Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) is a half-shade plant in the
Araliaceae family and has been used as a medicinal ingredient in
East Asian medicine for centuries. The root is used medicinally and
is widely known as a natural health food. The demand for ginseng
in pharmaceuticals and functional foods has been increasing, based
on the scientific and clinical evidence of its pharmacological efficacy
[1,2].
Recent studies have examined the possibility of increasing
active ingredients and physiological activities by fermenting
ginseng with lactic acid bacteria and Bacillus subtilis [3e7]. In
particular, functional fermentation products may be simply produced
by skipping the soaking process during solid-state fermentation
using B. subtilis [7]. Moreover, lactic acid bacteria such as
lactobacilli and bifidobacteria have been reported to produce lactic
acid by fermenting sugars as probiotics, promoting the growth of
beneficial bacteria in the human intestine [8].