• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.192-198
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• 2018

Background: Chronic inflammation can lower the seizure threshold and have influence on epileptogenesis. The components of red ginseng (RG) have anti-inflammatory effects. The abundance of peripherally derived immune cells in resected epileptic tissue suggests that the immune system is a potential target for anti-epileptogenic therapies. The present study used continuous electroencephalography (EEG) to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of RG in intrahippocampal kainic acid (IHKA) animal model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Methods: Prolonged status epilepticus (SE) was induced in 7-week-old C57BL/6J mice via stereotaxic injection of kainic acid (KA, 150 nL; 1 mg/mL) into the right CA3/dorsal hippocampus. The animals were implanted electrodes and monitored for spontaneous seizures. Following the IHKA injections, one group received treatments of RG (250 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks (RG group, n=7) while another group received valproic acid (VPA, 30 mg/kg/day) (VPA group, n=7). Laboratory findings and pathological results were assessed at D29 and continuous (24 h/week) EEG monitoring was used to evaluate high-voltage sharp waves on D7, D14, D21, and D28. Results: At D29, there were no differences between the groups in liver function test but RG group had higher blood urea nitrogen levels. Immunohistochemistry analyses revealed that RG reduced the infiltration of immune cells into the brain and EEG analyses showed that it had anticonvulsant effects. Conclusion: Repeated treatments with RG after IHKA-induced SE decreased immune cell infiltration into the brain and resulted in a marked decrease in electrographic seizures. RG had anticonvulsant effects that were similar to those of VPA without serious side effects.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1136-1140
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• 2004

Red ginseng and fermented red ginseng were prepared, and their composition of ginsenosides and antiischemic effect were investigated. When ginseng was steamed at 98-$100{\circ}C$ for 4h and dried for 5h at $60{\circ}C$, and extracted with alcohol, its main components were ginsenoside $Rg_3$ > ginsenoside $Rg_1$> ginsenoside $Rg_2$. When the ginseng was suspended in water and fermented for 5 days by previously cultured Bifidobacterium H-1 and freeze-dried (fermented red ginseng), its main components were compound K > ginsenoside $Rg_3{\geq}$ ginsenoside $Rg_2$. Orally administered red ginseng extract did not protect ischemia-reperfusion brain injury. However, fermented red ginseng significantly protected ischemica-reperfusion brain injury. These results suggest that ginsenoside Rh2 and compound K, which was found to be at a higher content in fermented red ginseng than red ginseng, may improve ischemic brain injury.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.497-503
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• 2011

In order to enhance bioactive functionalities of ginseng, an acid impregnation processing was applied as a pre-treatment in producing red ginseng. Acid impregnation studies were conducted, and acids (ascorbic, malic, and citric acid) were selected. The optimal concentration of each acid was investigated in this study in terms of ginsenoside contents. The most concerned ginsenoside, $Rg_3$ was increased by ascorbic, malic, and citric acid pre-treated red ginseng up to 1 M acid concentration. In the case of ascorbic acid pre-treated red ginseng, $Rg_2$ concentration was increased depending on acid concentrations. Citric acid pre-treatment enhanced $Rg_2$, $Rg_3$, and $Rh_1+Rh_2$ formation in red ginseng. Therefore, ginsenoside patterns in red ginseng could be changed by acid impregnation pre-treatment depending on acid concentration and acid types. This research is expected to contribute to the development of the ginseng industry via new red ginseng products with selective and intensified functionality.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.93-97
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• 2010

To enhance the functionalities of ginseng, an acid impregnation pre-treatment was applied during red ginseng processing. Acetic, ascorbic, citric, malic, lactic, and oxalic acid were used for the acid impregnation treatment, and total and crude saponin concentrations and ginsenoside patterns were evaluated. Total and crude saponin contents of red ginseng pre-treated by acetic, ascorbic, and citric acid were similar to those of red ginseng without pre-treatment, whereas lactic, malic, and oxalic acid pre-treatment caused a reduction of total and crude saponin in red ginseng. From the high performance liquid chromatography analysis of ginsenosides, increased $Rg_3$ density was shown in red ginseng pre-treated by acetic, ascorbic, and citric acid impregnation. In the case of lactic, malic, and oxalic acid pre-treatment, increased $Rg_1$ density was observed in red ginseng. Increased $Rg_1$ and $Rg_3$ contents due to acid impregnation during red ginseng processing may contribute to improving bioactive functionalities of red ginseng.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.383-387
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• 2007

