American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) from different origins exhibits considerable quality variation, yet the flavor differences among them remain poorly characterized. In this study, samples from Shandong, Jilin, and Canada were analyzed by integrating an electronic nose (E-nose) and electronic tongue (E-tongue) with headspace gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (HS–GC–IMS), headspace solid-phase microextraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS–SPME–GC–MS), and multivariate statistical methods. The E-nose and E-tongue, combined with partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS–DA), effectively distinguished the American ginseng samples according to their assigned geographical origins, and key discriminating sensors and taste indicators were screened. HS–GC–IMS and HS–SPME–GC–MS provided complementary advantages and jointly confirmed that terpenes are the main volatile components of American ginseng. Using orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS–DA) with variable importance in projection (VIP) > 1, 37 and 42 candidate discriminants were screened by HS–GC–IMS and HS–SPME–GC–MS, respectively, with camphene and α-phellandrene identified by HS–GC–IMS and ginsinsene by HS–SPME–GC–MS as key terpenoid markers. Correlation analyses revealed that these volatile compounds underpinned E-nose-based origin-related aroma discrimination. A coupling association existed between E-tongue and E-nose signals. An electronic sensory–chemometric evaluation system was thus established to screen volatile characteristic markers, providing a basis for flavor fingerprint construction and origin tracing of American ginseng.

Lonicerae japonicae Flos (LJF) is a medicinal and edible herbal material whose chemical characteristics and biological activity may vary with geographical origin. In this study, 27 LJF batches from Shandong, Henan, and Hebei Provinces were evaluated using headspace gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (HS–GC–IMS), multivariate analysis, and a mouse model of Staphylococcus aureus superinfection following influenza A (H1N1) virus infection. HS–GC–IMS detected 62 volatile ion signals; 49 were tentatively assigned to 36 unique volatile organic compounds (VOCs), while 13 remained unidentified. Fingerprint analysis revealed distinct origin-associated differences in volatile profiles, and OPLS–DA showed the clearest separation of Shandong samples from those from Henan and Hebei (R²Y = 0.898; Q² = 0.844). Thirty-two VIP-ranked signals were identified as candidate discriminant variables. In vivo, LJF aqueous extracts reduced the lung index, pulmonary bacterial burden, and relative NP RNA expression. Samples from Shandong and Henan generally showed greater improvements than those from Hebei across the evaluated endpoints. Overall, both the chemical and pharmacodynamic datasets indicated origin-associated variation in LJF. Direct relationships between specific volatile constituents and pharmacodynamic effects, however, were not established. These findings support the integration of HS–GC–IMS profiling with pharmacodynamic assessment as a practical framework for origin-related quality evaluation of LJF, while targeted confirmation of key discriminatory VOCs and further chemical–efficacy analyses remain warranted.