Physicochemical Properties and Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Activities of Ginseng <i>Jeongkwa</i> Made with Sugars of Varying Refinement Levels

This study examined the physicochemical properties and the antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of ginseng Jeongkwa prepared using sugars with different levels of refinement: refined sugar (sucrose), unrefined cane sugar (cane sugar), and unrefined raw sugar (muscovado).The analysis included measurements of free sugars, ginsenosides, minerals, total phenolic content, color value, and textural properties.The free sugar content decreased as the level of sugar refinement decreased, while the ginsenosides, minerals, and total phenolic contents increased.The ginseng Jeongkwa made with muscovado showed the most favorable functional composition, containing 56.320.21%free sugar, 2.920.01mg/g ginsenosides, 809.3311.53mg/100 g minerals, and 7.120.02mg GAE/g total polyphenols.The muscovado sample also exhibited the highest hardness and chewiness, with significantly lower adhesiveness than those samples made with sucrose and cane sugar.The antioxidant activities were evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging assays.The muscovado-based sample exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity, with IC 50 values of 0.00220.0014mg/mL (DPPH) and 0.0200.0019mg/mL (ABTS), followed by cane sugar and sucrose.Furthermore, this study also assessed the -amylase and -glucosidase inhibitory activities to evaluate the antidiabetic potential.The muscovado-based sample showed the highest inhibition rates of 25.524.26%and 28.454.41%,respectively.Therefore, the functional properties of ginseng Jeongkwa are enhanced using less refined sugars, particularly muscovado, providing greater antioxidant and antidiabetic benefits.Therefore, ginseng Jeongkwa made with unrefined sugars may be a valuable functional food with improved health-promoting properties.