Abstract:To explore the anti-fatigue effect of ready-to-eat red ginseng tablets, the main active components of ready-to-eat red ginseng tablets were determined in this study. Then, using Caenorhabditis elegans as the model, indicators such as lifespan, locomotor ability, pharyngeal pumping rate, in vivo antioxidant capacity, and expression levels of anti-fatigue-related genes were measured to evaluate the anti-fatigue effects of ready-to-eat red ginseng tablets (JSHS), dried red ginseng decoction pieces (HSYP), and formula solution (ZFY).The results showed that the contents of total saponins and total polysaccharides in JSHS were higher than those in HSYP and ZFY. In the Caenorhabditis elegans experiment, compared with the blank group, JSHS and HSYP increased the average lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans by 16.56% and 10.85%, respectively. The pharyngeal pumping rate of Caenorhabditis elegans was extremely significantly increased by 25.32% (P<0.0001) by JSHS. The stress resistance of Caenorhabditis elegans was significantly improved by JSHS (P<0.01), and the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in Caenorhabditis elegans were all significantly increased (P<0.05), while the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was significantly decreased (P<0.05) by JSHS. The expression level of the daf-2 gene was extremely significantly down-regulated, and the expression levels of the daf-16, sod-3, and skn-1 genes were extremely significantly up-regulated in Caenorhabditis elegans by JSHS (P<0.0001). In conclusion, the content of main active components in JSHS, which is processed by combining HSYP with ZFY, was significantly increased. Moreover, JSHS comprehensively enhanced the anti-fatigue ability of Caenorhabditis elegans by extending their lifespan, improving their locomotor ability and pharyngeal pumping rate, enhancing their stress resistance and in vivo antioxidant capacity, and regulating the expression of anti-fatigue-related genes. This study preliminarily indicates that ready-to-eat red ginseng tablets have anti-fatigue effects, providing a theoretical basis for the development and application of health food.