Ginsenosides, ginseng saponin, are the principal components responsible for the pharmacological and biological activities of ginseng. In order to improve absorption and biological activities, the biotransformation of major ginsenoside to minor ginsenoside, as the more active compound, is required. In this study, we isolated Lactobacillus brevis THK-D57, which has high β-glycosidase activity, from Kimchi. The major ginsenoside Rb₁ was converted to the minor ginsenoside ‘compound K’ during the fermentation of L. brevis THK-D57. The results propose that the biotransformation pathway to produce compound K is as follows: ginsenoside Rb₁→ginsenoside Rd→ginsenoside F₂→ginsenoside compound K.

Compound K(ginsenoside M1) is one of saponin metabolites and has many benefits for human health. This study was to investigate Compound K produced from ginseng crude saponin extract with commercial cellulolytic complex enzyme(cellulase, β-glucanase, and hemicellulase) obtained from Trichoderma reesei. The effect factors(temperature, pH, ginseng crude saponin extract and enzyme concentration, and reaction time) on production of Compound K from ginseng crude saponin extract were determined by one factor at a time method. The selected major factor variables were ginseng crude saponin extract of 2%(w/v), enzyme of 7%(v/v), reaction time of 48 hr. Based on the effect factors, response surface method was proceeded to optimize the enzymatic bioconversion conditions for the desirable Compound K production under the fixed condition of pH 5.0 and 50℃. The optimal reaction condition from RSM was ginseng crude saponin extract of 2.38%, enzyme of 6.06%, and reaction time of 64.04 hr. The expected concentration of Compound K produced from that reaction was 840.77 ㎎/100 g. Production of Compound K was 1, 017.93 ㎎/100 g and 862.31 ㎎/100 g, by flask and bench-scale bioreactor(2.5ℓ) system, respectively.

The objective of this study was to investigate the perception of ginseng and ginseng products among university students living in Yeongsu, Ganwon-do. 196 university students participated in the survey for our study. The ginseng intakes of male students(59.1%) was significantly(p<0.05) higher than the intake of female students(40.9%). The primary reasons for consuming ginseng were to “Maintain my [one’s] health” and to, “Restore my [one’s] energy”. The reasons for not consuming ginseng were “Taste” and, “Physical constitution”. Consumers purchased the following ginseng products at the market: For males, ginseng wine(21.7%), ginseng beverage(17.4%), ginseng candy(17.4%) and ginseng kimchi(17.4%) for females, Korean ginseng snacks(23.3%), ginseng yogurt(20.9%), ginseng candy(14.0%), and ginseng jelly(11.6%).

This study was conducted to investigate the changes in saponin content and antioxidant activity of crude ginseng and extruded ginseng by using different solvent extraction methods. Each of the fractions was first extracted by 80% ethanol followed by ether treatment to remove the lipid components. Water soluble components were separated by ethylacetate and water saturated butanol. Four fraction, including 80% ethanol, ethylacetate, butanol and water were obtained from crude and extruded ginsengs to analyze saponin content and antioxidant activity. Saponin content and antioxidant capacity of each of the four fractions were measured by LC/MS analysis and ORAC(Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) assay, respectively. It was found that a major portion of saponin was present in ethyl acetate and water saturated butanol fractions. When extracted by 80% ethanol, ginsenoside Rb1 and Rg1 were mostly found in crude ginseng, while ginsenoside Re and Rb1 were detected in extruded ginseng. Even though Rh1 and Rg3 were found in a very small quantity in crude ginseng, there was a significant quantity of both in extruded ginseng when extracted by 80% ethanol. Similar tendency was also observed in extruded ginseng fraction when extracted with ethyl acetate and butanol. In crude ginseng, the level of Rg1 was the highest among other ginsenosides upon extraction by ethyl acetate, while Rh1 and Rg3 were predominantly found by employing similar solvent extraction in the extruded ginseng. Also, Rg1, Re and Rb1 were also found in the extruded ginseng with small quantity. Rg1, Re and Rb1 were found in crude ginseng by butanol extraction, while Rb1 and Re were extracted from the extruded ginseng. Overall, there was no difference in the saponin content between crude ginseng and extruded ginseng when extracted by butanol and water, but twice as much of saponin was obtained by 80% ethanol extraction and 6 times more saponin were obtained in ethyl acetate fraction in the extruded ginseng. Antioxidant capacity of crude ginseng as determined by ORAC assay was higher in 80% ethanol(high in many different kinds of biological compounds) and water saturated butanol(high in polar saponin) fractions than the ethyl acetate and water fractions. No difference in antioxidant capacity was observed between crude and extruded ginseng. However, antioxidant capacity of ethyl acetate and water fractions in extruded ginseng was significantly higher than crude ginseng(P>0.05). All the fractions in both, crude and extruded ginseng possessed antioxidant capacity and even water fractions that contained almost no saponin had some antioxidant capacity. While determining correlation coefficient between fractions in extruded ginseng by Pearson correlation, it was observed that 80% ethanol fraction was in correlation with ethyl acetate(P>0.01) and ethanol(P>0.001) and in the case of ethylacetate, correlation was observed only with butanol fraction(P>0.05).

