• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2010.10a
• /
• pp.20-20
• /
• 2010

Panax ginseng C.A Meyer is frequently taken orally as a traditional herbal medicine in Asian countries. The major components of ginseng are ginsenoside, which are pharmaceutical activity. The six major ginsenosides, including Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, Re and Rg1 account for 90% of total ginsenosides. Even though the minor ginsenosides, including Rg3, Rh2 and compound K has high pharmacetical activities, the price of minor ginsenosides is too high. Therefore we isolated the gypenoside V and made it converted to minor ginsenosides. In the plant Gynostemma pentaphyllum Makino, gypenosdie V was presented as dominant saponin (content about 2.4%), and was similar to protopanaxadol type ginsenosides such as ginsenoside Rb1. In this study, we confirmed that the coversion of gypenoside V to minor ginsenosides after using the various treatment such as heating, acid treatment, commercial edible enzyme, and lactobacillus. Consequently, we optimizied the transformation of gypenoside V to minor ginsenoside using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry (LC/TOF/MS).

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.275-281
• /
• 2010

The chemical characteristics of seed oils of Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) at different ages grown in Korea (3, 4 and 5-year old) and China (5-year old), and American ginseng (Panax quinquefoliu L., 5-year old) grown in China were compared. Total fatty acid composition showed a significantly higher oleic acid content in American (87.50%) than in Korean (68.02~69.14%) and Chinese ginseng seed oils (61.19%). At the sn-2 position, the highest oleic acid (81.09%) and lowest linoleic acid (15.77%) were found in American ginseng seed oil. The main triacylglycerol species in ginseng seed oils were triolein (OOO) and 1,2-dioleoyl-3-linoleoyl-glycerol (LOO)/1,3-dioleoyl-2-linoleoyl-glycerol (OLO). In addition, the seed oils possessed an ideal oxidative stability showing 16.55~23.12 hr of induction time by Rancimat test. The results revealed that ginseng seed oil could be developed as a new healthy edible oil, and that the oil's chemical characteristics were strongly associated with the ginseng species and habitats.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.393-401
• /
• 2007

This study was performed to investigate the antioxidant activity of Korean ginseng using an ORAC(Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) assay. Four fractions each (80% ethanol, ethyl acetate, water saturated 1-butanol, and water) were obtained from different ginseng samples (White Ginseng: ; 6 yrs-., 5 yrs-., ; Cork Ginseng: ; 5 yrs-., 4 yrs-.). The saponin content of each fraction was quantified by LC/MS, and the antioxidant capacity of the ginseng was measured by the ORAC assay. The ORAC method, which was recently validated using automatic liquid handling systems, has been adapted for manual handling with the use of a conventional fluorescence microplate reader. Furthermore, the ORAC assay provides a direct measure of hydrophilic chain-breaking antioxidant capacity against peroxy radical, which is the exiting and emission of 2,2'-Azobis (2-methylpropionamidine)-dihychloride (AAPH). As a result of our experiments, ginsenosides Rg1 and Rb1 were the two major saponins found in the ginseng samples, and Rc, Rb2, Re, Rd, Rg3, and Rh1 were detected in a small quantities. For the antioxidant capacities of the fractions (80% ethanol, ethyl acetate, butanol, and water), we found that the organic solvent fraction had similar antioxidant capacities, and were higher than the capacity of the water fraction. When determining the similarities in each fraction, only the ethyl acetate fraction showed similarity compared to other fractions (p>0.05). The antioxidant capacity of ginseng may come from phenolic compounds and some nonpolar saponins. However, based on the results of this study, we hypothesize that some acidic polysaccharides and other biological components may contribute to its antioxidant capacity. Additional research is required to determine other possible biological response modifiers that contribute to the antioxidant capacity of ginseng.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.338-342
• /
• 2004

