Morphological Characterization, Chemical Components, and Biofunctional Activities ofPanax ginseng, Panax quinquefolium, andPanax notoginsengRoots: A Comparative Study

Revealing Medicinal Constituents of Bistorta vivipara Based on Non-Targeted Metabolomics and 16S rDNA Gene Sequencing Technology

Bistorta vivipara is a medicinal plant with a long history, but there are few studies on the effects of its medicinal components and endophytic bacteria on the accumulation of secondary metabolites. Therefore, in this study, non-targeted metabolomics techniques and 16s rDNA techniques were used to study B. vivipara from different regions. A total of 1290 metabolites and 437 differential metabolites were identified from all samples. Among them, flavonoids, isoflavonoids, and benzopyrans are the main medicinal components of B. vivipara; these have potential anticancer, antiviral, and antioxidant properties, as well as potential applications for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. In addition, irigenin, an important medicinal component, was identified for the first time. The endophytic bacterial communities in the root tissues of B. vivipara from different regions were also different in composition and richness. Hierarchical clustering heat map analysis showed that Proteobacteria and Actinobacteriota bacteria significantly affected the accumulation of many medicinal components in the roots of B. vivipara.

Comparative Analysis of Volatile Compounds in the Flower Buds of Three Panax Species Using Fast Gas Chromatography Electronic Nose, Headspace-Gas Chromatography-Ion Mobility Spectrometry, and Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Coupled with Multivariate Statistical Analysis

The flower buds of three Panax species (PGF: P. ginseng; PQF: P. quinquefolius; PNF: P. notoginseng) widely consumed as health tea are easily confused in market circulation. We aimed to develop a green, fast, and easy analysis strategy to distinguish PGF, PQF, and PNF. In this work, fast gas chromatography electronic nose (fast GC e-nose), headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS), and headspace solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) were utilized to comprehensively analyze the volatile organic components (VOCs) of three flowers. Meanwhile, a principal component analysis (PCA) and heatmap were applied to distinguish the VOCs identified in PGF, PQF, and PNF. A random forest (RF) analysis was used to screen key factors affecting the discrimination. As a result, 39, 68, and 78 VOCs were identified in three flowers using fast GC e-nose, HS-GC-IMS, and HS-SPME-GC-MS. Nine VOCs were selected as potential chemical markers based on a model of RF for distinguishing these three species. Conclusively, a complete VOC analysis strategy was created to provide a methodological reference for the rapid, simple, and environmentally friendly detection and identification of food products (tea, oil, honey, etc.) and herbs with flavor characteristics and to provide a basis for further specification of their quality and base sources.

Untargeted Metabolomics Analysis Revealed the Difference of Component and Geographical Indication Markers of Panax notoginseng in Different Production Areas

Panax notoginseng (P. notoginseng) has excellent medicinal and food dual-use characteristics. However, P. notoginseng with a unique origin label has become the target of fraud because of people confusing or hiding its origin. In this study, an untargeted nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics approach was used to discriminate the geographical origins of P. notoginseng from four major producing areas in China. Fifty-two components, including various saccharides, amino acids, saponins, organic acids, and alcohols, were identified and quantified through the NMR spectrum, and the area-specific geographical identification components were further screened. P. notoginseng from Yunnan had strong hypoglycemic and cardiovascular protective effects due to its high acetic acid, dopamine, and serine content, while P. notoginseng from Sichuan was more beneficial for diseases of the nervous system because of its high content of fumarate. P. notoginseng from Guizhou and Tibet had high contents of malic acid, notoginsenoside R1, and amino acids. Our results can help to distinguish the geographical origin of P. notoginseng and are readily available for nutritional recommendations in human consumption.

Diversity and correlation analysis of endophytes and metabolites of Panax quinquefolius L. in various tissues

BACKGROUND

Panax quinquefolius L. (American ginseng) is widely used in medicine due to its wealth of diverse pharmacological effects. Endophytes colonize within P. quinquefolius in multiple tissue types. However, the relationship between endophytes and the production of their active ingredients in different parts of the plant is not clear.

