Ginsenoside Composition Changes in Ginseng Extracts by Different Ascorbic Acid Treatments

  • Ko, Sung-Kwon (Department of Oriental Medical Food & Nutrition, Semyung University) ;
  • Cho, Ok-Sun (Department of Oriental Medical Food & Nutrition, Semyung University) ;
  • Bae, Hye-Min (Department of Oriental Medical Food & Nutrition, Semyung University) ;
  • Sohn, Uy-Dong (College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University) ;
  • Im, Byung-Ok (Korea Ginseng institute, Chung-Ang University) ;
  • Cho, Soon-Hyun (Korea Ginseng institute, Chung-Ang University) ;
  • Yang, Byung-Wook (Korea Ginseng institute, Chung-Ang University) ;
  • Chung, Sung-Hyun (College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Shin, Wang-Soo (Korean Ginseng Research Co., Ltd., Central Research Institute) ;
  • Lee, Boo-Yong (Graduate School of Complementary & Alternative Medicine, Pochon CHA University)
  • Published : 2008.08.31

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a new preparation process for chemical transformation of ginseng saponin glycosides to prosapogenins. Ginseng and ginseng extracts were processed under several treatment conditions using ascorbic acid solution. Treating with ascorbic acid at pH 2-3 and above $80^{\circ}C$ increased the ginsenoside $Rg_3$ content of samples to over 3% as compared to other pH levels and temperatures. In addition, ginseng and ginseng extracts that were processed under a high ascorbic acid solution treatment condition (pH 2.0, 5 hr) contained more ginsenoside $Rg_3$ (approximately 16 times) than those processed under a low ascorbic acid solution treatment condition (pH 3.0, 5 hr). The highest quantity of ginsenoside $Rg_3$ (3.434%) occurred when a sample of fine ginseng root extract (AG2-9) was processed with the ascorbic acid solution at pH 2.0 for 9 hr. However, there was no change in the amount of ginsenoside $Rg_3$ when fine ginseng root extracts were processed with ascorbic acid solution at pH 2.0 for over 9 hr. In conclusion, the results indicated that ascorbic acid treatment of ginseng extracts can produce a level of ginsenoside $Rg_3$ that is over 90-fold the amount found in commercial red ginseng.

Keywords

References

  1. Namba T. The Encyclopedia of Wakan-Yaku with Color Pictures. Hoikusha, Osaka, Japan. p. 2 (1980)
  2. Park JD. Recent studies on the chemical constituents of Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer). Korean J. Ginseng Sci. 20: 389-415 (1996)
  3. Yokozawa T, Kobayashi T, Oura H, Kawashima Y. Studies on the mechanism of the hypoglycemic activity of ginsenoside-$Rb_2$ in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Chem. Pharm. Bull. 33: 869-872 (1985) https://doi.org/10.1248/cpb.33.869
  4. Matsunaga H, Katano M, Yamamoto H, Mori M, Takata K. Studies on the panaxytriol of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer isolation, determination, and antitumor activity. Chem. Pharm. Bull. 37: 1279-1281 (1989) https://doi.org/10.1248/cpb.37.1279
  5. Suh DY, Han YN, Han BH. Maltol, an antioxidant component of Korean red ginseng, show little prooxidant activity. Arch. Pharm. Res. 19: 112-115 (1996) https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02976844
  6. Kim CM, Han GS. Radioprotective effects of ginseng proteins. Yakhak Hoeji 29: 246-252 (1985)
  7. Jie YH, Cammisuli S, Baggiolini M. Immunomodulatory effects of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer in the mouse. Agents Actions 15: 386-391 (1984) https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01972376
  8. Shibata S, Tanaka T, Ando T, Sado M, Tsushima S, Ohsawa T. Chemical studies on oriental plant drugs (XIV). Protopanaxadiol, a genuine sapogenin of ginseng saponins. Chem. Pharm. Bull. 14: 595-600 (1966) https://doi.org/10.1248/cpb.14.595
  9. Keum YS, Han SS, Chun KS, Park KK, Park JH, Lee SK, Surh YJ. Inhibitory effects of the ginsenoside $Rg_3$ on phorbol ester-induced cyclooxygenase-2 expression, NF-kappaB activation, and tumor promotion. Mutat Res. 523: 75-85 (2003)
  10. Kim ND, Kang SY, Park JH, Schini-Kerth VB. Ginsenoside $Rg_3$ mediates endothelium-dependant relaxation in response to ginsenosides in rat aorta: Role of K+ channels. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 367: 41-49 (1999) https://doi.org/10.1016/S0014-2999(98)00898-X
  11. Keum YS, Park KK, Lee JM, Chun KS, Park JH, Lee SK, Kwon H, Surh YJ. Antioxidant and anti-tumor promoting activities of the methanol extract of heat-processed ginseng. Cancer Lett. 150: 41-48 (2000) https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3835(99)00369-9
  12. Kwon SW, Han SB, Park IH, Kim JM, Park MK, Park JH. Liquid chromatographic determination of less polar ginsenosides in processed ginseng. J. Chromatogr. A 921: 335-339 (2001) https://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-9673(01)00869-X
  13. Ko SK, Lee KH, Hong JK, Kang SA, Sohn UD, Im BO, Han ST, Yang BW, Chung SH, Lee BY. The change of ginsenoside composition in ginseng extract by the vinegar process. Food Sci. Biotechnol. 14: 509-513 (2005)