Changes of 5‐hydroxymethyl‐2‐furfural in fresh and processed ginsengs

The study estimated changes of 5‐hydroxymethyl‐2‐furfuraldehyde (5‐HMF) in different ginseng products with different temperatures and time pretreatment. Heat treatment was performed at various temperatures for 1.50, 2.00, 2.50, and 3.00 hr, respectively. Ultrasonic extraction and reflux extraction were used to evaluate the extraction rate and different solvents (such as 80% methanol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and an extraction with both dichloromethane and ethyl acetate solvents) using two extraction methods (liquid–liquid extraction and solid‐phase extraction) to remove matrix interference. An ultraperformance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometer (UPLC‐MS) method was used for quantitative and changing analysis of 5‐HMF in different ginseng samples. The results indicated that the content of 5‐HMF increased dramatically with heating temperature and time, and the 5‐HMF in the ginseng samples ranged from 0.01 to 112.32 g/kg protein. The highest value was observed in the honey‐added ginseng samples with the highest amount of addition and highest temperature treatment, and the lowest value was found in the fresh ginseng samples. These results implied that 5‐HMF may be as an indicator to estimate the honey addition level and heat treatment degree during the processing of ginseng products, and the content of 5‐HMF is a promising parameter to evaluate the quality of products (ginseng). The production and regulation of potentially harmful Maillard reaction products (PHMRPs)‐5‐HMF in ginseng manufacture will provide an important reference for safe ginseng processing.