This study was performed to measure the antioxidant effects of red ginseng extracts which antioxidation had been promoted through enzyme hydrolysis. In order to observe their tumor-suppressing effects, an anti-cancer medicine and Saponin-SOD, which was a highly antioxidant beverage made from red ginseng saponin adding SOD-like rice (with embryo buds) extracts, were administered to nude mice with large intestine cancer induced. There was a significant increase in the content of phenolic compounds as the enzyme was added. The red ginseng extracts showed a high electron-donating ability with the passage of time. The electron-donating ability was particularly high in the enzyme-treated red ginseng extract, and also observed as high in Saponin-SOD. The lipid-peroxide generation was inhibited depending on the concentration of Saponin-SOD added; the addition of 0.625% Saponin-SOD served to decrease the inhibition level up to 65% compared with the case of no addition (100%). As a result, it could be assumed that Saponin-SOD would strongly inhibit the oxidation of ghost membrane. After the cancer was induced in nude mice through the injection of SNUC-4 cell, there was a significant inhibition in the growth of tumors in nude mice into which Saponin-SOD were injected; the growth of tumors was gradually decreasing with the passage of time after the cancer induction. In particular, when Saponin-SOD was administered together with an anti-cancer medicine, the synergic effect was observed. In conclusion, Saponin-SOD, when used with an anti-cancer medicine, is expected to reduce the amount of free radical and lipid peroxide, which are known to cause harmful effects occurring from the internal application of medicine.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.285-292
• /
• 2013

Ginseng is a well-known traditional medicine used in Asian countries for several thousand years, and it is currently applied to medicine, cosmetics, and nutritional supplements due to its many healing and energygiving properties. It is well demonstrated that ginsenosides, the main ingredient of ginseng, produce a variety of pharmacological and therapeutic effects on central nerve system (CNS) disorders, cardiovascular disease, endocrine secretions, aging, and immune function. Korean red ginseng extract is a dietary supplement containing ginsenoside Rb1 and ginsenoside Rg1 extracted from Panax ginseng. While the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of the extract have been well established, its toxicological properties remain obscure. Thus, four-week oral toxicity studies in rats were conducted to investigate whether Korean red ginseng extract could have a potential toxicity to humans. The test article was administered once daily by oral gavage to four groups of male and female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats at dose levels of 0, 500, 1,000, and 2,000 mg/kg/day for four weeks. Neither deaths nor clinical symptoms were observed in any group during the experiment. Furthermore, no abnormalities in body weight, food consumption, ophthalmology, urinalysis, hematology, serum biochemistry, gross findings, organ weights, or histopathology were revealed related to the administration of the test article in either sex of any dosed group. Therefore, a target organ was not determined in this study, and the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of Korean red ginseng extract was established to be 2,000 mg/kg/day.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.44 no.3
• /
• pp.506-518
• /
• 2020

Background: Red-skin root of Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) significantly reduces the quality and limits the production of ginseng in China. The disease has long been thought to be a noninfectious physiological disease, except one report that proved it was an infectious disease. However, the causal agents have not been successfully determined. In the present study, we were to reveal the pathogens that cause red-skin disease. Methods: Ginseng roots with red-skin root symptoms were collected from commercial fields in Northeast China. Fungi were isolated from the lesion and identified based on morphological characters along with multilocus sequence analyses on internal transcription spacer, β-tubulin (tub2), histone H3 (his3), and translation elongation factor 1α (tef-1α). Pathogens were confirmed by inoculating the isolates in ginseng roots. Results: A total of 230 isolates were obtained from 209 disease samples. These isolates were classified into 12 species, including Dactylonectria sp., D. hordeicola, Fusarium acuminatum, F. avenaceum, F. solani, F. torulosum, Ilyonectria mors-panacis, I. robusta, Rhexocercosporidium panacis, and three novel species I. changbaiensis, I. communis, and I. qitaiheensis. Among them, I. communis, I. robusta, and F. solani had the highest isolation frequencies, being 36.1%, 20.9%, and 23.9%, respectively. All these species isolated were pathogenic to ginseng roots and caused red-skin root disease under appropriate condition. Conclusion: Fungal complex is the causal agent of red-skin root in P. ginseng.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.43 no.1
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 2019

Background: Korean ginseng is an important cash crop in Asian countries. However, plant yield is reduced by pathogens. Among the Ilyonectria radicicola-species complex, I. mors-panacis is responsible for root-rot and replant failure of ginseng in Asia. The development of new methods to reveal the existence of the pathogen before cultivation is started is essential. Therefore, a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction method was developed to detect and quantify the pathogen in ginseng soils. Methods: In this study, a species-specific histone H3 primer set was developed for the quantification of I. mors-panacis. The primer set was used on DNA from other microbes to evaluate its sensitivity and selectivity for I. mors-panacis DNA. Sterilized soil samples artificially infected with the pathogen at different concentrations were used to evaluate the ability of the primer set to detect the pathogen population in the soil DNA. Finally, the pathogen was quantified in many natural soil samples. Results: The designed primer set was found to be sensitive and selective for I. mors-panacis DNA. In artificially infected sterilized soil samples, using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction the estimated amount of template was positively correlated with the pathogen concentration in soil samples ($R^2=0.95$), disease severity index ($R^2=0.99$), and colony-forming units ($R^2=0.87$). In natural soils, the pathogen was recorded in most fields producing bad yields at a range of $5.82{\pm}2.35pg/g$ to $892.34{\pm}103.70pg/g$ of soil. Conclusion: According to these results, the proposed primer set is applicable for estimating soil quality before ginseng cultivation. This will contribute to disease management and crop protection in the future.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.45 no.3
• /
• pp.442-449
• /
• 2021

