Ginsenoside Changes in Red Ginseng Manufactured by Acid Impregnation Treatment

To enhance the functionalities of ginseng, an acid impregnation pre-treatment was applied during red ginseng processing. Acetic, ascorbic, citric, malic, lactic, and oxalic acid were used for the acid impregnation treatment, and total and crude saponin concentrations and ginsenoside patterns were evaluated. Total and crude saponin contents of red ginseng pre-treated by acetic, ascorbic, and citric acid were similar to those of red ginseng without pre-treatment, whereas lactic, malic, and oxalic acid pre-treatment caused a reduction of total and crude saponin in red ginseng. From the high performance liquid chromatography analysis of ginsenosides, increased Rg(3) density was shown in red ginseng pre-treated by acetic, ascorbic, and citric acid impregnation. In the case of lactic, malic, and oxalic acid pre-treatment, increased Rg(1) density was observed in red ginseng. Increased Rg(1) and Rg(3) contents due to acid impregnation during red ginseng processing may contribute to improving bioactive functionalities of red ginseng.