In this paper the design of the discharge cleaning system for KSTAR vacuum vessel is described. We first discuss about the parameters which are related the efficiency of discharge cleaning. The RG(RF-assisted Glow) discharge which has the ignition and sustain pressure lower than those in the case of DC discharge, thus has the higher efficiency of discharge cleaning. So we adopt the RG discharge, in practical design, for KSTAR discharge cleaning system. For uniformity of the cleaning effect, we plan to install two discharge cleaning systems in A- and I-port of the KSTAR vacuum vessel. The designed system will be adapted for the study of the fuel recycling and of the boronization as well as the discharge cleaning of the KSTAR vacuum vessel.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.551-553
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• 1996

A genuine dammarane glycoside, named ginsenoside $Rg_{5}$, has been isolated by repeated column chromatography and preparative HPLC from the MeOH extract of Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer). The chemical structure of ginsenoside$ Rg_{5}$ was determined as $3-O-[{\beta}-D-glucopyranosyl (1{\rightarrow}2)-{\beta}-D-glucopyranosyl]$ dammar-20(22), $24-diene-3{\beta},12{\beta}-diol$ by spectral and chemical methods. The stereostructure of a double bond at C-20(22) of ginsenoside $Rg_{5}$ was characterized as (E) from the chemical shift of C-21 in the $^{13}C-NMR $and a NOESY experiment in the $^{1}H-NMR$.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.63-77
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• 2010

Objectives: The aim of this experiment is to provide an objective differentiation of cultivated ginseng, cultivated wild ginseng, and wild ginseng through component analysis, and to know the change of ginsenoside components in the process for making red ginseng. Methods: Comparative analysis of ginsenoside $Rb_1,\;Rb_2$, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, $Rg_1,\;Rg_3,\;Rh_1$ and $Rh_2$ from the cultivated ginseng 4 and 6 years, cultivated wild ginseng, and wild ginseng were conducted using High Performance Liquid Chromatography(hereafter HPLC). And the same analyses were conducted in the process of red ginseng. Results: 1. For content comparison of ginsenoside $Rb_1$, Rc, Rd, Rf, $Rg_1$ and $Rh_1$, wild ginseng showed high content, followed cultivated ginseng 4 and 6 years, cultivated wild ginseng showed low content than any other samples. 2. For content comparison of ginsenoside $Rb_2$ and Re, cultivated ginseng 4 years showed high content, followed wild ginseng and cultivated ginseng 6 years, cultivated wild ginseng showed low content than any other samples. 3. For content comparison of ginsenoside $Rg_3$, wild ginseng and cultivated wild ginseng were only showed low content. 4. For content comparison of ginsenoside $Rh_2$, cultivated wild ginseng was only showed low content. 5. In the process of red ginseng, ginsenoside $Rb_1,\;Rb_2$, Rc, Rd, $Rg_3$ and $Rh_1$ were increased, and ginsenoside Re and $Rg_1$ were decreased in cultivated wild ginseng. 6. In the process of red ginseng, ginsenoside $Rg_3$ and $Rh_1$ were increased, and ginsenoside $Rb_2$, Rc, and Re were decreased in cultivated ginseng 4 years. 7. In the process of red ginseng, ginsenoside $Rb_1,\;Rb_2$, Rf and $Rh_1$ were increased, and ginsenoside Rc and Rd were decreased in cultivated ginseng 6 years. Conclusions: Distribution of ginsenoside contents to the cultivated ginseng, cultivated wild ginseng, and wild ginseng was similar and was not showed special characteristics between samples. And the change of ginsenoside to the process of red ginseng, cultivated ginseng and cultivated wild ginseng were showed different aspect.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.136-142
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• 2008

