Chemical fingerprinting of Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng) and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) using multi-platform metabolomics and taste profiling

Abstract Diverse ginseng species exhibit highly similar morphological features, leading to potential concerns of adulteration. Difference in chemical composition, combined with sensory qualities, could be key to distinguishing between ginseng species and enabling their quality control. However, comprehensive metabolomic comparisons linking chemical profiles to sensory traits remain limited. This study aimed to differentiate Korean ginseng ( Panax ginseng ) and American ginseng ( Panax quinquefolius ) using multi-platform metabolomics approach combined with multivariate statistics by analyzing different tissue parts (whole, body, and root). Korean ginseng was overall enriched in sucrose, citric acid, acetic acid, β -panasinsene, and ginsenoside Ra2, whereas American ginseng contained higher succinic acid, β -farnesene, quinquenoside R1. Electronic tongue profiling further distinguished taste attributes, with Korean ginseng showing stronger sweetness and bitterness and American ginseng exhibiting higher sourness. These integrated findings identified discriminant markers and demonstrated the potential of integrated metabolomics and sensory analysis for ginseng authentication and quality assessment.