A Gram-reaction-negative, aerobic, nonmotile, nonspore-forming, and rod-shaped bacterial strain designated Gsoil 3017(T) was isolated from soil of ginseng field and investigated by phenotypic and phylogenetic analyses. Strain Gsoil 3017(T) grew at 10-37 A degrees C (optimal growth at 30 A degrees C) and at pH 5.5-8.0 (optimal growth at pH 7) on R2A and nutrient agar without additional NaCl as a supplement. Strain Gsoil 3017(T) possessed beta-glucosidase activity, which was responsible for its ability to transform ginsenosides Rb-1, Rc, and Rd (the three dominant active components of ginseng) to F-2 and C-K, respectively. Based on 16S rRNA gene phylogeny, the novel strain represents a new branch within the genus Mucilaginibacter family Sphingobacteriaceae, and clusters with Mucilaginibacter frigoritolerans FT22(T) (95.6%) and Mucilaginibacter gotjawali SA3-7(T) (95.6%). The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 48.7%. The predominant respiratory quinone was MK-7, and the major fatty acids were iso-C-15:0, iso-C-17:0 3-OH, and summed feature 3 (comprising C-16:1 omega 6c and/or C-16:1 omega 7c). The major polar lipid was phosphatidylethanolamine. Strain Gsoil 3017(T) could be differentiated genotypically and phenotypically from other type strains of the genus Mucilaginibacter. The isolate therefore represents a novel species, for which the name Mucilaginibacter ginsenosidivorans sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain Gsoil 3017(T) (=KACC 14954(T) = JCM 17081(T)).