Comprehensive Comparison of Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Panax ginseng Sprouts by Different Cultivation Systems in a Plant Factory

Abstract

In this study, the primary (such as amino acids, fatty acids, and minerals) and secondary (including ginsenosides, phenolic acids, and flavonols) metabolites and antioxidant effects of Panax ginseng sprouts (PGSs) by different cultivation systems, such as soil–substrate cultivation (SSC) and deep-water cultivation (DWC), in a plant factory has been observed. There was no significant difference in the total fatty acid (FA) contents. Particularly, the major FAs of PGSs were palmitic acid (207.4 mg/100 g) of saturated FAs and linoleic acid (397.6 mg/100 g) and α-linolenic acid (222.6 mg/100 g) of unsaturated FAs in the SSC system. The values of total amino acids were all higher in SSC than in DWC. In the case of ginsenosides, the total protopanaxtriol product was 30.88 mg/g in SSC, while the total protopanaxdiol product was 34.83 mg/g in DWC. In particular, the values of total phenolic acids and total flavonols were 133.36 and 388.19 ug/g, respectively, and SSC had a higher content than DWC. In conclusion, the SSC system was shown to be higher in nutritional constituents and antioxidant activities in soil cultivation, suggesting that PGS with SSC has a positive effect on the quality of PGS in a plant factory.