Extraction of ginsenosides from a blend of wheat flour and ginseng powder

This study explored conditions for maximum extraction of ginsenosides (G) from a blend of wheat flour (WF) and ginseng powder (GP). WF (0.9 g), GP (0.1 g), or WF-GP (0.9 g WF + 0.1 g GP) was mixed with distilled water (4.5, 0.5, or 5.0 ml, respectively) and heated at temperatures from 25 to 90 degrees C. Individual G (Rb1, Rc, and Rd) were fractionated and identified by RP-HPLC. Interactions between WF components and G, including interactions between the wheat starch fraction (SF) and G and between the gluten fraction (GF) and G, were observed in WF-GP heated at 90 degrees C. The degree of interactions between the SF and G was greater than that between the GF and G. The interactions between WF components and G decreased the amounts of G extractable from the heated WF-GP. The interactions between WF components and G could be disrupted by increasing ultrasonic extraction time to 90 min for maximum extraction. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.