• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.47-53
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• 1973

Chinae Rhizoma is dried crude roots and rhizomes obtained from Smilax china Linne which belongs to Smilax Genus of Liliaceae Familia, and it has been in wife use as a folk remedy for a long time. But very little systemic studies on its pharmacological actions have been made until now. Furthermore, the effective components except saponin of Chinae Rhizoma have been not known yet. It came to the attention of the authors that Chinae Rhizoma are used as antidiarrhetics in Chinese herb medicine, therefore they attempted to observe the effects of Chinae Rhizoma Alcoholic Extracts (Chinae Rhizoma Ethanol Extract=CREE, Chinae Rhizoma Methanol Extract=CRME) from Smilax china Linne on motility of the isolated rabbit duodenum in this experiment. The results of the study were as follow: 1. The movement of the isolated rabbit duodenum was slowed down and its tonus was relaxed in proportion to the concentration of Chinae Rhizoma Alcoholic Extracts (CREE & CRME). 2. With a concentration of CREE $10^{-4}g/ml$, the contractile effects of acetylcholine $10^{-6}g/ml$, pilocarpine $10^{-5}g/ml$ and physostigmine $10^{-5}g/ml$ were remarkably blocked in the movement of isolated rabbit duodenum. 3. The concentration of the isolated rabbit duodenum induced by barium chloride $10^{-4}g/ml$ was significantly inhibited by CREE $10^{-4}g/ml$. 4. With the administrations of histamine $10^{-5}g/ml$, serotonin $10^{-6}g/ml$ and prostaglandin $A_2\;10^{-6}g/ml$ respectively, contractions were observed in the rabbit duodenum. But, treatment of CREE $10^{-4}g/ml$ inhibited markedly the tonus and motility of the duodenum pretreated with the above drugs. 5. The effects of CREE and CRME were very much alike in this experiment. From the above results, it is concluded that the mechanism of action of Chinae Rhizoma on motility of isolated rabbit duodenum was partially due to cholinergic blocking effect.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.764-768
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• 1993

This study was developed a computer-controlled automatic drying system. In order to control automatically the temperature, relative humidity weight of the sample, drying system with computer and connecting parts such as microcomputer, PC-Lab card, Op. Amp., and relay system were developed for controlling the heater, fan, humidifier and dehumidifier. Using this system, drying characteristic mechanism of ginseng were investigated. The increase of drying temperature decreased Hunter L value and increased a and b value. The hardness and shrinkage rate of white ginseng had a increasing tendency with the increase of drying temperature. Crude saponin content was not affected by drying temperature and relative humidity.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7943-7957
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• 2015

Background and Aims: Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world. The aim of this study was to investigate the growth-suppression potentiality of a crude saponin extract (CSENS) prepared from medicinal herb, Nigella sativa, on human colon cancer cells, HCT116. Materials and Methods: HCT116 cells were subjected to increasing doses of CSENS for 24, 48 and 72 h, and then harvested and assayed for cell viability by WST-1. Flow cytometry analyses, cell death detection ELISA, fluorescent stains (Hoechst 33342 and acridine orange/ethidium bromide), DNA laddering and comet assays were carried out to confirm the apoptogenic effects of CSENS. Luciferase reporter gene assays, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses were performed to assess the impact of CAERS and CFEZO on the expression levels of key regulatory proteins in HCT116 cells. Results: The results demonstrated that CSENS inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis. Apoptosis was confirmed by flow cytometry analyses, while CSENS-treated cells exhibited morphological hallmarks of apoptosis including cell shrinkage, irregularity in cellular shape, cellular detachment and chromatin condensation. Biochemical signs of apoptosis, such as DNA degradation, were observed by comet assay and gel electrophoresis. The pro-apoptotic effect of CSENS was caspase-3-independent and associated with increase of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. CSENS treatment down-regulated transcriptional and DNA-binding activities of NF-${\kappa}B$ and AP-1 proteins, associated with down-regulation of their target oncogenes, c-Myc, cyclin D1 and survivin. On the other hand, CSENS up-regulated transcriptional and DNA-binding activities of Nrf2 and expression of cytoprotective genes. In addition, CSENS modulated the expression levels of ERK1/2 MAPK, p53 and p21. Conclusions: These findings suggest that CSENS may be a valuable agent for treatment of colon cancer.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.291-297
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• 2012

