EFFECTS OF STEAMING AND AIR-DRYING ON GINSENOSIDE COMPOSITION OF KOREAN GINSENG (PANAX GINSENG C.A. MEYER)

摘要

This study aimed to compare the ginsenosides composition of ginseng dependingrnon cultivated region and processing method. Fresh ginseng roots collected fromrnfour major regions of Korea were processed using either air-drying or steaming,rnand subsequent air-drying. Five ginsenosides including Rg1, Re, Rb1, Rc and Rb2rnwere the major forms in fresh ginseng, whereas Rb1and Rg1were abundant in processed ginsengs. The contents of total ginsenoside decreased with thermal processing and also showed a regional difference between processed ginsengs, whereasrnfresh ginseng had a regional variation only in Rg1. Unlike another ginsenosidesrndecreased by processing, Rb1 increased with thermal processing. Ginsengs withrnrelatively much higher content of Rc in fresh ginseng had a significant loss by airdrying and had about five times higher content of Rg3 than that of fresh ginseng.rnThis indicates that Rc was transformed into Rg3during air-drying.