The Impact of High-Temperature and High-Pressure Steaming Treatment on Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity in American Ginseng
4 affiliations
- 1School of Food Engineering, Yantai Engineering Research Center of Green Food Processing and Quality Control, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China
- 2College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shandong University of Aeronautics, Binzhou 256600, China
- 3Binzhou Key Laboratory of Edible Fungi Breeding and High Value Utilization (Preparation), College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shandong University of Aeronautics, Binzhou 256600, China
- 4Graduate School of Green-Bio Science, College of Life Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Yongin 17104, Republic of Korea
Abstract
Thermal processing facilitates the transformation of major ginsenosides into rare ginsenosides, thereby enhancing the bioactive molecular profile of American ginseng. This study examined the impact of 1–4 cycles of high-temperature and high-pressure steaming (HTHPS) on ginsenoside composition, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity in American ginseng. HTHPS significantly decreased major ginsenoside levels while increasing the content of rare ginsenosides. Following three cycles (HTHPS-3), the concentrations of Rg3, Rk1, Rg5, Rh1, F4, and Rg6 reached 8.68, 6.02, 20.07, 1.92, 3.72, and 2.57 mg/g, respectively, in contrast to their absence in the untreated control. TPC exhibited a 6.74-fold increase after HTHPS-2, whereas TFC showed a 4.27-fold increase following HTHPS-3. Pearson correlation analysis revealed strong positive correlations between rare ginsenosides, TPC, TFC, and antioxidant activity. In summary, HTHPS treatment significantly altered the bioactive profile of American ginseng. HTHPS-2 was more suitable for maximizing TPC and DPPH/ABTS+ radical-scavenging activities, whereas HTHPS-3 favored rare ginsenoside accumulation, particularly Rg3, Rk1, and Rg5, and exhibited a stronger ·OH radical-scavenging capacity. These findings indicate that the preferred number of HTHPS cycles depends on the target bioactive components and functional properties.
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BibTeX
@article{yu2026impact,
title = {{The Impact of High-Temperature and High-Pressure Steaming Treatment on Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity in American Ginseng}},
author = {Wenhui Yu and Ruoqi Han and Taihong Liu and Xuemei Sun and Han Wang and Juan Fu and Shucheng Duan and Seok Hyun Eom and Chengwu Jin},
journal = {Molecules},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/molecules31203706},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/20/3706},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The Impact of High-Temperature and High-Pressure Steaming Treatment on Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity in American Ginseng
AU - Wenhui Yu
AU - Ruoqi Han
AU - Taihong Liu
AU - Xuemei Sun
AU - Han Wang
AU - Juan Fu
AU - Shucheng Duan
AU - Seok Hyun Eom
AU - Chengwu Jin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Molecules
DO - 10.3390/molecules31203706
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/20/3706
AB - Thermal processing facilitates the transformation of major ginsenosides into rare ginsenosides, thereby enhancing the bioactive molecular profile of American ginseng. This study examined the impact of 1–4 cycles of high-temperature and high-pressure steaming (HTHPS) on ginsenoside composition, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity in American ginseng. HTHPS significantly decreased major ginsenoside levels while increasing the content of rare ginsenosides. Following three cycles (HTHPS-3), the concentrations of Rg3, Rk1, Rg5, Rh1, F4, and Rg6 reached 8.68, 6.02, 20.07, 1.92, 3.72, and 2.57 mg/g, respectively, in contrast to their absence in the untreated control. TPC exhibited a 6.74-fold increase after HTHPS-2, whereas TFC showed a 4.27-fold increase following HTHPS-3. Pearson correlation analysis revealed strong positive correlations between rare ginsenosides, TPC, TFC, and antioxidant activity. In summary, HTHPS treatment significantly altered the bioactive profile of American ginseng. HTHPS-2 was more suitable for maximizing TPC and DPPH/ABTS+ radical-scavenging activities, whereas HTHPS-3 favored rare ginsenoside accumulation, particularly Rg3, Rk1, and Rg5, and exhibited a stronger ·OH radical-scavenging capacity. These findings indicate that the preferred number of HTHPS cycles depends on the target bioactive components and functional properties.
SN - 1420-3049
ER -