RESULTS

In this study, the relationship of endophytic diversity and the metabolites produced in different plant tissues of P. quinquefolius were analyzed using metagenomic and metabolomic approaches. The results showed relatively similar endophyte composition in roots and fibrils, but obvious differences between endophyte populations in stems and leaves. Species abundance analysis showed that at the phylum level, the dominant bacterial phylum was Cyanobacteria for roots, fibrils, stems and leaves, Ascomycota forroots and fibrils roots, and Basidiomycota for stems and leaves. LC-MS/MS technology was used to quantitatively analyze the metabolites in different tissues of P. quinquefolius. A total of 398 metabolites and 294 differential metaboliteswere identified, mainly organic acids, sugars, amino acids, polyphenols, and saponins. Most of the differential metabolites were enriched in metabolic pathways such as phenylpropane biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, citric acid cycle, and amino acid biosynthesis. Correlation analysis showed a positive and negative correlation between the endophytes and the differential metabolites. Conexibacter significantly enriched in root and fibril was significantly positively correlated with saponin differential metabolites, while cyberlindnera significantly enriched in stem and leaf was significantly negatively correlated with differential metabolites (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The endophytic communities diversity were relatively similar in the roots and fibrils of P. quinquefolius, while there were greater differences between the stems and leaves. There was significant difference in metabolite content between different tissues of P. quinquefolius. Correlation analysis methods demonstrated a correlation between endophytes and differential metabolism.

LC-MS Analysis of Ginsenosides in Different Parts of Panax quinquefolius and Their Potential for Coronary Disease Improvement

Seven main ginsenosides, including ginsenoside Re, ginsenoside Rb₁, pseudoginsenoside F₁₁, ginsenoside Rb₂, ginsenoside Rb₃, ginsenoside Rd, and ginsenoside F₂, were identified by LC-QTOF MS/MS from root, leaf and flower extracts of Panax quinquefolius. These extracts promoted intersegmental vessel growth in a zebrafish model, indicating their potential cardiovascular health benefits. Network pharmacology analysis was then conducted to reveal the potential mechanisms of ginsenoside activity in the treatment of coronary artery disease. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses elucidated that G protein-coupled receptors played a critical role in VEGF-mediated signal transduction and that the molecular pathways associated with ginsenoside activity are involved in neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, cholesterol metabolism, the cGMP-PKG signaling pathway, etc. Moreover, VEGF, FGF2, and STAT3 were confirmed as the major targets inducing proliferation of endothelial cells and driving the pro-angiogenic process. Overall, ginsenosides could be potent nutraceutical agents that act to reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease. Our findings will provide a basis to utilize the whole P. quinquefolius plant in drugs and functional foods.

Untargeted Metabolomic Analysis and Chemometrics to Identify Potential Marker Compounds for the Chemical Differentiation of Panax ginseng, P. quinquefolius, P. notoginseng, P. japonicus, and P. japonicus var. major

The Panax L. genus is well-known for many positive physiological effects on humans, with major species including P. ginseng, P. quinquefolius, P. notoginseng, P. japonicus, and P. japonicus var. major, the first three of which are globally popular. The combination of UPLC-QTOF-MS and chemometrics were developed to profile "identification markers" enabling their differentiation. The establishment of reliable biomarkers that embody the intrinsic metabolites differentiating species within the same genus is a key in the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine. In this work, the metabolomic differences among these five species were shown, which is critical to ensure their appropriate use. Consequently, 49 compounds were characterized, including 38 identified robust biomarkers, which were mainly composed of saponins and contained small amounts of amino acids and fatty acids. VIP (projection variable importance) was used to identify these five kinds of ginseng. In conclusion, by illustrating the similarities and differences between the five species of ginseng with the use of an integrated strategy of combining UPLC-QTOF-MS and multivariate analysis, we provided a more efficient and more intelligent manner for explaining how the species differ and how their secondary metabolites affect this difference. The most important biomarkers that distinguished the five species included Notoginsenoside-R₁, Majonoside R₁, Vinaginsenoside R₁₄, Ginsenoside-Rf, and Ginsenoside-Rd.

