Changes in nutritional compositions of processed mountain-cultivated ginseng sprouts (Panax ginseng) and screening for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties

Abstract

• Ginsenosides of ginseng decreased with high rates in aging and fermentation steps. • Ginsenoside Rg3 and CK exhibited high increases with 1.0 → 2.9 and 0.6 → 6.3 mg/g. • Antioxidant abilities remarkably increased with about 20% in processed ginseng. • Anti-inflammatory effects (NO > MCP-1 > IL-6 > TNF-α) increased in processed ginseng. The biochemical modification using microorganisms had an excellent functional values. This research was the first to investigate changes in nutritional components (ginsenosides, flavonols, and phenolic acids) and biological properties (antioxidant and anti-inflammatory) of mountain-cultivated ginseng sprouts (MCGS) during the aging (AMCGS) and fermentation (FAMCGS) processes. Total ginsenosides were considerably reduced (45.1 → 4.9 → 31.7 mg/g) in the 50% ethanol extracts of processed ginseng sources, while flavonol and phenolic acid contents increased with 586.0 → 746.2 → 898.7 and 192.5 → 312.0 → 367.4 μg/g, respectively. Especially, ginsenoside Rg2 (3.4 → 4.6 mg/g, 1.5-fold), Rg3 (1.0 → 2.9 mg/g, 2.9-fold), compound K (0.6 → 6.3 mg/g, 10.5-fold), epigallocatechin (53.9 → 146.1 µg/g), and ferulic acid (nd → 62.4 µg/g) exhibited remarkable increase rates. The antioxidant abilities significantly increased with approximately 20% for MCGS → AMCGS → FAMCGS processes, followed by ABTS > DPPH > hydroxyl > FRAP. The inhibitions on inflammatory mediators were also observed about 2-fold higher activities with increasing order as NO > MCP-1 > IL-6 > TNF-α in AMCGS and FAMCGS than MCGS.