A Continuous Fractionation of Ginsenosides and Polysaccharides From Panax ginseng Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Technology

A continuous supercritical carbon dioxide ( SC‐CO 2 ) fractionation was conducted to obtain ginsenosides and polysaccharides from P anax ginseng extract. P . ginseng was mixed with ethanol at a ratio of 1:4 (volume by weight) for 24 h to yield ethanol extract. SC‐CO 2 fractionation was performed using an orthogonal design to obtain optimal fractionation parameters. The conditions were: three different temperatures (40, 50 and 60C), three different pressure levels (10, 20 and 30  MPa ), three flow rates of SC ‐ CO 2 (2, 4 and 6 mL/min) and three flow rates of ginseng extract liquor (1, 2 and 3 mL/min). The highest concentration of total ginsenosides was obtained in the fraction ( F ) whereas the highest concentration of total polysaccharides was retained in the residual. The highest selectivity of ginsenosides and polysaccharides were obtained at 60C and 30  MPa . The greatest free radicals scavenging ability and antioxidant ability were obtained in F . Practical Applications Ginsenosides and polysaccharides from P anax ginseng have been postulated to contribute a number of positive health effects. Traditional extraction techniques are associated with the disadvantages of solvent residues and its associated toxicity. In the present study, a continuous preparation method using supercritical fluid technology was described with the optimal temperature and pressure for the separation of P . ginseng ginsenosides and polysaccharide. Our findings can be served as a basis to facilitate future scale‐up industrial applications.