Pharmacokinetics and Oral Bioavailability of Panax Notoginseng Saponins Administered to Rats Using a Validated UPLC-MS/MS Method

Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) are the most important bioactive components of P. Notoginseng. In this paper, an evaluation of the pharmacokinetics and oral absolute bioavailability of PNS was carried out following intravenous and oral administration of PNS to Sprague-Dawley rats. The plasma concentration of 28 PNS was determined using a validated UPLC-MS/MS system. The results demonstrated that Rb1(32.8%), Rg1(41.4%), R1(9.4%), Re(4.5%), and Rd(3.5%) are the five main ingredients of PNS for administration. After oral administration, it was found that the area under the curve (AUC_0-72 h) for these five major saponins was significantly different. AUC_0-72 h of Rb1 and Rd accounted for about 60% of all PNS exposure, while AUC_0-72 h of Rg1 and R1 only accounted for 0.7%, and Re was undetectable in plasma. Also, PPD, PPT, and CK were detected as the major PNS metabolites in vivo. Furthermore, it was shown that the total oral bioavailability of PNS was only 1.2%.

Panax ginseng abuse exhibits a pro‐inflammatory effect by activating the NF‐κB pathway

P. ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) is a well-known traditional medicine that has been used for thousands of years to treat diseases. However, "ginseng abuse syndrome" (GAS) often occurs due to an inappropriate use such as high-dose or long-term usage of ginseng; information about what causes GAS and how GAS occurs is still lacking. In this study, the critical components that potentially caused GAS were screened through a step-by-step separation strategy, the pro-inflammatory effects of different extracts on messenger RNA (mRNA) or protein expression levels were evaluated in RAW 264.7 macrophages through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) or Western blot, respectively. It was found that high-molecular water-soluble substances (HWSS) significantly increased the expression of cytokines (cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and interleukin 6 (IL-6)) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) protein; gel filtration chromatography fraction 1 (GFC-F1) further purified from HWSS showed prominent pro-inflammatory effects by increasing the transcription of cytokines (COX-2, iNOS, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin 1β (IL-1β)) as well as the expression of COX-2 and iNOS protein. Moreover, GFC-F1 activated nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-кB) (p65 and inhibitor of nuclear factor-kappa B alpha (IκB-α)) and the p38/MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) signaling pathways. On the other hand, the inhibitor of the NF-κB pathway (pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC)) reduced GFC-F1-induced nitric oxide (NO) production, while the inhibitors of the MAPK pathways did not. Taken together, GFC-F1 is the potential composition that caused GAS through the production of inflammatory cytokines by activating the NF-кB pathway.

Detection of Adulteration and Pesticide Residues in Chinese Patent Medicine Qipi Pill Using KASP Technology and GC-MS/MS

Chinese patent medicines (CPMs) are of great value for the prevention and treatment of diseases. However, adulterants and pesticide residues in CPMs have become the “bottleneck” impeding the globalization of traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, 12 batches of commercially available Qipi pill (a famous CPM recorded in Chinese Pharmacopeia) from different manufacturers were investigated to evaluate their authenticity and quality safety. Considering the severely degraded DNA in CPMs, kompetitive allele specific PCR (KASP) technology combined with DNA mini-barcodes was proposed for the quality regulation of a large number of products in CPM market. The residues of four kinds of pesticides including pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB), hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), aldrin, and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) were quantified using gas chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The results indicated that in two of the 12 batches of Qipi pill, the main herbal ingredient Panax ginseng was completely substituted by P. quinquefolius, and one sample was partially adulterated with P. quinquefolius. The PCNB residue was detected in 11 batches of Qipi pill, ranging from 0.11 to 0.46 mg/kg, and the prohibited pesticide HCH was present in four samples. Both adulteration and banned pesticides were found in two CPMs. This study suggests that KASP technology combined with DNA mini-barcodes can be used for the quality supervision of large sample size CPMs with higher efficiency but lower cost. Our findings also provide the insight that pesticide residues in CPMs should be paid more attention in the future.

