Abstract
Samples of red ginseng. which had been manufactured and packaged by the Korea Monopoly Corporation. were stored at ambient temperatures $(12-28^{\circ}C)$ and humidities $(55-68\%)$ for one to nine years to examine their overall quality stability and. in particular. antioxidant activity. The approximate compositions. contents of various solvent extracts. and TLC and HPLC patterns of ginsenosides in the samples which are otherwise susceptible to oxidation. were stable as judged by the changes of the TLC and GLC patterns of the lipids and fatty acids. It was also found that polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic (C18: 2) and linolenic acid (C18: 3) present in the samples had been very stable during the long storage periods. The intensity of the brown color of the red ginseng samples increased significantly with storage time. The pH of the aqueous extracts of the samples also increased slightly during storage. The coloration changes seem to indicate that extensive browning reactions had occurred during storage. The reducing powers of aqueous and ethanol extracts and antioxidant activity of ethyl acetate extracts also increased with storage time. The increase in reducing powers and antioxidant activity appeared to be directly attributable to the increased amounts of non-enzymatic browning reaction products formed progressively during the long storage periods. Therefore. it seems that those antioxidative compounds. which will be progressively formed in red ginseng through non-enzymatic browning reactions during the manufacturing process and long-term storage. will not only contribute to their overall quality stability but also have some significant relationship with their antiaging pharmacological effects.
한국전매공사에서 년차별로 제조 포장된 홍삼시료를 실온조건($12-18^{\circ}C,\;RH\;55-68\%$)으로 1년에서 9년까지 장기저장하여 품질 안정성 및 항산화효과를 조사하였다. 일반성분조성, 여러 용매별 추출물의 수율 및 사포닌의 TLC와 HPLC 패턴은 거의 변화가 없고 안정하였다. 지방질과 지방산에 대한 TLC 및 GLC 패턴도 거의 변화가 없었고, 특히 불포화도가 높아 산화되기 쉬운 linoleic acid(C18 : 2) 및 linolenic acid (C18 : 3)도 매우 안정하였다. 홍삼갈색도는 저장기간이 경과되면서 뚜렷한 증가 경향을 보였고, 물 추출물의 pH 값은 다소 감소되었는데, 이러한 경향은 장기저장중 일어나는 갈색화반응 때문이다. 물 및 에탄올 추출물의 환원성 및 초산에칠 추출물의 항산화 효과도 증가되었는데 이와 같은 활성의 증가는 비효소적 갈색화반응 생성물들의 증가에 기인되는 것으로 생각된다. 그러므로 홍삼의 제조과정이나 장기 저장기간중 비효소적 갈색화 반응에 의해서 점진적으로 형성된 항산화 물질들은 전반적으로 홍삼의 품질을 안정시켜 줄 뿐만아니라 노화억제 약리효능과도 상관성이 매우 깊은 것으로 생각된다.