고려인삼 8개 신품종의 특성을 요약하면 아래와 같다. 1) 다경발생율이 연풍은 45%로 가장 높았고, 금품은 7%로 가장 낮았으나, 지상부생육은 금품이 가장 양호 하였고, 연풍이 가장 낮았다. 2) 종자결실율은 금품이 85.4%로 가장 높았으며, 천풍이 69.1%로 가장낮았다. 종자수확량은 연풍이 108.3개로 가장많았고, 천풍이 77.5개로 가장 적었다. 3) 엽소발생율은 천풍이 타품종보다 각년생에서 높았으나 연풍은 다소 낮았다. 4) 뿌리 부위별 무게분포비율에서 동체의 비율이 천풍 등 5품종은 49%-55.9%로 자경재래종 63,1%보다 낮았으나, 지근의 비율은 5개 신품종이 19,3%-23.3%로 자경재래종 13.2% 보다 높았고, 세근은 차이가 없었다. 5) 수량은 연풍>금풍>고풍>천풍=선풍>자경재래증 순으로 연풍이 가장 높았고,동장은 천풍이 8.0cm로 가장 길었으나 연풍이 6.4cm로 가장 짧았다. 적변삼 발생율은 신품종이 0.2-9,5%로 자경재래종 16.3%보다 현저히 낮았다. 6) 천삼의 생출율은 천풍>금풍>고풍>선풍>연풍>청선>자경재래종의 순서로 천풍이 높았으며, 천지삼의 생출율도 같은 경향이었다. 7) 품종별 동체의 단위무게 당 total ginsenosides 함량은 금풍 8.53mg, 연풍8.13mg, 고풍7.47mg로 높았으나, 천풍과 선풍은 각각 5.73mg과 4.87mg로 다소낮았다.

The last two decades have shown a marked expansion in publications of diverse effects of Panax ginseng. Ginsenosides, as active ingredients of Panax ginseng, are saponins found in only ginseng. Recently, a line of evidences shows that ginsenosides regulate various types of ion channel activity such as Ca$^{2+}$, K$^+$, Na$^+$, Cl$^-$, or ligand gated ion channels (i.e. 5-HT$_3$, nicotinic acetylcholine, or NMDA receptor) in neuronal, non-neuronal cells, and heterologously expressed cells. Ginsenosides inhibit voltage-dependent Ca$^{2+}$, K$^+$, and Na$^+$ channels, whereas ginsenosides activate Ca$^{2+}$-activated Cl$^-$ and Ca$^{2+}$-activated K$^+$ channels. Ginsenosides also inhibit excitatory ligand-gated ion channels such as 5-HT$_3$. nicotinic acetylcholine, and NMDA receptors. This presentation will introduce recent findings on the ginsenoside-induced differential regulations of ion channel activities as a ligand as other drugs do.

Ginseng has been useful for the treatment of diverse disease in oriental countries for thousands of years. In addition, a folk medicine prescribed by seven herbal drugs including Panax ginseng has been antinarcotics in the treatment of morphine-dependent patients. Many articles have been reported on these works. Therefore, we review the protective effects of Panax ginseng on the neurotoxicity induced by abuse drugs. Ginseng total saponins (GTS) extracted and isolated by Panax ginseng antagonized morphine-induced analgesia, and inhibited the development of analgesic tolerance to and physical dependence on morphine. CTS inhibited morphine-6 dehydrogenase, which catalyzes production of mophinone from morphine, and increased hepatic glutathione level responsible to toxicity. Therefore, wehypothesized that these dual actions of ginseng can be associated with the detoxication of morphine. In addition, the inhibitory or facilitated effects of GTS on electrically evoked contraction in guinea pig ileum (${\mu}$-receptors) and mouse vas deferens(${\delta}$-receptors) were not mediated through opioid receptors, suggesting non-opioid mechanisms. On the hand, antagonism of U-50,488H (${\kappa}$-agonist)-induced antinociception is mediated by serotonergic mechanisms. GTS also inhibited hyperactivity, reverse tolerance (sensitization) and conditioned place preference-induced by psychostimulants such as methamphetamine, cocaine and morphine. On the other hand, GTS reduced the dopamine levels induced by methamphetamine. Moreover, GTS blocked the development of dopamine receptor activation, showing antidopaminergic effect. We suggest that GTS prevent the methamphetamine-induced striatal dopaminergic neurotoxicity. In addition, Ginsenoside also attenuates morphine-induced CAMP signaling pathway. These results suggested that GTS might be useful for the therapy of the adverse actions of drugs with abuse liability.