• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
• /
• v.21 no.5
• /
• pp.401-414
• /
• 2013

Ginsenoside Rg3 (G-Rg3) contained only in red ginseng has been found to show various pharmacological effects such as an anticancer, antiangiogenetic, antimetastastic, liver protective, neuroprotective immunomodulating, vasorelaxative, antidiabetic, insulin secretion promoting and antioxidant activities. It is well known that G-Rg3 could be divided into 20(R)-Rg3 and 20(S)-Rg3 according to the hydroxyl group attached to C-20 of aglycone, whose structural characteristics show different pharmacological activities. It has been reported that G-Rg3 is metabolized to G-Rh2 and protopanaxadiol by the conditions of the gastric acid or intestinal bacteria, thereby these metabolites could be absorbed, suggesting its absolute bioavailability (2.63%) to be very low. Therefore, we reviewed the chemical, physical and biological transformation methods for the production on a large scale of G-Rg3 with various pharmacological effects. We also examined the influence of acid and heat treatment-induced potentials on for the preparation method of higher G-Rg3 content in ginseng and ginseng products. Futhermore, the microbial and enzymatic bio-conversion technologies could be more efficient in terms of high selectivity, efficiency and productivity. The present review discusses the available technologies for G-Rg3 production on a large scale using chemical and biological transformation.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.22-27
• /
• 2014

Background: Research has been conducted with regard to the development of methods for improving the pharmaceutical effect of ginseng by conversion of ginsenosides, which are the major active components of ginseng, via high temperature or high-pressure processing. Methods: The present study sought to investigate the anticancer effect of heat-processed American ginseng (HAG) in human gastric cancer AGS cells with a focus on assessing the role of apoptosis as an important mechanistic element in its anticancer actions. Results and Conclusion: HAG significantly reduced the cancer cell proliferation, and the contents of ginsenosides Rb1 and Re were markedly decreased, whereas the peaks of less-polar ginsenosides [20(S,R)-Rg3, Rk1, and Rg5] were newly detected. Based on the activity-guided fractionation of HAG, ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 played a key role in inducing apoptosis in human gastric cancer AGS cells, and it was generated mainly from ginsenoside Rb1. Ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 induced apoptosis through activation of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9, as well as regulation of Bcl-2 and Bax expression. Taken together, these findings suggest that heat-processing serves as an increase in the antitumor activity of American ginseng in AGS cells, and ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3, the active component produced by heat-processing, induces the activation of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9, which contributes to the apoptotic cell death.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
• /
• 1998.11a
• /
• pp.175-175
• /
• 1998

We reported a new processed ginseng with increased biological activities which is named as “sun ginseng (SG)”. Study on the saponin constituents of SG led to the isolation of seven new ginsenosides named as ginsenoside Rk$_1$, Rk$_2$, Rk$_3$, Rs$_4$, Rs$\_$5/, Rs$\_$6/ and Rs$\_$7/. Ginsenoside Rk$_1$, Rk$_2$ and Rk$_3$ were the Δ$\^$20(21),24(25)/-diene dammarane compounds, while ginsenoside Rs$_4$, Rs$\_$5/, Rs$\_$6/ and Rs$\_$7/ were mono-acetylated compounds. Many other ginsenosides which were reported as minor constituents of red ginseng were also isolated, which include 20(S)-Rg$_3$, 20(R)-Rg$_3$, Rg$\_$5/, Rg$\_$6/, F$_4$, Rh$_4$, 20(S)-Rs$_3$ and 20(R)-Rs$_3$. The major ginsenosides of SG were 20(S)-Rg$_3$, 20(R)-Rg$_3$, Rk$_1$ and Rg$\_$5/.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
• /
• 1984.09a
• /
• pp.159-168
• /
• 1984

생약의 화학적 특성에 대한 계속적인 연구가 이루어짐에 따라 우리는 홍삼 및 백삼의 화학성분을 상대적으로 규명하였다. 홍삼은 극성이 약한 분획에서 5개의 새로운 배당체(20R-ginsenoside $Rg_{2},\;Rh_{1};20R$, 20S-ginsenoside $Rg_{3}; ginsenoside\;Rh_{2}$와 새로운 아세칠렌 화합물(Panaxytriol)을 함유하는 특징적인 성분들이 gins - enoside Rh1, Rg2와 함께 분리되었다. ginsenoside Rh2는 배양된 종양세포에 대해 세포독소 효과를 보여주었다. 백삼은 수용성 분획에서 특징적인 성분이 있는 것으로 밝혀졌으며, 여기에서 malonly-ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rc 및 Rd로 명명된 새로운 배당체 성분이 분리되었다. Malona-ginsenosides는 백삼에서는 주요한 배당체이지만, 홍삼에서는 검출되지 않았다.

