Integrated E-Nose, E-Tongue, HS−GC−IMS, and HS−SPME−GC−MS with Multivariate Statistics for Flavor Discrimination and Volatile Marker Screening of American Ginseng from Different Origins
American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) from different origins exhibits considerable quality variation, yet the flavor differences among them remain poorly characterized. In this study, samples from Shandong, Jilin, and Canada were analyzed by integrating an electronic nose (E-nose) and electronic tongue (E-tongue) with headspace gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (HS−GC−IMS), headspace solid-phase microextraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS−SPME−GC−MS), and multivariate statistical methods. The E-nose and E-tongue, combined with partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS−DA), effectively distinguished the American ginseng samples according to their assigned geographical origins, and key discriminating sensors and taste indicators were screened. HS−GC−IMS and HS−SPME−GC−MS provided complementary advantages and jointly confirmed that terpenes are the main volatile components of American ginseng. Using orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) with variable importance in projection (VIP) > 1, 37 and 42 candidate discriminants were screened by HS−GC−IMS and HS-SPME−GC−MS, respectively, with camphene and α-phellandrene identified by HS−GC−IMS and ginsinsene by HS−SPME−GC−MS as key terpenoid markers. Correlation analyses revealed that these volatile compounds underpinned E-nose-based origin-related aroma discrimination. A coupling association existed between E-tongue and E-nose signals. An electronic sensory–chemometric evaluation system was thus established to screen volatile characteristic markers, providing a basis for flavor fingerprint construction and origin tracing of American ginseng.
Authors
- 成嚇 尹
- Yan Gao
- Yuchen Yao
- Bonian Zhao
- Junqing Li
- Lu Liu
Institutions
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Foods
- Published
- 2026-11-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15214011
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Chemical Sensor Technologies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00