Electrochemical fingerprint-based method for the quality assessment of American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius)

Abstract

This study explores a novel application of the Belousov–Zhabotinsky (B-Z) reaction for evaluating the chemical profile of American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). Through optimization trials, stable and reproducible oscillations were achieved under 37°C, 400 rpm stirring, and reagent concentrations of 3.0 mol/L sulfuric acid, 0.3 mol/L potassium bromate, and 0.4 mol/L malonic acid, yielding maximum amplitudes of approximately 0.130 V. By analyzing multiple oscillation parameters across a broad sample set, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that the first two components explained 64 % of the total variance, reflecting distinct chemical signatures for different ginseng batches. Moreover, Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) grouped samples into three well-defined categories consistent with varying ginsenoside content. Critically, linear regression revealed a correlation coefficient of 0.92 between maximum oscillation amplitude and total ginsenoside levels, underscoring the method’s ability to reflect potency. Compared with traditional chromatographic techniques, this electrochemical approach required fewer resources and provided a comprehensive fingerprint of major and minor redox-active compounds. The strong agreement between B-Z oscillation parameters and recognized quality markers highlights the method’s suitability as a rapid screening tool in both research and industrial settings. Additionally, reproducibility tests demonstrated relative standard deviations below 3.5 %, confirming the reliability of this platform. The study indicates that a B-Z-based electrochemical strategy, enhanced by chemometric data analysis, can effectively differentiate and classify American Ginseng samples according to their phytochemical makeup, offering a cost-efficient and robust alternative for ongoing quality assurance. Furthermore, the method facilitated the classification of samples into three distinct tiers, mirroring their measured ginsenoside ranges.