Evaluation of commercial ginseng products.

The variation in panaxoside content of roots and commercial products of Panax ginseng and P. quinquefolium was evaluated by a new spectrodensitometric TLC method. The method is rapid and applicable to all commercial products, and it has a relative standard deviation of 6.4%. Panaxoside patterns of slurry-filled capsules and root extracts most closely resembled those of whole roots. Tablets did not contain detectable panaxosides while teas and granules for infusion yielded only low concentrations. The wide variation among these products indicates the need for more rigid control.