Profiling of constituents from American Ginseng processed products using UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap/MS and its effect on improving glucose and lipid metabolism in IR-HepG2 cells

Dried American ginseng and red American ginseng, common processed products of American ginseng with hypoglycaemic activity, are classified as functional foods. This study employed UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap/MS to analyse the chemical composition of their ethanol extracts (EDAG and ERAG), identifying 47 ginsenosides including 9 differential saponins (Rg₁, Re, Rg_2, Rb₁, Rc, Rb₂, Rd, Rg_6, and 20(R)-Rg₃), accounting for 12.16% and 19.11% of total saponins in EDAG and ERAG, respectively. Using an IR-HepG2 cell model, EDAG and ERAG significantly increased glucose consumption and glycogen content, while reducing triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) levels. Ginsenosides Rb₁, Rc, Rb₂, Rd, and 20(R)-Rg₃ normalised glucose metabolism; Rg₂, Rb₁, Rc, Rb_2, and Rd ameliorated lipid metabolism disorders. Notably, ERAG showed stronger insulin resistance-improving activity than EDAG. This study provided theoretical support for the regulation of blood glucose by American ginseng and its processed products and aided the development of their functional foods.