This study analyzed the maltol quality, composition ratio of fatty acids, and contents of phenolic compounds in white ginseng extracts(four types), red ginseng extracts(five types), Black ginseng extracts(two types), and Chinese ginseng extracts(nine types). By examining patterns in these measurements, we determined the characteristic factors of the extracts and measured the possibility of qualitative analysis. In the analysis of maltol using TLC, white ginseng extracts were not detected while red and Black ginseng extracts were detected, so the possibility of detection was considered as a characteristic factor for qualitative analysis. Regarding the composition of fatty acids, palmitic and linoleic acids were the main fatty acids in theginseng extracts palmitic acid was high in white ginseng extracts while linoleic was low in red ginseng extracts. Regarding the ratio(Pal/Lin) of the two fatty acids, there was a large difference between white ginseng extracts(56.7~64.3%) and red ginseng extracts(32.0~38.5%), and these figures seemed to be characteristic factors for the analysis. For the phenolic compounds, extracts contained maltol, caffeic acid, syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and cinnamic acid. White ginseng extracts contained similar percentages of phenolic compounds while red ginseng extracts had high maltol content. According to the measurement results of the percentages of maltol and cinnamic acid, white ginseng extracts showed values below five, whereas red and Black ginseng extracts showed 53~289, which was also a characteristic factor for qualitative analysis. Consequently, we found that we can differentiate between ginseng extracts using characteristic factors that we analyzed in an experiment on white ginseng extracts from China.

• 안용근 | Yong Geun Ann