Background: Panax ginseng is an important crop in Asian countries given its pharmaceutical uses. It is usually harvested after 4-6 years of cultivation. However, various abiotic stresses have led to its quality reduction. One of the stress causes is high content of heavy metal in ginseng cultivation area. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can play a role in healthy growth of plants. It has been considered as a new trend for supporting the growth of many crops in heavy metal occupied areas, such as Aluminum (Al). Methods: In vitro screening of the plant growth promoting activities of five tested strains were detected. Surface-disinfected 2-year-old ginseng seedlings were dipping in Rhizobium panacihumi DCY116^T suspensions for 15 min and cultured in pots for investigating Al resistance of P. ginseng. The harvesting was carried out 10 days after Al treatment. We then examined H₂O₂, proline, total soluble sugar, and total phenolic contents. We also checked the expressions of related genes (PgCAT, PgAPX, and PgP5CS) of reactive oxygen species scavenging response and pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. Results: Among five tested strains isolated from ginseng-cultivated soil, R. panacihumi DCY116^T was chosen as the potential PGPR candidate for further study. Ginseng seedlings treated with R. panacihumi DCY116^T produced higher biomass, proline, total phenolic, total soluble sugar contents, and related gene expressions but decreased H₂O₂ level than nonbacterized Al-stressed seedlings. Conclusion: R. panacihumi DCY116^T can be used as potential PGPR and "plant strengthener" for future cultivation of ginseng or other crops/plants that are grown in regions with heavy metal exposure.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.44 no.2
• /
• pp.282-290
• /
• 2020

Background: Ginseng is a commonly used herbal medicine in treating various medical conditions. Chronic gut inflammation is a recognized factor for the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). In this project, Asian ginseng berry polysaccharide preparations were used to assess their effects on CRC and related immune regulation mechanisms. Methods: Ginseng berry polysaccharide extract (GBPE) and purified ginseng berry polysaccharide portion (GBPP) were used to evaluate their activities on human HCT-116 and HT-29 CRC cell proliferation. Interleukin-8 secretion analysis was performed on HT-29 cells. Naive CD4 cell isolation and T-helper cell differentiation were performed and determined using flow cytometry for Th1 and Treg in addition to cell cycle and apoptotic investigation. Results: GBPE and GBPP significantly inhibited interleukin-8 secretion and cancer cell proliferation, inhibited CD4⁺IFN-γ⁺ cell (Th1) differentiation, and decreased CD4⁺FoxP3⁺ cell (Treg) differentiation. Compared to the GBPE, GBPP showed more potent antiinflammatory activities on the malignant cells. This is consistent with the observation that GBPP can also inhibit Th1-cell differentiation better, suggesting that it has an important role in antiinflammation, whereas Treg cells hinder the body's immune response against malignancies. Supported by cell cycle and apoptosis data, GBPE and GBPP, at various degrees, remarkably enhanced the anticancer activities of 5-fluorouracil. Conclusion: Data from this project suggested that Asian ginseng berry potentially has clinical utility in managing enteric inflammation and suppressing CRC through immunomodulation mechanisms.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
• /
• v.1 no.3
• /
• pp.305-311
• /
• 1991

The study was designed to investigate overall acceptability of rice extrudate with added ginseng flour extruded by single screw extruder. Graphic three dimension analysis on response surface regression was conducted for overall acceptability evaluated by balanced incomplete block design. Overall acceptability, which formed a saddle point, increased as moisture content increased at lower die temperature, and as moisture content decreased at higher die temperature. Critical values of each variable which indicated optimum response are 5.0% ginseng content, 17.8% moisture content and 104.6$^{\circ}C$ die temperature, and optimum inferred score of overall acceptability is 59.6 and 90. Key words: extrdate, overall acceptability, response surface regression analysis, balanced incomplete block method.