ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Food Microbiology
Aspergillus oryzae solid-state fermentation enriches protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides in Panax ginseng and confers cytoprotective effects in vitro
Provisionally accepted
- Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
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This study established and optimized a food-grade solid-state fermentation (SSF) process using Aspergillus oryzae to biotransform ginsenosides in five-year-old white ginseng roots. Through single-factor and orthogonal tests, optimal SSF conditions were identified (fermentation time: 8 days; inoculum size: 2.5%; temperature: 28°C). UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS analysis revealed significant remodeling of protopanaxatriol (PPT)-type ginsenosides, with ginsenoside Rf and PPT increasing by 3.55-fold and 5.03-fold, respectively (p < 0.05). In an ethanol-induced injury model using GES-1 gastric epithelial cells, the fermented extract demonstrated dose-dependent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-apoptotic effects without cytotoxicity. We hypothesize that the extracellular glycosidase activity of A. oryzae mediates the sequential deglycosylation leading to the observed PPT-type enrichment, although the specific enzymes involved require further identification. Overall, these results provide a proof-of-concept for a food-safe SSF platform tailored to whole white ginseng roots. This process effectively remodels the ginsenoside profile to enrich cytoprotective PPT-type compounds, supporting its potential for nutraceutical development.
Keywords: Aspergillus oryzae2, biotransformation3, GES-14, ginsenosides5, α-L-arabinopyranosidic1
Received: 16 Nov 2025; Accepted: 13 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 李, Ding, Gang, Wang, Wang and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Huan Wang
Changbao Chen
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