High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of phytosterols in Panax ginseng root grown under different conditions

BACKGROUND: The Panax ginseng plant is used as an herbal medicine. Phytosterols of P. ginseng have inhibitory effects on inflammation-related factors in HepG2 cells. METHODS: Phytosterols (e.g., stigmasterol and β-sitosterol) in the roots of P. ginseng grown under various conditions were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. The P. ginseng roots analyzed in this study were collected from three cultivation areas in Korea (i.e., Geumsan, Yeongju, and Jinan) and differed by cultivation year (i.e., 4 years, 5 years, and 6 years) and production process (i.e., straight ginseng, red ginseng, and white ginseng). RESULTS: The concentrations of stigmasterol and β-sitosterol in P. ginseng roots were 2.22–23.04 mg/g and 7.35–59.09 mg/g, respectively. The highest concentrations of stigmasterol and β-sitosterol were in the roots of 6-year-old P. ginseng cultivated in Jinan (82.14 mg/g and 53.23 mg/g, respectively). CONCLUSION: Six-year-old white ginseng and white ginseng cultivated in Jinan containing stigmasterol and β-sitosterol are potentially a new source of income in agriculture.