Changes of Ginsenoside Compositions in Cultivated Wild Ginseng with Different Steaming Temperatures and Time

This study was conducted to investigate changes in the ginsenoside compositions of cultivated wild ginseng caused by steaming at different temperatures (95, 117, 126, and 132℃) and times (10, 30, 50, 70, 90, 110, and 130 min). On increasing steaming temperatures from 95 to 132℃, levels of protopanaxadiol (PPD) ginsenosides Rg3, Rk1, and Rg5 increased from 0.69, 1.11, and 1.79 mg/g to 4.08, 5.16, and 8.98 mg/g, respectively, whereas levels of protopanaxatriol (PPT) ginsenosides Re, Rf, Rg6, F4, Rk3, and Rh4 increased from 2.04, 0.79, 0.53, 0.77, 0.53, and 0.52 mg/g to 2.44, 2.50, 1.83, 2.74, 1.39, and 1.72 mg/g, respectively. Furthermore, amounts of total PPD ginsenosides and total ginsenosides increased on increasing temperature, and total PPT ginsenoside amounts peaked at 126℃. In addition, when the steaming time was increased from 10 to 70 min, amounts of PPD ginsenosides Rg3, Rk1, and Rg5 increased 2.06, 1.90, and 1.89-fold, respectively, and amounts of PPT ginsenosides Rf, Rg6, F4, Rk3, and Rh4 increased 1.22, 1.44, 1.66, 1.61, and 1.95-fold, respectively. However, levels of total PPT ginsenosides and total ginsenosides peaked at a steaming time of 10 min.