed Panax quinquefoliums L. liquid waste concentrates by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC Orbitrap HRMS). The sample was separated on Thermo Scientific Syncronis C18 column (100 mm×2.1 mm×1.7 μm) with the gradient elution of acetonitril-0.1% formic acid as mobile phases, and the flow rate was 0.2 mL/min. The column temperature was set at 35 ℃. The electrospray ionization (ESI) and the Orbitrap mass analyzer were used with high resolution mass data collection. Ginsenosides Rg₁、Rg₂、Rg₃、Rb₁、Rb₂、Rc、Rd、Re、Rh₁、Rh₂、Rk₁、Ro、F₁、F₂ and pseudo ginsenoside F₁₁ show good linear relationship, respectively. The average RSD value of stability test is less than 5% within 48 h. The average sample recovery was in the range of 94.38%-102.10%, and the RSD value is less than 3%. The contents of 15 ginsenosides in steamed Panax quinquefoliums L. liquid waste concentrates under different temperatures and times were determined and compared. For the protopanaxdiol (PPD) type ginsenosides, with the rising of steaming temperature and time, the contents of Rb₁, Rb₂, Rc, Rd and F₂ decreased gradually. While the contents of Rg₃, Rh₂, Rk₁ and Rd increased firstly and then decreased or decreased firstly and then increased. The ginsenoside transformation could explain the content more or less. The protopanaxtriol (PPT), oleanane and ocotillol types ginsenosides presented the similar conversion pathway. The chemical conversion of four types of ginsenosides were summarized. This method is simple, accurate, sensitive, specific and has good repeatability, which could be used to determine the contents of ginsenosides in steamed Panax quinquefoliums L. liquid waste and proved to be effective for detection of the steamed Panax quinquefoliums L. liquid waste concentrates. The steamed Panax quinquefoliums L. liquid waste concentrates includes a variety of ginsenosides, of which the minor ginsenosides have higher bioactivities. So the steamed Panax quinquefoliums L. liquid waste is of great value to develop. It also provides raw materials for medicine and health products.