A novel black ginseng processing method for optimizing rare ginsenosides with bioactivity and sustainability

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Food Science
• Cosmeceuticals

Background:

• Traditional black ginseng (BG) production is resource-intensive, involving multiple steaming-drying cycles.
• Developing efficient and sustainable methods for producing novel black ginseng with optimized bioactive compounds is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an efficient and sustainable method for producing novel Dark Ginseng (DG).
• To optimize rare ginsenoside content and evaluate the biological efficacy of DG.

Main Methods:

• A sous vide-inspired enclosed system heating method was utilized for continuous moisture-mediated ginsenoside hydrolysis.
• Response surface methodology optimized production parameters (water ratio, temperature, duration).
• DG was characterized for morphology, color, phytochemicals, and biological activities (collagen gene expression, inflammatory markers).

Main Results:

• Optimal parameters yielded DG comparable to conventional BG but with 42% reduced processing time, 64% lower CO2 emissions, and 81% cost reduction.
• DG contained high levels of rare ginsenosides (Rg3, Rg5, Rk1) with no hazardous substances.
• DG extract upregulated collagen synthesis genes (COL4A1, COL7A1) and demonstrated dose-dependent anti-inflammatory effects in keratinocytes.

Conclusions:

• The innovative sous vide-like process replaces nine conventional BG steaming-drying cycles with a single sequence.
• This method offers significant sustainability and economic advantages.
• DG shows potential for applications in cosmetics and functional foods due to its enhanced bioactive properties.