Antioxidant Activity and Ginsenoside Pattern of Fermented White Ginseng

Ethanol and water extracts of white and fermented ginseng were prepared and their ginsenoside composition and antioxidant effects were assessed. The main ginsenosides in white ginseng were Rb-1>Re>Rg(1), and those in fermented ginseng were Rb-2+Rb-3>Rd>Rg(1). Ginsenosides Rd and Rg(3) in fermented ginseng were enriched 11 and 58 times, respectively, over that in white ginseng through fermentation with five Bacillus spp. The greatest levels of 2-deoxyribose and superoxide anion dismutase-like activities were found in 50% ethanol extracts of fermented ginseng. Thus, these data suggest that white ginseng has the greatest free radical scavenging activity and that fermented ginseng has the highest antioxidant activity.