당절임으로 제조한 장뇌삼꿀의 이화학적 품질특성 및 항산화 활성

초록

Purpose: This study assessed honey containing Korean mountain ginseng (KM ginseng) as a candidate for a local specialty food. Methods: KM ginseng was added to acacia honey at 5% (w/w) and stored at room temperature for 100 days. The processed KM ginseng and honey were separated and characterized individually for their antioxidant activities and physicochemical properties, taking unprocessed KM ginseng and honey as controls. Results: The processed honey had a significantly higher water content (p<0.01) and lower sugar content (p<0.001) and viscosity (p<0.001) than those of the control. This suggests that the water in KM ginseng was released into the honey through osmosis, resulting in diluted honey. Nevertheless, the values met the basic standard set by the KFDA Food Code. The absorbance of the processed honey at 280 nm was also higher, indicating the release of phenols from the KM ginseng during the sugaring process. Moreover, the browning index and color intensity of the honey increased significantly (p<0.001), presumably due to the facilitated non-enzymatic browning reaction. The flavor pattern of the processed honey analyzed using an electronic nose was significantly different from that of the control and may be a potential quality index for monitoring authenticity. The KM ginseng processed by sugaring was approximately two times higher in total reducing capacity and total flavonoids content than unprocessed KM ginseng. This was attributed to the reducing power of the sugar diffused into the KM ginseng during sugaring and the increased stability of the flavonoids in the KM ginseng at a more acidic pH. Conclusion: The results showed that the simple sugaring processing of KM ginseng could provide both KM ginseng and honey with distinctive physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities. Therefore, it can be developed as a specialty food.

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