Analysis of Chemical Changes during Maturation of Amomum tsao-ko Based on GC-MS, FT-NIR, and FT-MIR

Amomum tsao-ko Crevost et Lemaire (A. tsao-ko) is widely grown for its high nutritional and economic value. However, the lack of a scientific harvesting and quality control system has resulted in an uneven product quality. The present study was based on A. tsao-ko from four maturity stages from the same growing area, and its chemical trends and quality were evaluated using a combination of agronomic trait analysis, spectroscopy, chromatography, chemometrics, and network pharmacology. The results showed that A. tsao-ko was phenotypically dominant in October. Spectroscopy showed that the absorbance intensity at different maturity stages showed a trend of October > September > August > July. Further chemical differences between A. tsao-ko at different stages of maturity were found by chromatography to originate mainly from alcohol, aromatic, acids, esters, hydrocarbons, ketone, heterocyclic, and aldehydes. The network pharmacology results showed that the active ingredient for the treatment of obesity was present in A. tsao-ko and had high levels in A. tsao-ko in September and October. The results of this study provide a new idea for the comprehensive evaluation of A. tsao-ko and a theoretical basis for the harvesting and resource utilization of A. tsao-ko.