To increase the consumption of white ginseng (WG), we evaluated the bioactive components and antioxidant activity of the extracts obtained after supplementation with 0, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0% Adenophora triphylla var. japonica Hara leaf (ATL). The total polyphenol (TP) and total flavonoid (TF) contents of white ginseng extracted without ATL (WA1) were 0.67±0.11 mg･GAE/mL and 1.16±0.08 mg･QE/100 mL, respectively, and the TP and TF content of the ATL extract were 10.22±0.24 mg･GAE/mL and 145.67±8.17 mg･QE/100 mL, respectively. The 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) of DPPH was determined to be 189.48±1.74 μL/mL in the WA3 extract (2.5% ATL), whereas the IC50 obtained with ABTS was 71.01±2.97 μL/mL in the WA4 extract (5.0% ATL), imparting a synergistic effect more than twice exerted by WA1. The total ginsenoside and β-carotene contents were determined to be in the range 1.00∼1.06 mg/mL and 0.64∼1.26 μg/mL, respectively, in the WA4∼WA6 extracts (supplemented with 5∼10% ATL). Total polyphenol, total flavonoid, total ginsenoside content, and antioxidant activities were found to be highly correlated with WG extract supplemented with 5∼10% ATL. Taken together, our results indicate a potential to develop a beneficial new WG extract supplemented with ATL.

Measuring chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) is a useful tool for assessing a plant's ability to tolerate abiotic stresses such as drought, waterlogging and high temperature. Korean ginseng is highly sensitive to water stress in paddy fields. To evaluate the possibility of non-destructively diagnosing waterlogging stress using chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) imaging techniques, we screened 57 ginseng accessions for waterlogging tolerance. To evaluate waterlogging tolerance among the 2-year-old Korean ginseng accessions, we treated ginseng plants with water stress for 25 days. The physiological disorder rate was characterized through visual assessment (an assigned score of 0-5). The physiological disorder rates of Geumjin, Geumsun and GS00-58 were lower than that of other accessions. In contrast, lines GS97-62, GS97-69 and GS98-1-5 were deemed susceptible. Root traits, chlorophyll content and the reduction rates decreased in most ginseng accessions. Further, these metrics were significantly lower in susceptible genotypes compared to resistant ones. All CF parameters showed a positive or negative response to waterlogging stress, and this response continuously increased over the treatment time among the genotypes. The CF parameter Fv/Fm was used to screen the 57 accessions, and the results showed clear differences in Fv/Fm between the susceptible and resistant genotypes. Susceptible genotypes had an especially low Fv/Fm value of less than 0.8, reflecting damage to the reaction center of photosystem II. It is concluded that Fv/Fm can be used as a CF parameter index for screening waterlogging stress tolerance in ginseng genotypes.