A New Processed Ginseng with Fortified Activity

A new processed ginseng with fortified activity is developed. The process comprise with the heat treatment of fresh or white ginseng at higher temperature and pressure than those used for the preparation of red ginseng. This new processed ginseng showed 7 times higher antioxidant activity and more than 30 times stronger vasodilating activity than those shown in raw ginseng. Other activities found in the new processed ginseng include cancer chemoprevention, antinephrotoxic, and antineurotoxic activities. Less polar ginsenosides isolated from processed ginseng exhibited anti-platelet aggregation activity and anti-cancer activity. Many ginsenosides were isolated from this new processed ginseng, namely 20(S)-$Rg_3$,20(R)-$Rg_3$, $Rg_5$, $Rg_6$, $F_4$, $Rh_4$,20(S)-$Rg_3$,20(R)-$Rg_3$ and $Rg_4$. In addition to these known compounds, seven new ginsenosides, named as gisenoside $Rk_1$, $Rk_2$, $Rk_3$, $Rs_4$, $Rs_5$, $Rs_6$, and $Rs_7$ were isolated. The major constituents of new processed ginseng were 20(S)-$Rg_3$,20(R)-$Rg_3$, $Rk_1$ and $Rg_5$ which are minors in red ginseng. Since the chemical constituents and biological activities of this new processed ginseng are quite different from those of white or red ginseng, we designated it as $'$sun ginseng (仙蔘)$'$.s;$.