Abstract: In order to provide a guidance for the overall evaluation and comprehensive utilization of ginseng, we compared the contents of ginsenosides, total sapoins, total polysaccharides, amino acids and protein in different parts of ginseng of different ages. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography, the vanillin-sulfuric acid method, the phenol-sulfuric acid method, cation-exchange chromatography and Dumas combustion method were adopted to determine the contents of ginsenosides, total sapoins, total polysaccharides, 17 amino acids and crude protein. Among samples with different ages (3–6 years old), 6-year-old ginseng roots had the highest contents of ginsenosides, total sapoins, amino acids and crude protein, which were 30.94, 59.77, 96.53, and 170.11 mg/g, respectively. The content of total polysaccharides was the highest in 5-year-old ginseng roots (22.80 mg/g). The highest contents of polysaccharides, amino acids and crude protein of 25.94, 121.76, and 193.36 mg/g, respectively were found in rhizome among different medicinal parts of 5-year-old ginseng (rhizome, main root, lateral root and fibrous root), whereas fibrous root had the highest contents of ginsenosides and total sapoins (75.01 and 67.94 mg/g). Among different biological parts (root, stem, leaf and flower) of 5-year-old ginseng, leaves contained the highest total polysaccharides (35.09 mg/g), while flowers had the highest contents of ginsenosides, total sapoins, amino acids and crude protein, which were 105.99, 113.78, 137.53 and 255.05 mg/g, respectively. This study showed that among ginseng samples with different ages, 6-year-old ginseng roots had the highest content of saponins, and among different parts of 5-year-old ginseng, ginseng flowers have the highest content of saponins, with important biological activities. From a nutritional viewpoint, 6-year-old ginseng roots and 5-year-old ginseng flowers had higher levels of nutrients.

Key words: ginseng, different ages, different parts, effective components