인삼은 재배기간이 4~6년으로 길어 충해나 병해방제가 매우 까다로운 작물이다. 인삼에 피해를 주는 해충들 가운데 인삼줄기버섯파리는 화경절단부에 성충이 산란하고, 부화한 유충이 줄기 내부로 침입하여 가해하기 때문에 육안으로 관찰하기가 어려워 피해에 대한 사전예찰이나 방제가 까다롭다. 또한, 주로 5-6년 인삼의 수확시기에 발생하기 때문에 친환경인삼 재배지에서는 화학합성 살충제를 이용한 약제방제가 곤란하여, 경제적 피해를 야기한다. 인삼줄기버섯파리가 발생한 강원 횡성의 5년생 인삼포와 그 주변지역을 대상으로 발생을 조사한 결과, 4월말에 고죽 및 인삼에서 월동 유충이 확인되었으며, 5월 하순부터 황색 끈끈이 트랩에 성충이 포획되기 시작하였다. 5월말에서 6월초에 포획 개체수가 높게 나타났다. 또한 7월초와 8월초에 두 번의 성충 발생 최성기를 보였다. 강수에 따른 인삼줄기의 함수율의 증가는 유충의 생존율을 높여 성충의 발생량이 증가하고 있는 것으로 추정된다. 인삼줄기버섯파리의 방제를 위하여 고삼추출물이 함유된 친환경농자재와 인삼에 등록된 화학살충제인 spinetoram, 살균제로 사용되는 copper sulfate basic을 각각의 방법을 달리하여 처리한 후 끈끈이 트랩과 화경절단 방법으로 효과를 조사하였다. 끈끈이 트랩으로 성충의 발생을 확인한 결과로는 살균제로 사용되는 copper sulfate basic을 화경절단 부위에 국소처리한 처리구의 방제효과가 가장 좋았다. 화경을 절단하여 줄기내의 유충을 조사한 결과는 spinetoram을 처리한 처리구의 피해주율이 29.2%로 가장 낮게 나타났다. 실내에서 유충에 대한 살충력을 검정한 결과, 고삼과 님 추출물, 파라핀유 등이 함유된 3종의 친환경농자재가 약제 처리 후 48시간 내에 100%의 살충효과를 나타내었다. 그렇지만, 줄기내부의 유충은 방제제에 노출되기 어려워, 살포방법으로 인삼포에 적용하였을 경우에는 높은 살충효과를 기대하기가 어려워, 성충으로 우화된 후 방제하거나 우화된 성충의 산란을 저해할 수 있는 산란기피물질의 탐색이 필요하다.

달팽이, 두줄민달팽이 및 노랑뾰족민달팽이에 대한 인삼사포닌 분말의 살충률 및 기피효과를 평가하였다. 인삼사포닌 500X와 1,000X의 노랑뾰족민달팽이 및 두줄민달팽이에 대한 분무처리 후 3일차의 살충률은 각각 100.0%와 48.1% 및 100.0%와 38.9% 이었다. 인삼사포닌 100X와 500X의 달팽이에 대한 살충률은 각 각 50.0% 및 43.3% 이었다. 한편, 인삼사포닌 500X과 1,000X의 노랑뾰족민달팽 이 및 두줄민달팽이에 대한 오이 절단 침지처리에 의한 처리 후 2일차의 살충률은 각각 10.0%와 0.0% 및 100.0%와 53.3% 이었다. 또한 인삼사포닌 500X와 1,000X 의 달팽이에 대한 침지처리후 2일차의 살충률은 각각 53.3%와 20.0% 이었다. 한 편, 인삼사포닌 500X와 구리테이프의 조합여부에 따른 노랑뾰족민달팽이의 방사 후 4일차의 누적 기피율은 인삼사포닌 500X에서 98.4%, 인삼사포닌 500X+구리 테이프에서 100.0% 이었다. 따라서 달팽이류에 대한 인삼사포닌의 살충효과는 침지처리보다 분무처리에서 높았으며, 달팽이 종류에 따른 인삼사포닌의 살충효과는 껍질이 있는 달팽이보다 껍질이 없는 민달팽이류에서 높았다. 또한 인삼사포닌의 노랑뾰족민달팽이에 대 한 기피효과는 98% 이상으로 매우 높게 나타나 인삼사포닌을 이용한 달팽이의 친 환경 살충제 및 기피제로서의 개발 가능성을 나타내었다.

