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Composition of free amino acids (FAA) in the central part (xylem plus pith) of tap root in _p ginseng was investigated in relation to stem status at harvest. The sum of FAA te.lded to be higher with dead stem than with healthy one but both were not significantly different. The sum of FAA (3.6-4.9% dried weight) was much less than total FAA, suggesting that water soluble nonprotein fraction contained large quantity of ninhydrin positive components except FAA. Pattern of amino acid composition between both stem status was not different. Ten of all 17 amino acids showed in-creasing tendency with dead stem and two, glutamic acid and cysteine, decreasing. Major FAA were arginine (relative content 58%), glycine (8.2), lysine (5.9), serine (5.7), glutamic acid (4.2) and aspartic acid (3.5). Above facts strongly suggest that the inside white of red ginseng did not closely related with FAA and that early defoliation or stem death did not decrease FAA. The content of arginine was heighest in all cases reported indicating the important role of nitrogen metabolism. Pattern of FAA composition except arginine was not different in present samples but greatly different with other cases reported mainly due to alanine, phenylalanine, glycine and proline.
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