Comprehensive Lipidome and Metabolome Profiling Investigations of Panax quinquefolius and Application in Different Growing Regions Using Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Mass Spectrometry

Panax quinquefolius is one of the most recognized ginseng species. In this study, lipidome and metabolome extraction methods for P. quinquefolius were optimized with methanol/methyl-tert-butyl ether/water (0.3 mg/1 μL/6 μL/8 μL). A total of 497 metabolites were identified, including 365 lipids and 76 ginsenosides. Comprehensive lipidome profiling was first performed for P. quinquefolius, in which 32.6% glycerophospholipids, 39.5% glycerolipids, 9.3% sphingolipids, 3.3% sterol lipids, and 15.3% fatty acyls were identified. Orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) showed obvious metabolomic differences in two growing regions of China. In the northern growing region, the ratio of bilayer- to nonbilayer-forming membrane lipids (PCs/PEs, DGDGs/MGDGs), the degree of unsaturation of acyl chains in galactolipids, and the content of membrane glycerophospholipids were increased. In the eastern growing region, the synthesis of storage lipids, ceramides, and fatty acyls was increased, and secondary metabolism was enhanced with 24 differential ginsenosides found. The investigation deepens the understanding of metabolic regulation mechanisms of P. quinquefolius.

Suitable soil moisture contents for water use efficiency and saponins accumulation in Panax notoginseng

Objective

The moisture content in the soil directly affects the yield and quality of Panax notoginseng, especially at the age of three years old. However, the suitable moisture for the growth of P. notoginseng is unknown. In this study, the effects of different soil moisture on the growth of P. notoginseng were studied.

Methods

Four different water treatments (0.45 field capacity (FC), 0.60 FC, 0.70 FC, and 0.85 FC) were set up in Shilin County, Yunnan Province, China. The water consumption and daily dynamic of water consumption were determined daily (from April 21 to October 18, 2012), and the daily dynamic of water consumption under different weather conditions (sunny and rainy) was determined. The transpiration coefficient and water use efficiency were calculated through dry matter accumulation and total water consumption. Accumulation of saponins of roots of P. notoginseng were analyzed by HPLC after treated, and the soil moisture content suitable for the growth of P. notoginseng was estimated by regression fitting of the active ingredient accumulation and the soil moisture content.

Results

The water consumption of 0.85 FC, 0.70 FC, 0.60 FC and 0.45 FC were 2.89, 3.68, 3.37 and 2.73 kg/plant per day, respectively. The water consumption of P. notoginseng from June to August was greater than other months. The daily dynamic of water consumption on sunny days and sunny days after rain showed a “double peak” feature, and it showed a “single peak” feature on rainy days. The water uses efficiency (WUE) of 0.85 FC, 0.70 FC, 0.60 FC and 0.45 FC were 2.51, 3.32, 4.59, 3.39 gDW/kg H₂O, respectively. The increase of soil moisture content would reduce the WUE of P. notoginseng. With the increase of soil water content, the content of notoginsenoside R₁ and ginsenoside Rg₁ did not change significantly, while the content of ginsenoside Rb₁ and Rd showed a decreasing trend.

Conclusion

Soil moisture content significantly affected the water consumption of P. notoginseng, and when it was 56.4% of the maximum water holding capacity in the field, the sum of the four saponins of 100 strains of P. notoginseng was the highest.

Application of The Dess-Martin Oxidation in Total Synthesis of Natural Products

Dess-Martin periodinane (DMP), a commercially available chemical, is frequently utilized as a mild oxidative agent for the selective oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols to their corresponding aldehydes and ketones, respectively. DMP shows several merits over other common oxidative agents such as chromiumand DMSO-based oxidants; thus, it is habitually employed in the total synthesis of natural products. In this review, we try to underscore the applications of DMP as an effective oxidant in an appropriate step (steps) in the multi-step total synthesis of natural products.

Unraveling dynamic metabolomes underlying different maturation stages of berries harvested from Panax ginseng

BACKGROUND

Ginseng berries (GBs) show temporal metabolic variations among different maturation stages, determining their organoleptic and functional properties.

