Chemical Transformation and Storage Stability of Ginsenosides in Honey‐Processed Panax notoginseng : An HPLC Multi‐Indicator and Fingerprinting Study

The aim of this study is to investigate the changes in the chemical composition of Panax notoginseng induced by honey processing, to evaluate the storage stability of honey‐processed notoginseng under accelerated conditions in an artificial climate chamber, and to provide a scientific basis for the quality control, packaging, and storage of the processed product. An HPLC fingerprinting method was established, and the differences in chemical composition among fresh, dried, and honey‐processed notoginseng were studied and compared. Eleven ginsenosides, namely, Rb 1 , Rb 2 , Rb 3 , R 1 , Re, Rg 1 , R‐Rg 3 , S‐Rg 3 , Rh 1 , Rh 4 , and Rk 3 , were simultaneously quantified by HPLC. The storage stability of honey‐processed notoginseng was evaluated by HPLC fingerprinting and multi‐indicator content determination over 0, 1, 3, and 6 months of storage in an artificial climate chamber. Compared with fresh notoginseng, both dried and honey‐processed samples showed significantly decreased contents of most ginsenosides, whereas the contents of Rb 2 , Rb 3 , Rh 1 , R‐Rg 3 , and S‐Rg 3 increased in honey‐processed notoginseng. Principal component analysis revealed that the contribution of Rb 1 increased significantly and became dominant after honey processing, at the expense of R 1 , Re, and Rg 1 . The stability study demonstrated that the total content of the 11 ginsenosides in honey‐processed notoginseng remained relatively stable during the first 3 months of storage, whereas its variation range increased markedly at 6 months. Honey processing significantly altered both the content and the composition of ginsenosides in P. notoginseng , and the processed product remained chemically stable for up to 3 months of accelerated storage. These findings provide a scientific basis for the quality control, packaging, and storage of honey‐processed notoginseng.