[Effect of different treatment methods on quality of American ginseng roots]

Fresh roots of healthy four-year-old American ginseng were randomly divided into two groups and stored for 180 days in sand without washing (treatment A) and in plastic bag with preservative after washing (treatment B), and sampled after 45, 90, 135 and 180 days of storage, respectively. The incidence of disease was surveyed and the contents of ginsenoside, polysaccharide, and free amino acids of roots were determined. The results indicats that the disease of ginseng could be controlled better by the treatment B than by the treatment A within 45 days, but the better effect was achieved in the treatment A after storage for 45 days. Both storage methods had significant influence on the contents of ginsenoside, polysaccharide and free amino acids of roots. For the treatment A, the ginsenoside content of roots had remained relatively high during the storage period, and the crude polysaccharide and free amino acids changed slowly within 135 days and then increase significantly until 180 days. For the treatment B, the content of crude polysaccharide of roots decreased obviously after 90 days of storatge and then became stable until 135 days. The change of content of free amino acids was similar to the crude polysaccharide, but the decline was not significant. In general, the treatment A is more benefit to keep the quality of fresh roots of American Ginseng during 180 days of storage.