Chemical Transformation and Storage Stability of Ginsenosides in Honey-Processed Panax notoginseng: An HPLC...

The aim of this study is to investigate the changes in the chemical composition of Panax notoginseng induced by honey processing, to evaluate the storage stability of honey-processed notoginseng under accelerated conditions in an artificial climate chamber, and to provide a scientific basis for the quality control, packaging, and storage of the processed product. An HPLC fingerprinting method was established, and the differences in chemical composition among fresh, dried, and honey-processed notoginseng were studied and compared. Eleven ginsenosides, namely, Rb₁, Rb₂, Rb₃, R₁, Re, Rg₁, R-Rg₃, S-Rg₃, Rh₁, Rh₄, and Rk₃, were simultaneously quantified by HPLC. The storage stability of honey-processed notoginseng was evaluated by HPLC fingerprinting and multi-indicator content determination over 0, 1, 3, and 6 months of storage in an artificial climate chamber. Compared with fresh notoginseng, both dried and honey-processed samples showed significantly decreased contents of most ginsenosides, whereas the contents of Rb₂, Rb₃, Rh₁, R-Rg₃, and S-Rg₃ increased in honey-processed notoginseng. Principal component analysis revealed that the contribution of Rb₁ increased significantly and became dominant after honey processing, at the expense of R₁, Re, and Rg₁. The stability study demonstrated that the total content of the 11 ginsenosides in honey-processed notoginseng remained relatively stable during the first 3 months of storage, whereas its variation range increased markedly at 6 months. Honey processing significantly altered both the content and the composition of ginsenosides in P. notoginseng, and the processed product remained chemically stable for up to 3 months of accelerated storage. These findings provide a scientific basis for the quality control, packaging, and storage of honey-processed notoginseng.