• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.380-389
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• 2021

Metabolic syndrome (MS) refers to a clustering of at least three of the following medical conditions: high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, hyperglycemia, low high-density lipoprotein level, and high serum triglycerides. MS is related to a wide range of diseases which includes obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. There remains an ongoing need for improved treatment strategies for MS. The most important risk factors are dietary pattern, genetics, old age, lack of exercise, disrupted biology, medication usage, and excessive alcohol consumption, but pathophysiology of MS has not been completely identified. Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) refers to steamed/dried ginseng, traditionally associated with beneficial effects such as anti-inflammation, anti-fatigue, anti-obesity, anti-oxidant, and anti-cancer effects. KRG has been often used in traditional medicine to treat multiple metabolic conditions. This paper summarizes the effects of KRG in MS and related diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, diabetes, dyslipidemia, or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease based on experimental research and clinical studies.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1987.06a
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• pp.47-58
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• 1987

Ethanol exerts different effects on hepatic cellular metabolism, depending mainly on the duration of its intake. In the presence of ethanol following an acute load, a number of hepatic functions are inhibited, including lipid oxidation and microsomal drug metabolism. In its early stages, chronic ethanol consumption produces adaptive metabolic changes in the endoplasmic reticulum which result in increased metabolism of ethanol and drugs and accelerated lipoprotein production. Prolongation of ethanol intake may result in injurious hepatic lesions such as alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis A number of such metabolic effects of ethanol are directly linked to the two major products of its oxidation; hydrogen and acetaldehyde. The excess hydrogen from ethanol unbalances the liver cell's chemistry. In the presence of excess hydrogen ions the process is turned in a different direction. In this study, it was attempted to observe the effect of ginseng saponins on alcohol Oehydrogenase(ADH), aldehyde dehydrogenase(ALDH) and microsomal ethanol oxidizing system(MEOS) in vivo as well as in vitro. Furthermore, the effect of ginseng saponin on the hydrogen balance in the liver and the hepatic cellular distribution of (1-14C) ethanol, its incorporation into acetaldehyde and lipids was also investigated. It seemed that ginseng saponin stimulated the above enzymes and other related enzymes in ethanol metabolism, resulting in a rapid removal of acetaldehyde and excess hydrogen from the animal body,

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.544-551
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• 2020

Background: Previous studies have shown the insecticidal efficacy of ginsenosides. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the metabolic mechanism related to the inhibitory effect of panaxadiol saponins (PDSs) against the Asian corn borer Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenee). Methods: Third instar larvae of O. furnacalis were fed normal diets with different concentrations of PDSs for 4 days. The consumption index, relative growth rate, approximate digestibility, and conversion of ingested and digested food were recorded. A targeted gas chromatographye-mass spectrometry assay was performed to detect the profiles of amino acids, fatty acids, and carbohydrates in larvae of O. furnacalis. In addition, the activity of detoxification-related enzymes was determined. Results and Conclusions: PDSs decreased the consumption index, relative growth rate, approximate digestibility, and conversion of ingested and digested food in the 3rd instar larvae of O. furnacalis in a dose-dependent manner. PDSs decreased 15 free amino acids, 16 free fatty acids, and 5 carbohydrates and increased the levels of palmitoleic acid, palmitic acid, and 9-octadecenoic acid in the 3rd instar larvae. The activity of detoxification-related enzymes, such as acetylcholinesterase, glutathione S-transferase, cytochrome P450, carboxylesterase, trehalase, acid phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase, was reduced in a dose-dependent manner in the 3rd instar larvae exposed to PDSs. These data confirmed the inhibitory effect of PDSs against growth, food utilization, and detoxification in the 3rd instar larvae of O. furnacalis and the potential for using PDSs as an efficient tool for insect pest management for O. furnacalis larvae.