The effect of microwave treatment on Korean ginseng was studied by measuring the changes in moisture, crude lipid, crude ash, crude protein, total dietary fiber and saponin contents, as well as changes in density, color and microstructure. Korean ginseng was treated with 100 or 200 watts of microwaves for 1 or 3 hrs, respectively, followed by drying using an oven at 60℃ for 96 hrs. The moisture contents decreased to 13.12~10.77% from an initial 76.26%. The amounts of lipid and ash were reduced in proportion to the time of microwave treatment and level of microwave power. The amount of protein in ginseng after microwave treatment did not significantly change. The amount of total dietary fiber increased after microwave treatment and the color of dried ginseng became dark. The amounts ofginsenoside-Rb1, Rb2+Rb3, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, Rg1, Rg2+Rh1 and Rg3 were reduced after treatment with 100 watts of microwave radiation for 1 and 3. The amounts ofginsenoside-Rb1, Rd, Re, Rf, Rg1, Rg2+Rh1 and Rg3 after treatment with 200 watts of microwave radiation for 1 and 3 hr also reduced. On the other hand, the amounts ofginsenoside-Rb2+Rb3 and Rc after treatment of ginseng with 200 watts of microwave radiation for 1 and 3 hrs were increased.

농생태계 인삼 경작 재배지에서 서식하고 있는 토양 생물상을 확인하기 위하여 전라북도 진안 6개 조사구의 인삼 재배 농가에서 조사하였다. 2008년 4월 부터 11월까지 채집하여 분류된 미소절지동물은 총 3,101개체였다. 이중 응애류 44.9%, 톡토기 50.1%, 기타 5.0%로 가장 많은 개체수가 출현한 장소는 분변토를 시용한 대조구, 4년근 순으로 나타났으며 월별 밀도소장은 4월, 5월 6월 순이었으며 7월, 8월은 낮은 밀도를 보였다. A/C 비

This study was done for the determination of ginsenosides contents of Korean ginseng and ginseng products as well as the development of analytical method for ginsenosides. It is known that perfect segregation of ginsenoside Rg and Re is not easy, but in this study almost perfect segregation can be possible by the control of concentration between acetonitrile and water. Among Korean ginseng, ginseng powdered tea and red ginseng powdered tea, the highest ginsenosides content of sum of each 7 kind o ginsenoside was found in red ginseng powdered tae as 23,211μg per 1g/dw The ginsenoside content of ginseng powdered tea was lower than red ginseng powdered tea as 15,217μg per 1g/dw Total ginsenoside content in the root of ginseng was 29,268μg per 1/dw Each amount of ginsenoside contained in ginseng root was in the order of Rb1, Rg1, and Rc. It was shown that there was difference in constitutional element of ginsenosides in ginseng powdered tea and ginseng root.

고추, 인삼 또는 녹차는 흔히 접할 수 있는 특용작물로서 공통적으로 항균작용이 있는 것으로 알려지고 있다. 본 연구에서 는 고추, 인삼, 녹차를 배지에 영양원으로 첨가하여 느타리버섯의 원기 발생기간과 자실체 형성기간에 미치는 영향을 알아 보고자 하였다. 일반적으로 느타리버섯 배지의 조성은 톱밥 배지에 미강을 혼합하여 재배하고 있다. 배지는 참나무 톱밥과 미강을 일정한 조성으로 제작하고 고추, 인삼, 녹차를 5~20%로 첨가하였다. 그 결과 고추의 경우에는 원기 발생기간 및 자실체 형성기간이 단축되었으며, 인삼에서는 원기 발생기간과 자실체 형성기간에 유의적 차이가 없었다. 반면에 영양원 으로 녹차를 첨할수록 원기 발생기간이 지연되었고 자실체 형성기간은 억제되었다.