Rapid chemical profiling of saponins in the flower buds of Panax notoginseng by integrating MCI gel column chromatography and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis

The flower buds of Panax notoginseng (Notoginseng flower, FBP) are used as the traditional Chinese medicine San-Qi-Hua. In this study, we conducted column chromatography fractionation and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) analysis to comprehensively profile bioactive notoginseng saponins (ginsenosides) in FBP. MCI gel column chromatography allowed separation and enrichment of minor saponins. Electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry of [M−H]− and [M+Na]+ precursor ions of the saponins provided reliable structural information for the sapogenin, and sequence of sugar chains. Confirmed by high-accuracy Q-TOF analysis, 170 notoginseng saponins were characterized from FBP, and 91 of them were reported from Panax species for the first time. The new ginsenosides contain acyl groups on α-chain, malonyl group at 20-OH, or di-malonyl groups. This study also indicated that the flower buds of P. notoginseng contained more protopanaxadiol-type but less protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides than the roots.