• Journal of Ginseng Culture
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• v.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 2019

Ginseng has been recognized as a lifespan extending medicine which has been regarded as one of the medicines classified as top medicines, as the Boncho (medical herbs) study which is influenced by the idea of guidance's costume and food concept mainly in China is gaining its bona fide form. As the demand for ginseng has been expanded to other levels, the demand for ginseng has been increasing. Ginseng from the nature reached its supply chain limit due to its extinction and difficulty of picking, so it translated into ginseng cultivation of economy rather than harvesting in nature. After the start of ginseng cultivation, the ginseng cultivation was further enhanced by the rapid development of processing methods such as white-ginseng and red-ginseng, and the surge of consumption due to the traditional belief in ginseng drug efficacy and support of scientific research. In the Joseon Dynasty, the name Gasam (cultivated ginseng) had been created as ginseng was cultivated on farmland after the stage of SanYang (wild cultivated ginseng), the purpose of the new name Gasam is to differentiate from natural ginseng, and natural ginseng lost its firm position as the genuine ginseng as the Gasam replaced the genuine ginseng, and the natural ginseng got a new name of SanSam (wild ginseng). Because the real ginseng substance concept dissipated, and as Gasam is being called ginseng, the name Gasam was also disappeared. As a result, it was possible to grow large quantities according to the arrival of the Gasam era, and it was possible to supply the demand for ginseng, and it could become one agricultural industry. In this ginseng cultivation, in Japan where ginseng did not grow naturally, it was difficult to obtain ginseng from Joseon and faced with a shortage of ginseng at all times. Therefore, the shogun cultivated the Gasam systematically at the national level by the inside of the shogunate. However, since the natural ginseng is native to China and Korea, there is a concern about the deterioration of the quality of natural ginseng due to the incorporation of cultivated ginseng (Gasam). To protect the interests, the cultivation of ginseng was subject to control. For this reason, the lack of historical information on Gasam cultivation, which had to be started secretly, would be a natural result. In this paper, althouh not sufficient enough, the historical informations were used to summarize the history of ginseng cultivation in China, Japan and Korea.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.225-230
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• 1995

The effect of long-term ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) administration on the clearance of carboxyhemoglobin (CO-Hb) and the property of blood gases was investigated in rats. Rats were received ginseng water extract (0.025% in drinking water) for 42 weeks starting at the age of 6 weeks. They were exposed to the diluted mainstream smoke generated from 15 filter cigarettes for 20 min in a round polycarbonate chamber (D37 cmXH13 cm). Under this condition, the mean CO-Hb content of control and the ginseng-treated rats immediately after the exposure was nearly the same as 13.8$\pm$2.9 f) and 13.9$\pm$1.6%, respectively. However, CO-Hb was more rapidly removed from blood in the ginseng treated rats than in untreatEd control with the laps of time, namely, its biological half life In the former was 36.9$\pm$1.5 min and in the latter was 56.9$\pm$13.2 min. Although long-term ginseng treatment did not affect the content of hemoglobin and blood pH of rats, it slightly increased blood oxygen content and its partial pressure value, and decreased levels of carbon dioxide and bicarbonate. These results suggest that long-term administration of rats with ginseng extract accelerate the elimination of CO from the blood. This effect seems to be related to the enhancement of oxygen consumption of the rat by a certain action of ginseng components as previously reported.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.173-180
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• 2003

The present study was conducted to investigate the single and 2-week repeated dose toxicity of red ginseng acidic polysaccharide (RGAP) in Sprague-Dawley rats. The test article was administered orally to rats at dose levels of 0, and 2000 mg/kg/day for single dose toxicity study and at dose levels of 0, 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg/day for repeated dose toxicity study. In both studies, there were no treatment-related effects on mortality, clinical signs, food and water consumption, ophthalmoscopy, urinalysis, hematology, serum biochemistry, necropsy findings and organ weights of all animals treated RGAP. Based on these results, it was concluded that the 2-week repeated oral dose of RGAP may have no toxic effect in rats at a dose level of 1000 mg/kg/day. In the condition of this study, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) was considered to be 1000 mg/kg/day for both sexes.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.97-105
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• 2014

Background: Understanding what causes changes in the flux of free fatty acids (FFA) is important to elucidate the etiology of metabolic syndrome. The first aim of this study was to test whether or not hormones and the autonomic nervous system influence blood FFA levels. A secondary aim was to test by means of a multiple group path analysis whether the consumption of fermented red ginseng (FRG; Panax ginseng) would influence those causal relationships. Methods: Ninety-three postmenopausal women (age 50e73 yr) were randomly divided into two groups. One group (44 women; age, $58.4{\pm}5.9yr$; body mass index, $3.6{\pm}2.5kg/m^2$) was supplied place capsules and the other group (49 women, age $58.4{\pm}5.5yr$; body mass index, $22.9{\pm}2.4kg/m^2$) was supplied FRG capsules. Both prior to and after the study (2 wk), blood samples were collected from the participants and several blood variables were measured and analyzed. Results: Squared multiple correlations of FFA were 0.699 in the placebo group and 0.707 in the FRG group. The unstandardized estimate of estradiol (E2) for FFA was 0.824 in both groups. Conclusion: The path coefficients of cortisol and the branchial pulse for FFA were significantly different between the FRG group and the placebo group.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.259-263
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• 1996

