title: Electron beam irradiation improves shelf lives of Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) and red ginseng.
abstract: Effect of electron beam irradiation on microbial growth and qualities of vacuum-packaged Korean ginseng and red ginseng during storage was investigated. Korean ginseng and red ginseng were treated at irradiation doses of 0, 2, 8, and 16 kGy. After treatment, samples were individually vacuum-packaged and stored at 20 degrees C. Microbial growth results of the irradiated samples presented that populations of total bacteria, yeast and mold, and total coliforms were decreased by 2 to 3 log CFU/g. The pH values of the samples were not significantly different among treatments. Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance values of the samples increased during storage. Electron beam treatment caused negligible changes in Hunter's color L, a, and b values among the samples. Sensory evaluations like color and odor of the samples exhibited that there were no significant changes among the samples. During storage, content of saponin, a leading compound in ginseng, was not affected by irradiation. These results suggest that electron beam treatment should be useful in extending shelf lives of Korean ginseng and red ginseng.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Food Science and Technology, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Chungnam Natl. Univ., Daejeon 305-764, Korea.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005260:Female; D005514:Food Irradiation / Q000379:methods*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D018857:Food Packaging / Q000379:methods; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D009812:Odorants / Q000032:analysis; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction / Q000528:radiation effects; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D012503:Saponins / Q000528:radiation effects; D013649:Taste; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000032:analysis / Q000528:radiation effects; D014618:Vacuum
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D012503:Saponins; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances