title: Preparation and quality assessment of high-purity ginseng total saponins by ion exchange resin combined with macroporous adsorption resin separation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To prepare high-purity ginseng total saponins from a water decoction of Chinese ginseng root.
  
  
  METHODS
  Total saponins were efficiently purified by dynamic anion-cation exchange following the removal of hydrophilic impurities by macroporous resin D101. For quality control, ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with a charged aerosol detector (CAD) was applied to quantify marker components. The total saponin content was estimated by a colorimetric method using a vanillin-vitriol system and CAD response.
  
  
  RESULTS
  D201, which consisted of a cross-linked polystyrene matrix and -N(+)(CH3)3 functional groups, was the best of the four anion exchange resins tested. However, no significant difference in cation exchange ability was observed between D001 (strong acid) and D113 (weak acid), although they have different functional groups and matrices. After purification in combination with D101, D201, and D113, the estimated contents of total saponins were 107% and 90% according to the colorimetric method and CAD response, respectively. The total amount of representative ginsenosides Re, Rd, Rg1, and compound K was approximately 22% based on ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-CAD quantitative analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that an ion exchange resin, combined with macroporous adsorption resin separation, is a promising and feasible purification procedure for neutral natural polar components.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Brain Research, Basic Medical College, Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210046, China. Electronic address: zhaoyunan-js@163.com.
authors.forename: Yu-Nan
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Brain Research, Basic Medical College, Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210046, China.
authors.forename: Zhong-Li
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Brain Research, Basic Medical College, Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210046, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Guo
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Brain Research, Basic Medical College, Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210046, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Brain Research, Basic Medical College, Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210046, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007475:Ion Exchange Resins / Q000737:chemistry*; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D016062:Porosity; D012503:Saponins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007475:Ion Exchange Resins; D012503:Saponins
keywords: Ginsenosides; Ion exchange resin; Macroporous resin; Panax ginseng; Quality assessment