Abstract: In order to evaluate the quality of ginger more comprehensively,comparative analysis of the main active constituents of ginger samples collected from different origins were performed by GC-MS and HPLC methods proposed in this work.The ginger volatile oils were extracted by water distillation method and analyzed by GC-MS. Then the chemical constituents were identified by searching NIST02 MS database and semi-quantified by peak area normalization method.Gingerols were extracted by methanol and then determined by HPLC method.The obtained results showed that 24 to 28 compounds in the volatile oils of 9 ginger samples were identified by GC-MS,which accounted for 85.31% to 93.67% of total essential oils,respectively. β-Phellandrene (9.96%~20.15%),camphene (3.54%~14.53%),citral (6.52%~12.49%),β-citral (3.96%~7.44%),zingiberene (13.81%~19.74%),curcumene (tr~5.52%),β-sesquiphellandrene (5.08%~6.22%) and β-bisabolene (2.63%~3.34%) were the eight main active constituents.As for non-volatile components,the contents of 6-gingerol in the 9 ginger samples were in the range of 0.067% to 0.391%,respectively,higher than 0.05% specified in the current Chinese pharmacopeia.But there existed obvious differences in main active constituents and their amounts among the 9 ginger samples.Thus,to specify three characteristic effective components including zingiberene,curcumene and 6-gingerol instead of one constituent 6-gingerol as the quality evaluation compounds of ginger should be much more comprehensive.

Key words: ginger, volatile oil, gingerol, GC/MS, HPLC