Simultaneous determination of nine ginsenosides in functional foods by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector detection

A method for simultaneous determination of nine ginsenosides including two pairs of isomers and F-group ginsenosides in functional foods by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector detection is presented in this paper. After samples were ultrasonically extracted with 60% methanol aqueous solution and centrifuged, the ginsenosides Rg1, Re, Rf, Rb1, Rb3, Rg3, 20(S)-F1, 20(S)-F2, and 20(S)-Rh2 in sample solution were separated by an ODS column with a programmed gradient elution with a mobile phase consisting of water and acetonitrile. Qualitative determination was based on the retention time and the characteristic absorption spectra of ginsenosides and standard curves were used for quantification. Recoveries were from 91.5% to 104.5%. The limits of detection were from 7.0 ng to 16.5 ng. The relative standard deviations were <5% (intra-day) and 1.77–7.04% (inter-day). Ginsenosides in six kinds of functional foods were determined by this method with satisfactory results.