METHODS

We analyzed metabolic variations concomitant to five different maturation stages of GBs including immature green (IG), mature green (MG), partially red (PR), fully red (FR), and overmature red (OR) using mass spectrometry (MS)-based metabolomic profiling and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

The partial least squares discriminant analysis score plot based on gas chromatography-MS datasets highlighted metabolic disparity between preharvest (IG and MG) and harvest/postharvest (PR, FR, and OR) GB extracts along PLS1 (34.9%) with MG distinctly segregated across PLS2 (18.2%). Forty-three significantly discriminant primary metabolites were identified encompassing five developmental stages (variable importance in projection > 1.0, p < 0.05). Among them, most amino acids, organic acids, 5-C sugars, ethanolamines, purines, and palmitic acid were detected in preharvest GB extracts, whereas 6-C sugars, phenolic acid, and oleamide levels were distinctly higher during later maturation stages. Similarly, the partial least squares discriminant analysis based on liquid chromatography-MS datasets displayed preharvest and harvest/postharvest stages clustered across PLS1 (11.1 %); however, MG and PR were separated from IG, FR, and OR along PLS2 (5.6 %). Overall, 24 secondary metabolites were observed significantly discriminant (variable importance in projection > 1.0, p < 0.05), with most displaying higher relative abundance during preharvest stages excluding ginsenosides Rg1 and Re. Furthermore, we observed strong positive correlations between total flavonoid and phenolic metabolite contents in GB extracts and antioxidant activity.

CONCLUSION

Comprehending the dynamic metabolic variations associated with GB maturation stages rationalize their optimal harvest time per se the related agroeconomic traits.

Salting-out extraction of ginsenosides from the enzymatic hydrolysates of Panax quinquefolium based on ethanol/sodium carbonate system

Background

Salting-out extraction (SOE) had been developed as a special branch of aqueous two-phase system recently. So far as we know, few reports involved in extracting ginsenosides with SOE because of the lower recovery caused by the unique solubility and surface activity of ginsenosides. A new SOE method for rapid pretreatment of ginsenosides from the enzymatic hydrolysates of Panax quinquefolium was established in this article.

Methods

The SOE system comprising ethanol and sodium carbonate was selected to extract ginsenosides from the enzymatic hydrolysates of Panax quinquefolium, and HPLC was applied to analyze the ginsenosides.

Results

The optimized extraction conditions were as follows: the aqueous two-phase extraction system comprising ethanol, sodium carbonate, ethanol concentration of 41.51%, and the mass percent of sodium carbonate of 7.9% in the extraction system under the experimental condition. Extraction time had minor influence on extraction efficiency of ginsenosides. The results also showed that the extraction efficiencies of three ginsenosides were all more than 90.0% only in a single step.

Conclusion

The proposed method had been successfully applied to determine ginsenosides in enzymatic hydrolysate and demonstrated as a powerful technique for separating and purifying ginsenosides in complex samples.

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Salting-out extraction of ginsenosides was realized using ethanol/salt aqueous two-phase system.

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The factors influencing the extraction efficiency of ginsenosides were investigated.

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The high recovery of ginsenosides was obtained only in a single step.

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The extraction was successfully applied to determine ginsenosides in enzymatic hydrolysate.

Sense Ginsenosides From Ginsengs: Structure-Activity Relationship in Autophagy

The term ginseng refers to the dried roots of several plants belonging to the genus Panax of the Araliaceae family. The 3 major commercial ginsengs are Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen (Notoginseng), P. ginseng C.A. Meyer (Ginseng), and P. quinquefolius L. (American ginseng), which have been used as herbal medicines. Over 18,000 papers on ginsengs have been published on the basis of their structural diversity and biological activities. Many reviews have summarized the phytochemistry, pharmacology, and clinical use of ginsengs, but the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of ginsenosides from ginsengs in autophagy is unavailable. Herein, we review the structural diversity of ginsenosides, especially the ones in notoginseng, and the SAR in autophagic activity is discussed in detail.

