Volatile compounds of ginseng (Panax sp.): a review

The compositions of ginseng volatiles and their differences therein based on the species, cultivation age, and cultivation method are reviewed in this paper. Some sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (e.g., β-panasinsene, α-panasinsene, α-neoclovene, β-neoclovene, bicyclogermacrene, β-farnesene, aromadendrene, and (E)-caryophyllene) and sesquiterpene alcohols (e.g., (+)-spathulenol, ginsenol, panasinsenol A, and panasinsenol B) were reportedly the main volatile compounds of ginseng. The differences between ginseng species were mainly associated with sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and monoterpenes, such as α-selinene, α-terpinolene, β-bisabolene, β-phellandrene, β-sesquiphellandrene, zingiberene, germacrene D, limonene, α-gurjunene, (E)-caryophyllene, δ-cadinene, (E)-β-farnesene, α-humulene, bicyclogermacrene, longiborn-8-ene, β-neoclovene, and (+)-spathulenol. Also, the amounts of α-cadinol, α-bisabolol, thujopsene, and n-hexadecanoic acid significantly increased with the cultivation ages. Moreover, aromadendrene, calarene, β-panasinsene, (E)-caryophyllene, α-neoclovene, and α-farnensene contributed to the discrimination among ginsengs cultivated using different methods.