To study lipid components of Panax ginseng produced in Korea, the lipids of fresh ginsengs were extracted with the mixture of chloroform-methanol (2 : 1, v/v) and those of dried ginsengs were extracted with diethyl ether, respectively. The lipid components extracted were separated and quantitated by column, thin layer and gas-liquid chromatographies. The results were summarized as follows:
1. Fresh ginseng contained 0.62% total lipid of which 45.28% were neutral lipids, 18.12% glycolipids, and 36.60% phospholipids. But dried ginseng contained 0.89% total lipids of which 86.48% were neutral lipids, 9.20% glycolipids, and 4.32% phospholipids.
2. Triglycerides (37.6 to 42.5% of the total neutral lipids) and sterol esters (16.5 to 19.6%) in all the fresh and dried ginseng were the major components among the neutral lipids. Monoglycerides, diglycerides, free fatty acids and free sterols were minor components.
3. Digalactosyl diglycerides (23.5 % of the total glycolipids) in the fresh ginseng and steryl liglycosides (28.9%) in the dried ginseng were predominant components among the glycopids, respectively. Esterified steryl glycosides and monogalactosyl diglycerides were also identified, and four unknown spots in the fresh ginseng and two unknown spots in the dried ginseng were present.
4. Phosphatidyl cholines (31.3 to 31.9% of the total phospholipids) and phosphatidyl glycerols (34.8 to 36.7%) in all the fresh and dried ginseng were the major components among the pliospholipids. Phosphatidyl inositols and phosphatidyl ethanolamines were also identified.
5. The major fatty acids in the fresh and dried ginseng were linoleic (62.29∼64.32%), palmitic (13.16∼15.63%), oleic (5.73∼7.23%) and linolenic (5.73∼7.23%). The fatty acid compositions in neutral lipid fraction was similar to the pattern in those of the total lipids. But glycolipid and phospholipid fractions contained a lower percent of linoleic acid and a higher percent of palmitic acid than the neutral lipid fraction.
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