The non-enzymatic browning phenomenons of red ginseng were studied to identify these compounds which function as the factors for browning. The samples were classified into five divisions; Fresh ginseng, blanched ginseng, sun dried red ginseng, dehydrated red ginseng, and browning accelerated red ginseng respectively, and the various compounds in each of them were analyzed quantitatively and investigated the compounds which were thought to function for browning during the drying and the dehydration processes; the results were as follows.
1. The chemical compositions among five divisions did not show any difference except a) total and reducing sugars, b) total acids, c) water soluble extracts; a) and b) were decreased during the drying process, c) was decreased about 6-7% in red ginseng divisions.
2. Sixteen free amino acids; asp., thr., ser., glu., gly., ala., val., cys., met., ileu., leu., tyr., phe., lys., his., and arg, were identified in each division. Among them the arg, was extremly high.
All of the essential amino acids were contained, while generally these amino acids were decreased in drying period and their rates were smaller in dehydrated red ginseng than in sun dried red ginseng.
3. Three kinds of sugars; fructose, glucose and sucrose were identified and other four kinds of unidentified sugars were seperated.
The content of sucrose was 80% and all kind of sugars were generally less in red ginseng divisions than in the other two divisions. The decreasing rate of sngars was higher in the sun dried red ginseng than in the dehydrated red ginseng. Especially the decreasing rate of the reducing sugars was high as compared with that of sucrose.
4. Almost all the ascorbic acid was decomposed during the blanching whereas there could´nt be shown any change of the ascorbic acid content during the period of drying. 5. Eleven kinds of volatile acids; acetic acid, propionic acid, acrylic acid, iso-butyric acid, n-butyric acid, isovaleric acid, n-valeric acid, isoheptylic acid, n-heptylic acid, and an unknown volatile acid were identified.
They showed a little decrease during the period of blanching perhaps on account of their volatility whereas they were increased in drying period.
6. Six kinds of non-volatile acids; citric acid, malic acid, α-ketoglutaric acid, succinic acid, pyruvic acid and glutaric acid were identified.
The content of them were decreased during the drying procedures in red ginseng but only that of succinic acid was increased.
7. Three kinds of polyphenols; 3-caffeyl quinic acid, 4-caffeyl quinic acid, 5-caffeyl quinic acid and an unknown polyphenol were identified.
The content of them showed considerable decrease during the drying procedures, especially in sun drying.
8. The intensity of the browning in each divisior was as follows; browning accelerated red ginseng$gt; sun dried red ginseng$gt; dehydrated red ginseng.
9. In the process of red ginseng preparation, a. certain relationship could be found between the decreasing rates of amino acids, reducing sugars, polyphenols and the intensity of browning.
Therefore the browning phenomenon may be concluded that nonenzymatic browning reactions of the amino-carbonyl reaction and autoxidation of polyphenols are the most important processes, furthermore, as their reactions could be controlled it is thought to be possible to accelerate effectively browning within a relatively short period.
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