Ginseng is one of the most valuable herbal remedies and functional foods in the world, which owing global market estimated at 6 billion dollars amid the COVID-19 crisis, and the global market reach up to 12.9 billion dollars in 2027. It is a perennial herb with ginsenosides as its main active components, and potentially at risk for heavy metal contamination. However, the impact of heavy metal migration on the contents and variety of ginsenosides in different parts of ginseng remains unclear. Nine ginsenosides (Re, Rb1, Rc, Rg1, Rb3, Rd, Rb2, Rf and Rg2) and eight heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr, Pb, As, Cd and Hg) were detected. The results demonstrated that the accumulation of ginsenosides varies annually aged 3–6 years with the highest content in fibrous roots, followed by lateral roots and taproots. Concurrently, the average concentrations of heavy metals also increased yearly, with Zn having the highest residual concentration (14.61–53.75 mg/kg) followed by Cu (8.50–12.49 mg/kg). Zn was found to play a crucial role in ginsenoside synthesis, significantly correlating with several ginsenosides, while other metals such as Cu, Cd, and Hg had minimal to negative impacts. Nonetheless, we also found that the accumulation of Ni, Cr, Pb, and As may lead to a reduction in the content of ginsenoside Rg1. Additionally, the dietary risk assessment of heavy metal exposure after consuming ginseng showed that the health risk index for children was generally higher than for adults, highlighting the need to pay special attention to the potential exposure risk for children. These findings underscore the importance of monitoring and controlling heavy metal contamination in ginseng cultivation to ensure safety and optimize medicinal value.

中文翻译：

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人参生长过程中重金属迁移行为的风险评估


人参是世界上最有价值的草药和功能性食品之一，在 COVID-19 危机期间，全球市场估计为 60 亿美元，到 2027 年全球市场将达到 129 亿美元。它是一种多年生草本植物，以人参皂甙为主要活性成分，可能有受到重金属污染的风险。然而，重金属迁移对人参不同部位人参皂苷含量和种类的影响仍不清楚。检测到 9 种人参皂甙 （Re， Rb1， Rc， Rg1， Rb3， Rd， Rb2， Rf 和 Rg2） 和 8 种重金属 （Cu、Zn、Ni、Cr、Pb、As、Cd 和 Hg）。结果表明，人参皂甙的积累在 3-6 年每年变化，其中须根含量最高，其次是侧根和主根。同时，重金属的平均浓度也逐年增加，其中锌的残留浓度最高 （14.61-53.75 mg/kg），其次是铜 （8.50-12.49 mg/kg）。发现 Zn 在人参皂苷合成中起着至关重要的作用，与几种人参皂甙显著相关，而 Cu、Cd 和 Hg 等其他金属的影响很小或没有负面影响。尽管如此，我们还发现 Ni、Cr、Pb 和 As 的积累可能导致人参皂苷 Rg1 含量降低。此外，食用人参后重金属暴露的膳食风险评估显示，儿童的健康风险指数普遍高于成人，凸显需要特别关注儿童的潜在暴露风险。这些发现强调了监测和控制人参种植中重金属污染以确保安全和优化药用价值的重要性。