A recombinant Pichia pastoris carrying double expression cassette of Rhodotorula glutinis epoxide hydrolase(RgEH) gene was developed and used for preparing enantiopure (S)-styrene oxide from racemic mixture of styrene oxide. BglII restriction site of original RgEH gene (pPICZ B/RgEH #2) of previous report was mutated using PCR technique for the construction of double expression cassette containing promoter ($P_{AOX1}$), EH gene and transcription terminator ($TT_{AOX1}$) in pPICZ C vector. Double expression cassette with RgEH was inserted into the chromosomal DNA of P. pastoris. $V_{max}$ ($2.2{\mu}mol\;min^{-1}mg\;dcw^{-1}$) on (R)-styrene oxide of P. pastoris with double expression cassette was about 6-fold higher than that ($0.4{\mu}mol\;min^{-1}mg\;dcw^{-1}$) of P. pastoris with single expression cassette. For the determination of the optimal condition, the effects of detergent and temperature on the enantioselective hydrolytic activity and yield of the enantiomer were investigated. When the reaction was performed at $10^{\circ}C$ for 10 min in the presence of 0.5% Tween 20, enantiopure (S)-styrene oxide with 99.9% ee was obtained as the yield 43.4 % from 20 mM racemic sustrate.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.55-65
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• 2002

Ginseng has been used as a key constituent in traditional medicine prescriptions for centuries. Other than its well-known anti-stress and adaptogenic properties, ginseng has also been shown to be very effective in treating age-related deterioration in metabolic and memory functions. Although it is generally believed that the saponin (GS) fraction of the ginseng root accounts for the bioactivity of ginseng, a direct demonstration on which ginsenoside does what is still generally lacking. In the past decade, our laboratory has endeavored to identify the active GS components involved in energy metabolism, memory, and anti-neurotoxicity. To examine the ergogenic effects of GS in enhancing aerobic capacity, rats were subjected to either severe cold ($40^{\circ}C$ under helium-oxygen, two hours) or exercise workload $(70\%\;VO_{2}max,$ to exhaustion). Acute systemic injection (i.p.) of ginseng GS (5-20 mg/kg) significantly elevated both the total and maximum heat production in rats and improved their cold tolerance. However, pretreating the animal with the optimal dose (10 mg/kg) of GS devoid of $Rg_1\;and\;Rb_1$ failed to elicit any beneficial effects in improving cold tolerance. This indicates that either $Rb_1\;and/or\;Rg_1$ may be essential in exemplifying the thermogenic effect of GS. Further studies showed that only pretreating the animals with $Rb_1(2.5-5\;mg/kg),\;but\;not\;Rg_l,$ resulted in an increase in thermogenesis and cold tolerance. In contrast to the acute effect of GS on cold tolerance, enhancement of exercise performance in rats was only observed after chronic treatment (4 days). Further, we were able to demonstrate that both $Rb_1\;and\;Rg_1$ are effective in enhancing aerobic endurance by exercise. To illustrate the beneficial effects of GS in learning and memory, a passive avoidance paradigm (shock prod) was used. Our results indicated that the scopolamineinduced amnesia can be significantly reversed by chronically treating (4 days) the rats with either $Rb_1\;or\;Rg_1$ (1.25 - 2.5 mg/kg). To further examine its underlying mechanisms, the effects of various GS on ${\beta}-amyloid-modulated$ acetylcholine (ACh) release from the hippocampal slices were examined. It was found that inclusion of $Rb_1$ (0.1 ${\mu}M$), but not $Rg_1$, can attenuate ${\beta}-amyloid-suppressed$ ACh release from the hippocampal slices. Our results demonstrated that $Rb_1\;and\;Rg_1$ are the key components involved in various beneficial effects of GS but they may elicit their effects through different mechanisms.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.384-394
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• 2024

Background: Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), known to latently infect the host's trigeminal ganglion, can lead to severe herpes encephalitis or asymptomatic infection, potentially contributing to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. The virus generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) that significantly impact viral replication and induce chronic inflammation through NF-κB activation. Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), an oxidative stress regulator, can prevent and treat HSV-1 infection by activating the passive defense response in the early stages of infection. Methods and results: Our study investigated the antiviral effects of ginsenoside Rg5, an Nrf2 activator, on HSV-1 replication and several host cell signaling pathways. We found that HSV-1 infection inhibited Nrf2 activity in host cells, induced ROS/NF-κB signaling, and triggered inflammatory cytokines. However, treatment with ginsenoside Rg5 inhibited ROS/NF-κB signaling and reduced inflammatory cytokines through NRF2 induction. Interestingly, the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 suppressed the expression of NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1) and enhanced the expression of KEAP1 in HSV-1 infected cells. This led to the reversal of VP16 expression inhibition, a protein factor associated with HSV-1 infection, thereby promoting HSV-1 replication. Conclusion: These findings suggest for the first time that ginsenoside Rg5 may serve as an antiviral against HSV-1 infection and could be a novel therapeutic agent for HSV-1-induced neuroinflammation.