• Food Engineering Progress
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.159-165
• /
• 2010

Red ginseng tail roots (9.8 g water/100 g sample) were puffed at 7, 8, 9, and 10 $kg_{f}/cm^{2}$ using a rotational puffing gun. Puffed red ginseng was extracted with 70% ethanol, and the concentrated extract was successively partitioned with diethyl ether, n-butanol and $H_{2}O$. Two unknown ginsenosides from puffed red ginseng were found at 63 and 65 min of retention time in HPLC chromatogram suggesting that chemical structure of some ginsenosides might be altered during the puffing process. Identification of two unknown compounds was carried out using TLC, HPLC and NMR. Two major compounds were isolated from TLC. According to TLC result, compound I was expected to be the mixture of ginsenosides Rk1 and Rg5, and compound II was expected to be a 20(S)-ginsenoside $Rg_{3}$. Three compounds were isolated from n-butanol fraction through repeated silica gel and octadecyl silica gel column chromatographies. From the result of $^{1}H$- and $^{13}C$-NMR data, the chemical structures of unknown compounds were determined as ginsenoside $Rg_{5}$ and 20(S)-ginsenoside $Rg_{3}$. Unfortunately, ginsenoside $Rk_{1}$ could not be separated from ginsenoside-$Rg_{5}$ in the compound I. It was carefully reexamined using HPLC and confirmed that the last unknown compound was ginsenoside-$Rk_{1}$.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.457-467
• /
• 2013

A quick and simple method for simultaneous determination of the 30 ginsenosides (ginsenoside Ro, Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, Rg1, 20(S)-Rg2, 20(R)-Rg2, 20(S)-Rg3, 20(R)-Rg3, 20(S)-Rh1, 20(S)-Rh2, 20(R)-Rh2, F1, F2, F4, Ra1, Rg6, Rh4, Rk3, Rg5, Rk1, Rb3, Rk2, Rh3, compound Y, compound K, and notoginsenoside R1) in Panax ginseng preparations was developed and validated by an ultra performance liquid chromatography photo diode array detector. The separation of the 30 ginsenosides was efficiently undertaken on the Acquity BEH C-18 column with gradient elution with phosphoric acids. Especially the chromatogram of the ginsenoside Ro was dramatically enhanced by adding phosphoric acid. Under optimized conditions, the detection limits were 0.4 to 1.7 mg/L and the calibration curves of the peak areas for the 30 ginsenosides were linear over three orders of magnitude with a correlation coefficients greater than 0.999. The accuracy of the method was tested by a recovery measurement of the spiked samples which yielded good results of 89% to 118%. From these overall results, the proposed method may be helpful in the development and quality of P. ginseng preparations because of its wide range of applications due to the simultaneous analysis of many kinds of ginsenosides.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.375-383
• /
• 2011

In the previous report, we have demonstrated that ginsenoside Rc, one of major ginsenosides, is a major component for the restoration for normal growth of worms in cholesterol-deprived medium. In the present study, we further investigated the roles of minor ginsenosides, such as ginsenoside $Rh_1$ and $Rh_2$, ginsenoside metabolites such as compound K (CK), protopanaxadiol (PPD), and protopanaxatriol (PPT) and ginsenoside epimers such as 20(R)- and 20(S)-ginsenoside $Rg_3$ in cholesterol-deprived medium. We found that ginsenoside $Rh_1$ almost restored normal growth of worms in cholesterol-deprived medium in F1 generation. However, supplement of ginsenoside $Rh_2$ caused a suppression of worm growths in cholesterol-deprived medium. In addition, CK and PPD also slightly restored normal growth of worms in cholesterol-deprived medium but PPT not. In experiments using ginsenoside epimers, supplement of 20(S)- but not 20(R)-ginsenoside $Rg_3$ in cholesterol-deprived medium also almost restored worm growth. These results indicate that the absence or presence of carbohydrate component at backbone of ginsenoside, the number of carbohydrate attached at carbon-3, and the position of hydroxyl group at carbon-20 of ginsenoside might plays important roles in restoration of worm growth in cholesterol-deprived medium.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.473-481
• /
• 2012

