Effect of Microbial Fermentation on the Sensory Attributes, Gingerol Content and Volatile Components of Ginger

This study was conducted to examine the sensory attributes, gingerol content and volatile components of ginger paste resulting from microbial fermentation. In the ginger samples, a total of eighteen attributes were determined to characterize the sensory attributes from descriptive analysis. These eighteen attributes consisted of the following: one appearance, eight odor/aroma, eight taste, and one aftertaste attribute. The ginger fermented using Lactobacillus plantarum produced a ginger aroma and putrid taste, whereas the sample fermented with Lactobacillus brevis showed a decreased ginger aroma and taste, and generated a lemon flavor. A total gingerol content of fresh and fermented ginger was 100.19 ㎎% and 89.55 ㎎%, respectively. Sixty-one volatile components in the fresh and fermented ginger were identified, and constituted eight kinds of monoterpenes, twenty-one kinds of sesquiterpenes, eight kinds of oxygenated monoterpenes and nine kinds of oxygenated sesquiterpenes. The most abundant volatile component identified in the fresh ginger was α-gingerberine (26.52%), whereas fermented ginger was increased in its alcohol components.