The properties of ginseng saponins metabolizing intestinal bacteria

Ginseng(the root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, Araliaceae) has been used for thousands of years as a traditional medicine in Asian countries. The main components of Ginseng are ginsenoside Rb1, Rb2 and Rc. These compounds are transformed by intestinal microflora. The main metabolite of ginsenosides was compoud K (IH-901). The transformed compound K shows an antimetastic or anticarcinogenic effect by blocking tumor invasion or preventing chromosomal aberration and tumorigenesis. Therefore. we isolated and characterzed ginseng saponin-metabolizing bacteria from human intestinal microffora. Among 200 tested intestinal bacteria. we found 78 bacteris to transform glnseng senseng saponins to compound K. These bacteria were seperated into three group: the first group highy produced ginsenside Rd (29) the second grop produced potently ginsenoside F2 (21) and the third produced compound K(28)