NIS - libdoc.who.int - World Health Organization

WHO monographs on medicinal plants commonly used in the Newly Independent States (NIS)
quality control methods for medicinal plants (11) and guidelines for predicting
dietary intake of pesticide residues (14).
Heavy metals
Recommended lead and cadmium levels are no more than 10 and 0.3 mg/kg,
respectively, in the final dosage form of the plant material (11).
Radioactive residues
For analysis of strontium-90, iodine-131, caesium-134, caesium-137, and
plutonium-239, see WHO guidelines on quality control methods for medicinal
plants (11).
Other purity tests
Chemical and water-soluble extractive tests to be established in accordance
with national requirements.
Chemical assays
Microchemical, thin-layer chromatographic, and spectrophotometric
methods are used for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of ginsenosides
(1–5). High-performance liquid chromatography (15–17) and liquid
chromatography–mass spectrometry (18) methods are also available.
Characteristic saponins known as ginsenosides, not less than 1.5% calculated
as ginsenoside Rg 1
(d-glucopyranosyl-6β-glucopyranosyl-20S-protopanaxatriol,
relative molecular mass 800) (3, 5).
Major chemical constituents
The major chemical constituents are triterpene saponins. More than 30
are based on the dammarane structure, and one (ginsenoside Ro) is derived
from oleanolic acid (6, 7, 17, 19). The dammarane saponins are derivatives
of either protopanaxadiol or protopanaxatriol. Members of the
former group include ginsenosides Ra 1-3
, Rb 1-3
, Rc, Rc 2
, Rd, Rd 2
, and Rh 2
;
(20S)-ginsenoside Rg 3
; and malonyl ginsenosides Rb 1
, Rb 2
, Rc, and Rd.
Examples of protopanaxatriol saponins are ginsenosides Re 2
, Re 3
, Rf, Rg 1
,
Rg 2
, and Rh 1
; 20-gluco-ginsenoside Rf; and (20R)-ginsenosides Rg 2
and
Rh 1
. Those considered most important are ginsenosides Rb 1
, Rb 2
, Rc, Rd,
Rf, Rg 1
, and Rg 2
; Rb 1
, Rb 2
, and Rg 1
are the most abundant. Representative
structures are presented below.
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