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Effects of 60Co-γ and Electron Beam Irradiation on Storage Quality of Panax ginseng

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Abstract

Fresh ginseng was irradiated with 60Co-γ or an electron beam at the dose of 2 and 4 kGy and stored at 2 °C. The quality of ginseng was evaluated after 60 and 120 days. Results suggest that when the storage time was 120 days, 2 kGy EI-treated ginseng had the lowest decay rate. During the 2 storage periods, the amounts of most of 9 ginsenosides decreased with an increase in the irradiation dose. The total saponin content of both 60Co-γ-irradiated and EI-treated samples decreased with an increase in the irradiation dose. Significant (P < 0.05) upregulation of total polysaccharide content was observed in the 4 kGy EI samples after storage. Samples irradiated at 2 or 4 kGy by electron beam irradiation had the highest concentration of total saponin and ginseng polysaccharides, respectively. Levels of most of 17 amino acids decreased with the increasing irradiation dose. Exposure to irradiation doses up to 4 kGy affected the amino acid content of fresh ginseng. Ginseng irradiated at 4 kGy by 60Co-γ irradiation and stored for 120 days had a significantly higher activity of superoxide dismutase (P < 0.05). A significant difference was observed in the total concentration of nucleosides and nucleobases between irradiated and un-irradiated ginseng samples (P < 0.05). These data suggest that the combination of a lower irradiation dose and low temperature is an optimal condition for extending the shelf-life of fresh ginseng without detriment to its ingredients.

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Abbreviations

UPLC:

ultra-performance liquid chromatography

SOD:

superoxide dismutase

POD:

peroxidase

CAT:

catalase

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant no. 31200261] and the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program and the Technology and Development Program of Jilin Province [grant no. 201603078YY]. The sponsors played no role in any part of preparing, conducting, writing, and submitting the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Chinese Material Medicine, Jilin Agricultural University, Jilin, 130117, People’s Republic of China

    Kun Gao, Yanhua Wang, Yuli Qi, Lixue Chen & Yinshi Sun

  2. Institute of Special Animal and Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jilin, 130112, People’s Republic of China

    Jianbo Chen, Shanshan Li & Yinshi Sun

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  1. Kun Gao
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  2. Jianbo Chen
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  3. Yanhua Wang
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  4. Yuli Qi
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  5. Lixue Chen
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  6. Shanshan Li
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  7. Yinshi Sun
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Correspondence to Yinshi Sun.

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Gao, K., Chen, J., Wang, Y. et al. Effects of 60Co-γ and Electron Beam Irradiation on Storage Quality of Panax ginseng. Food Bioprocess Technol 11, 1627–1638 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-018-2108-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-018-2108-3

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