The preventive effects of ginseng and aloe extract on cigarette smoke-induced hepatotoxicity to Spague-Dawley rats were investigated. The experimental rats were exposed smoke by inhalation for 5 weeks, 3 times per day, and 15 minutes each time. Also ginseng and aloe extract (Group G+A), aloe (Group A) or ginseng (Group G) were administered to each group, but the positive control rats (Group C) were exposed smoke without any other special treatments. Group C showed decreased food intake and increased water consumption. Also the reduction of body weight and the increase in serumAST, ALT, triglyceride and alkaline phosphatase were observed. The relative liver weights of group C were increased and the hepatic parenchyma revealed light brownish red grossly. On histopathologic observation, the hepatocytes of group C animals exhibited diffuse swelling which narrowed the, sinusoidal lumen and disarrayed the hepatic cord-like arrangement. Diffuse necrosis of the hepatocytes was also observed. However, degeneration and necrosis of the hepatocytes were milder in group G+A. In the case of group A, the damage was moderate, while the group G showed marginal improvement from group C. Electronmicroscopically, peroxisome increased and mitochodria decreased in group C. Various hepatic damages related to smoking in group C revealed recovering tendency in group G+A. This study indicated that daily administration of ginseng and aloe could decrease and even prevent cigarette smokeinduced hepatotoxicity.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1990.06a
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• pp.155-167
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• 1990

Ginseng Is renowned for both its medicinal and herbal uses and successful cultivation of Panax ginseng in Asia and Panax quinquefolium in North America has until recently taken place in the native geographical ranges of the plants. As a consequence of the potential high capital return and anticipated increases in consumer consumption, commercial cultivation of American ginseng now occurs well outside the native range of the plant in North America. In fact, the region of greatest expansion of cultivation is in the semi-arid interior region of British Columbia, Canada. Linked with this expansion is the potential domination of the ginseng industry by agricultural corporations. In the interior of British Columbia, the native deciduous forest environment of eastern North America is simulated with elevated polypropylene shade and a surface covering of straw mulch. The architecture of these environments is designed to permit maximum machinery usage and to minimize labor requirements. Further, with only a four- years growth cycle, plant densities in the gardens are high. In this hot, semi-arid environment, producers believe they have a competitive advantage over other regions in North America because of the low precipitation rates. This helps to minimize atmospheric humidity such that the conditions for fungal disease development are reduced. If soil moisture level become limited, supplemental water can be provided by irrigation. The nature of the radiation and energy balance regimes of the shade and many environments promotes high soil moisture levels. Also, the modified environment redlines soil heating. This can result in an aerial environment for the plant that is stressful and a rooting zone environment that is suloptimal. The challenge of further refining the man modified environment for enhanced plant growth and health still remains. Keywords Panax ginseng, Panax quinquefolium, cultivation, ginseng production.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.115-122
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• 2000

This study was performed to develop a prototype continuous flow ginseng dryer with which better product quality and lower drying energy consumption could be achieved compared with conventional ginseng dryers. A dryer having both far infrared ray (IR) and heated-air as the drying energy sources was designed and fabricated . Dryer performance was studied by examining energy efficiencies and dryer performance evaluation indices (DPEI) during the drying tests of medium-sized four year ginseng roots with IR radiating plate temperature and drying air temperature in the range of 80-12$0^{\circ}C$ and 22-5$0^{\circ}C$, respectively. The DPEI of IR /heated -air combined drying was 1/3 of that of the conventional heated-air drying when ginseng were dried to the same final moisture ratio. When ginsengs were dried for 12 hours in the prototype IR/heated-air combination dryer, a linear relationship was found to exist between final moisture ratio and ginseng temperature. As the drying progressed, drying air temperature inside the dryer was nearly constant but ginseng temperature was drastically increased during the first two hours and gradually increased thereafter until the end of drying. With the prototype Ir/heated-air combination dryer, the drying rate changed little but the energy efficiency increased proportionally when the amount of ginseng to be dried increased. Drying capacity, energy efficiency, and DPEI of the prototype IR/heated-air combination ginseng dryer were estimated to 1.500 roots, 65% and 3.800kJ/kg-water , respectively.