This study was conducted to investigate the contents of ginsenosides and physiochemical properties of Panax ginseng after 9 times steaming and drying treatment by using the new auto steamer which is more fast and simple than previous report. In the process of steaming and drying, the content of six major ginsenosides such as Rg1, Re, Rb1, Rc, Rb2 and Rd were gradually decreased. On the other hand, the content of seven minor ginsenosides includes Rh1, 20(S)-Rg2, 20(R)-Rg2, 20(S)-Rg3, 20(R)-Rg3, Rk1 and Rg5 were gradually increased. We observed the protopanxadiol ginsenosides such as Rb1, Rb2, Rc and Rd were converted into 20(S)-Rg3, 20(R)-Rg3, Rk1 and Rg5; similarly protopanxatriol ginsenosides of Rg1 and Re were converted into Rh1, 20(S)-Rg2 and 20(R)-Rg2. Based on the result of fresh ginseng, the contents of reducing sugar, acidic polysaccharide and total phenolic compounds were gradually increased and reached to maximum at 7 times repetitive steaming process of the fresh ginseng. Whereas DPPH radical scavenging activities were gradually decreased to 68% at 7 times steaming. New auto 9 repetitive steaming and drying process has similar production with original methods, but content of benzo(a)pyrene were not almost detected comparatively taking less time. The present results suggested that this method is best for the development of value-added ginseng industry related products.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.329-336
• /
• 2023

Background: Panax ginseng Meyer is a medicinal plant well-known for its antiviral activities against various viruses, but its antiviral effect on coronavirus has not yet been studied thoroughly. The antiviral activity of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) and ten ginsenosides against Human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) was investigated in vitro. Methods: The antiviral response and mechanism of action of KRG extract and ginsenoside Rc, Re, Rf, Rg1, Rg2-20 (R) and -20 (S), Rg3-20 (R) and -20 (S), and Rh2-20 (R) and -20 (S), against the human coronavirus strain OC43 were investigated by using plaque assay, time of addition assay, real-time PCR, and FACS analysis. Results: Virus plaque formation was reduced in KRG extract-treated and HCoV-OC43-infected HCT-8 cells. KRG extract decreased the viral proteins (Nucleocapsid protein and Spike protein) and mRNA (N and M gene) expression, while increased the expression of interferon genes. Conclusion: KRG extract exhibits antiviral activity by enhancing the expression of interferons and can be used in treating infections caused by HCoV-OC43.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.60-68
• /
• 2011

The chemical and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity changes of ginsenoside $Rb_1$-glycine and ginsenoside $Rg_1$-glycine mixtures by Maillard reaction were investigated to identify the role of Maillard reaction in the increased antioxidant activity of ginseng by heat-processing. The DPPH radical scavenging activity of $Rg_1$-glycine mixture was more strongly increased by heat-processing than that of $Rb_1$-glycine mixture. From the analyses of ginsenosides, $Rb_1$ was gradually changed into 20(S)-$Rg_3$, 20(R)-$Rg_3$, $Rk_1$ and $Rg_5$ by heat-processing. $Rg_1$ was gradually changed into 20(S)-$Rh_1$, 20(R)-$Rh_1$, $Rk_3$ and $Rh_4$ by heat-processing. However, the generation of these less-polar ginsenosides was not related to the increased DPPH radical scavenging activity of $Rb_1$-glycine and $Rg_1$-glycine mixtures because their DPPH radical scavenging activities were already significantly increased when dried at $50^{\circ}C$, which temperature induce no structural changes of ginsenosides. In the comparison of browning compound levels of $Rg_1$-glycine and $Rb_1$-glycine mixtures, the extents of Maillard reaction were positively correlated with their increased free radical scavenging activities. Based on the chemical and DPPH radical scavenging activity changes of $Rg_1$-glycine and $Rb_1$-glycine mixtures by heat-processing, we clearly identified that the increased free radical scavenging activity of ginsenoside is mediated by the Maillard reaction between sugar moiety of ginsenoside and amino acid.