Comparative Analysis of Main Active Constituents in Ginger Samples Collected from Different Origins

In order to evaluate the quality of ginger more comprehensively,comparative analysis of the main active constituents of ginger samples collected from different origins were performed by GC-MS and HPLC methods proposed in this work. The ginger volatile oils were extracted by water distillation method and analyzed by GC-MS. Then the chemical constituents were identified by searching NIST02 MS database and semi-quantified by peak area normalization method.Gingerols were extracted by methanol and then determined by HPLC method. The obtained results showed that 24 to 28 compounds in the volatile oils of 9 ginger samples were identified by GC-MS,which accounted for 85. 31% to 93. 67%of total essential oils,respectively. β-Phellandrene( 9. 96% ~ 20. 15%),camphene( 3. 54% ~ 14. 53%),citral( 6. 52% ~ 12. 49%),β-citral( 3. 96% ~ 7. 44%),zingiberene( 13. 81% ~ 19. 74%),curcumene( tr ~ 5. 52%),β-sesquiphellandrene( 5. 08% ~ 6. 22%) and β-bisabolene( 2. 63% ~ 3. 34%) were the eight main active constituents.As for non-volatile components,the contents of 6-gingerol in the 9 ginger samples were in the range of 0. 067% to0. 391%,respectively,higher than 0. 05% specified in the current Chinese pharmacopeia. But there existed obvious differences in main active constituents and their amounts among the 9 ginger samples. Thus,to specify three characteristic effective components including zingiberene,curcumene and 6-gingerol instead of one constituent 6-gingerol as the quality evaluation compounds of ginger should be much more comprehensive.