Rapid On-Site Detection of Ginsenosides in Panax ginseng Using Portable Miniature Mass Spectrometry by Sodium Acetate-Enhanced Nanoelectrospray Ionization and a Same-Spectrum Same-Screening Quantification Strategy
- 1Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine , , ,
- 2Guizhou Medical University , ,
Abstract
Ginsenosides are the major bioactive constituents in Panax ginseng (PG), exhibiting diverse pharmacological effects, including anticancer, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, and anti-inflammatory activities. On-site mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of ginsenosides plays a crucial role in PG quality control. However, owing to matrix effects, structural complexity, low volatility, poor proton affinity, and the presence of multiple glycosidic moieties, rapid analysis of ginsenosides using portable MS under ambient conditions remains challenging. Here, we developed a sodium acetate (NaOAc)-enhanced nanoelectrospray ionization (nESI) method enabling rapid, on-site ginsenoside profiling using miniature mass spectrometry (mMS). NaOAc-mediated cationization promotes efficient formation of [M + Na]+ ions, enhancing ion signal intensity. Ginsenosides were detected using full-scan MS and MS/MS, including Rb1, Rg1, Re, Rd, Rf, notoginsenoside R1, etc. For quantitative analysis of the three pharmacopoeial markers (Rb1, Rg1, and Re), a same-spectrum and same-screening (4S) strategy using structurally similar saponins as an internal standard was established. The method exhibited good linearity (5–100 μg·mL–1, R2 > 0.99), acceptable precision (RSD < 13%), and recoveries. The limits of detection (LOD) for Rb1, Rg1, and Re were 0.10–0.20 μg·mL–1, respectively. Application of the method to PG samples of different cultivation ages revealed that the Rb1/Re ratio strongly correlated with cultivation age. This work demonstrated a practical strategy to enhance ionization efficiency and quantitative robustness in mMS and provided a feasible approach for on-site chemical assessment of herb medicines.
Related
- Unifying Passive Air Sampling with Paper Spray Ionization Mass Spectrometry for the Detection of Third-Hand Cigarette Smoke.
- Research Progress and Applications of the Fundamental Principles of Soft Ionization Mass Spectrometry
- Single-Cell Mass Spectrometry Imaging Using Desorption Electrospray Ionization Coupled To Orbitrap Mass Spectrometers
- An Isotope-Induced Polarity Bias in Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry.
- Mapping Protein Conformation Ensemble Transitions Using Capillary Vibrating Sharp-edge Spray Ionization and Native Mass Spectrometry
BibTeX
@article{liu2026rapid,
title = {{Rapid On-Site Detection of Ginsenosides in Panax ginseng Using Portable Miniature Mass Spectrometry by Sodium Acetate-Enhanced Nanoelectrospray Ionization and a Same-Spectrum Same-Screening Quantification Strategy}},
author = {Longchan Liu and Yongjin Li and Haizhen Zhang and Haoyue Zhang and Wenxiang Fan and Linnan Li and Zhengtao Wang and Li Yang},
journal = {ACS omega},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1021/acsomega.6c07119},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13670312},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Rapid On-Site Detection of Ginsenosides in Panax ginseng Using Portable Miniature Mass Spectrometry by Sodium Acetate-Enhanced Nanoelectrospray Ionization and a Same-Spectrum Same-Screening Quantification Strategy
AU - Longchan Liu
AU - Yongjin Li
AU - Haizhen Zhang
AU - Haoyue Zhang
AU - Wenxiang Fan
AU - Linnan Li
AU - Zhengtao Wang
AU - Li Yang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - ACS omega
DO - 10.1021/acsomega.6c07119
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13670312
AB - Ginsenosides are the major bioactive constituents in Panax ginseng (PG), exhibiting diverse pharmacological effects, including anticancer, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, and anti-inflammatory activities. On-site mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of ginsenosides plays a crucial role in PG quality control. However, owing to matrix effects, structural complexity, low volatility, poor proton affinity, and the presence of multiple glycosidic moieties, rapid analysis of ginsenosides using portable MS under ambient conditions remains challenging. Here, we developed a sodium acetate (NaOAc)-enhanced nanoelectrospray ionization (nESI) method enabling rapid, on-site ginsenoside profiling using miniature mass spectrometry (mMS). NaOAc-mediated cationization promotes efficient formation of [M + Na]+ ions, enhancing ion signal intensity. Ginsenosides were detected using full-scan MS and MS/MS, including Rb1, Rg1, Re, Rd, Rf, notoginsenoside R1, etc. For quantitative analysis of the three pharmacopoeial markers (Rb1, Rg1, and Re), a same-spectrum and same-screening (4S) strategy using structurally similar saponins as an internal standard was established. The method exhibited good linearity (5–100 μg·mL–1, R2 > 0.99), acceptable precision (RSD < 13%), and recoveries. The limits of detection (LOD) for Rb1, Rg1, and Re were 0.10–0.20 μg·mL–1, respectively. Application of the method to PG samples of different cultivation ages revealed that the Rb1/Re ratio strongly correlated with cultivation age. This work demonstrated a practical strategy to enhance ionization efficiency and quantitative robustness in mMS and provided a feasible approach for on-site chemical assessment of herb medicines.
SN - 2470-1343
ER -