Multidimensional comparative analysis of wild and cultivated Gentiana macrophylla based on electronic intelligent sensory technology and chemical composition.

Gentiana macrophylla radix, is a renowned traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely utilized in various pharmaceutical applications. The increasing demand for this material has led to the widespread cultivation of the plant. However, the differences in chemical constituents between wild and cultivated G. macrophylla remain unclear. In this study, an integrated approach combining a colorimeter, an electronic nose (eNose), headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed to investigate the chemical variations between wild and cultivated G. macrophylla. This method was further enhanced by multivariate statistical analysis. The fusion of intelligent sensory technologies enabled the rapid differentiation of wild and cultivated G. macrophylla. The chemical composition of wild and cultivated G. macrophylla was found to be broadly similar, with the following compounds ranked by content: gentiopicroside > loganic acid > 6-O-β-D-glucosylgentiopicroside > swertiamarin > sweroside > luteolin-6-C-glucoside > isovitexin. A total of 39 volatile components were identified, of which 17 were unique to the wild variety and 11 were unique to the cultivated variety. Nonanal, hexanal, and benzene, 1,2-dimethoxy- were identified as the primary odor-producing compounds. In summary, this study demonstrates that intelligent sensory technology, combined with chemical composition analysis, can rapidly and sensitively distinguish between wild and cultivated G. macrophylla. These findings are significant for the conservation of valuable genetic resources and for improving the utilization efficiency of cultivated medicinal plants.