Saponin from sea cucumber exhibited more significant effects than ginsenoside on ameliorating high fat diet-induced obesity in C57BL/6 mice

Obesity and its comorbidities are considered to be a severe public health problem. Many natural compounds found in food have been proved to ameliorate the metabolic abnormalities induced by obesity. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of saponin from sea cucumber (SSC) and ginsenoside (SG) on improving the lipid metabolism in C57BL/6 mice fed with a high fat diet. The mice were randomly divided into six groups including a low fat diet group (LF), a high fat diet group (HF), and four dietary intervention groups. The administration of SSC for 8 weeks exhibited a more significant reduction in HF induced fat mass, weight gain, lipid levels in the liver and serum, and serum glucose and insulin levels than SG. Further research indicated that SSC ameliorated high fat diet-induced obesity in C57BL/6 mice mainly through inhibiting lipid synthesis and accelerating lipid β-oxidation and glycolysis in the liver. These results suggested that saponin from sea cucumber might be applied as a food supplement and/or functional ingredient to relieve metabolic disorders induced by obesity.

Bioconversion, health benefits, and application of ginseng and red ginseng in dairy products

Ginseng and red ginseng are popular as functional foods in Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, and China. They possess various pharmacologic effects, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-obesity, and anti-viral activities. Ginsenosides are a class of pharmacologically active components in ginseng and red ginseng. Major ginsenosides are converted to minor ginsenosides, which have better bioavailability and cellular uptake, by microorganisms and enzymes. Studies have shown that ginseng and red ginseng can affect the physicochemical and sensory properties, ginsenosides content, and functional properties of dairy products. In addition, lactic acid bacteria in dairy products can convert into minor ginsenosides and ginseng and red ginseng improve functionality of products. This review will discuss the characteristics of ginseng and red ginseng, and their bioconversion, functionality, and application in dairy products.

Antidepressant-like effects of ginsenosides: A comparison of ginsenoside Rb3 and its four deglycosylated derivatives, Rg3, Rh2, compound K, and 20(S)-protopanaxadiol in mice models of despair

Ginsenoside Rb3 has been proved to have antidepressant-like effects, which possesses 1 xylose and 3 glucose moieties with 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (PPD) as the aglycone. However, it is commonly accepted that orally ingested ginsenosides can be deglycosylated or partially deglycosylated into active derivatives by the intestinal bacteria. To identify potential antidepressant drug candidates, we compared the antidepressant-like activities between ginsenoside Rb3 and its four deglycosylated derivatives, Rg3, Rh2, compound K (C-K), and PPD. Effects of acute (1-day), short chronic (7-days), and longer chronic treatments (14-days) with these ginsenosides (50 and 100mg/kg, p.o.) on the behavioral changes in the forced swim test (FST), tail suspension test (TST) and open field test were investigated. Serum corticosterone and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels and mouse brain monoamine neurotransmitters 5-HT, NA and DA levels were measured using commercially available competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Interestingly, C-K showed antidepressant-like activities similar to that of Rb3, and Rg3 displayed antidepressant-like effects at lower dosage and faster time, indicating it has better effects than Rb3, whereas Rh2 and PPD failed to show any effect. Our results also showed, unlike the positive control fluoxetine, Rb3, Rg3 and C-K significantly increased the NA levels in the brain regions of mice exposed to FST but did not affect the 5-HT and DA levels. Moreover, treatment with Rg3 could reverse swim stress-induced increased levels of serum ACTH and corticosterone. These results suggest that C-K and Rg3 are the active deglycosylated derivatives, especially the latter compound, which is more potent than Rb3 and exerts antidepressant-like effects by regulating NA, ACTH and corticosterone levels.

Tailoring and recycling of deep eutectic solvents as sustainable and efficient extraction media

The present study demonstrates that deep eutectic solvents (DESs) with the highest extractability can be designed by combining effective DES components from screening diverse DESs. The extraction of polar ginseng saponins from white ginseng was used as a way to demonstrate the tuneability as well as recyclability of DESs. A newly designed ternary DES (GPS-5) composed of glycerol, l-proline, and sucrose at 9:4:1 was used as a sustainable and efficient extraction medium. Based on the anti-tumor activity on HCT-116 cancer cells, it was confirmed that GPS-5 was merely an extraction solvent with no influence of the bioactivity of the ginsenosides extracted. Excellent recovery of the extracted saponins was easily achieved through solid-phase extraction (SPE). Recycling of the DES was accomplished by simple freeze-drying of the washed solutions from the SPE. The extraction efficiencies of the DESs recycled once, twice, and thrice were 92%, 85%, and 83% of that of the freshly synthesized solvent.