Discrimination of cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis) cultivars grown in different geographical areas using ¹H NMR-based metabolomics.

Cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis) is one of the most popular foods in Asia and is widely cultivated in many countries for the production of lightly fermented vegetables. In this study, metabolomic analysis was performed to distinguish two cultivars of cabbage grown in different geographical areas, Korea and China, using ¹H NMR spectroscopy coupled with multivariate statistical analysis. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed clear discrimination between extracts of cabbage grown in Korea and China for two different cultivars (Chunmyeong and Chunjung). The major biochemicals (metabolites) that contributed to discrimination between cabbages grown in the two regions were 4-aminobutyrate (GABA), acetate, asparagine, leucine, isoleucine, O-phosphocholine, phenylacetate, phenylalanine, succinate, sucrose, tyrosine, and valine. These results suggest that the levels of the major metabolites that differ significantly between cabbages grown in these two areas were influenced by environmental factors such as climate and geology. Our study demonstrates that ¹H NMR based on metabolomics, coupled with multivariate statistics, can be applied to identify the regions of cultivation of various cabbage cultivars.

Determination of the geographical origin of kimchi by (1)H NMR-based metabolite profiling.

Kimchi is a well-known traditional Korean food. Its geographical origins can be determined by its biochemical composition. This study identified the biochemical compositions of kimchi extracts from Korea and China by (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy followed by multivariate data analysis. Principal component analyses (PCA) clearly discriminated between extracts prepared in the two countries. The identified metabolites, including amino acids, organic acids, sugars, and ethanol, contributed to discriminating the geographical origin of kimchi extracts. Furthermore, differences in composition by origin were predicted with high accuracy in external validation models. These results establish biochemical profiles for kimchi extracts, and indicate that metabolomics can be used in the discrimination of food origins.

A multianalytical approach for determining the geographical origin of ginseng using strontium isotopes, multielements, and 1H NMR analysis.

Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is widely used as an Oriental medicine in the East Asian regions, particularly Korea and China. In the study, the strontium isotope ratios ((87)Sr/(86)Sr), multielements, and metabolite profiles of 35 ginseng samples collected from Korea and China were examined in an attempt to develop a method to distinguish the origin of ginsengs from the two countries. A multivariate statistical approach was performed to analyze the multielements and the (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data. Results of a t-test for Mg, Fe, Al, and Sc showed significant variation between Korean and Chinese ginsengs, indicating potential tracers for discriminating them. Discriminating between the ginsengs from the two countries was generally successful when both the (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratios and rare earth element (REE) contents were used together. Moreover, principal component analysis (PCA) derived from the (1)H NMR data revealed a significant separation between the ginsengs originating from the two countries. The major metabolites responsible for differentiation were sugars such as glucose, xylose, and sucrose. The results suggest that this multiplatform approach offers a comprehensive method to distinguish the origin of ginsengs.