Ginsenoside (ginseng saponin), the principal component of ginseng, is responsible for the pharmacological and biological activities of ginseng. We isolated lactic acid bacteria from Kimchi using esculin agar, to produce ${\beta}$-glucosidase. We focused on the bio-transformation of ginsenoside. Phylogenetic analysis was performed by comparing the 16S rRNA sequences. We identified the strain as Lactobacillus (strain 6105). In order to determine the optimal conditions for enzyme activity, the crude enzyme was incubated with 1 mM ginsenoside Rb1 to catalyse the reaction. A carbon substrate, such as cellobiose, lactose, and sucrose, resulted in the highest yields of ${\beta}$-glucosidase activity. Biotransformations of ginsenoside Rb1 were analyzed using TLC and HPLC. Our results confirmed that the microbial enzyme of strain 6105 significantly transformed ginsenoside as follows: Rb1${\rightarrow}$gypenoside XVII, Rd${\rightarrow}$F2 into compound K. Our results indicate that this is the best possible way to obtain specific ginsenosides using microbial enzymes from 6105 culture.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.118-125
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• 2010

This study was carried out to determine changes in general chemical composition, free sugars, physicochemical properties of extract, and ginsenoside contents depending upon processing methods. Ginseng roots harvested from the same field were employed for the processing into white ginseng (WG), taegeuk ginseng (TG), red ginseng A (RGA, steamed one time), and red ginseng B (RGB, steamed three times). The fat content decreased by increasing duration of treatment and number of steaming treatment. On the other hand, there was no significant variation in contents of ash and carbohydrate depending on processing methods. Contents of sucrose and maltose was higher in Taegeuk and red ginseng than those of white ginseng. Steamed ginseng root (taegeuk and red ginseng root) showed higher amount of water extractable solid than the unsteamed white ginseng, but the variation of crude saponin content was not distinctive depending on processing methods. The contents of total ginsenosides increased by the order of white, taegeuk, red A, and red B root. In summary, chemical composition and total ginsenoside content were different according to part of root and processing methods, thus implies the importance of quality control as well as pharmacological activity of ginseng root.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.345-353
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• 1997

The effects of crude saponin (SAP) and alkaloid (ALK) fractions of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer on the detrimental effects of electroconvulsive shock (ECS) and scopolamine on passive avoidance response (PAR) were studied in male Sprague-Dawley rats, referring their effects on the neuronal injury and plasticity of hippocampus in response to electrolytic lesion of left entorhinal cortex (ECL). The detrimental ECS effect on PAR was attenuated by pre- and post-treatments with SAP and ALK, respectively, or by pretreatment with aminoguanidine (AG), an inhibitor of diamine oxidase and NO synthase. And the detrimental scopolamine effect on PAR was also inhibited by pre-treatment with ALK or AG, and by post- treatment with SAP or ALK, respectively. On the 7th day after ECL, the brain sections stained by cresyl violet and by acetylcholinesterase (AChE) histochemistry, respectively, showed the chromatolysis and numeral decrease of neurons and the reduction of AChE reactivity in the hippocampus CA1 area and to a lesser extent, in the dentate gyrus. The neuronal cell death of the CA1 area was significantly reduced by SAP, ALK, or AG, and the reduction of AChE reactivity was significantly attenuated by SAP or ALK and to a lesser extent by AG. These results suggests that the protective effect of ginseng SAP and ALK fractions on ECS- or scopolamine-induced impairment of PAR may be ascribed in part to preservation of hippocampal neurons, particularly cholinergic neurons.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.721-725
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• 2008

Changes in the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of the uncooked food, Codonopsis lanceolata saengsik, were investigated to determine an efficient drying method, one of the most important manufacturing processes in the preparation of C. lanceolata saengsik. No changes in the proximate compositions of all samples were observed during hot-air drying at 50 and $60^{\circ}C$ and freeze-drying. The L value in the freeze-dried sample was higher than that in the hot-air dried samples, whereas the b value in the freeze-dried sample was reduced. Dietary fiber content in the hotair dried samples were higher than that in the freeze-dried sample, whereas the total phenolic compounds and crude saponin contents were lower than those in the freeze-dried sample. The highest overall acceptability values in the sensory test for color, flavor, taste, and overall acceptability were 5.63, 5.45, 5.75, and 5.85, respectively. In conclusion, the freezedrying method was the most favorable of the tested method for the manufacture of C. lanceolata saengsik.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.184-189
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• 1995

(20S)- and (20R)-Ginsenoside $Rh_2$ were prepared from crude ginseng saponin by chemical treatments. The $^1H-$ and $^{13}C-NMR$ signals of these compounds were fully assigned by various NMR techniques such as DEPT, $^1H-^1H$ COSY, HMQC, HMBC and NOESY.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2010

The quality attributes of coffee treated with different concentrations of white ginseng extract were examined. Increased concentration of white ginseng extract was associated with higher color values (Hunter L. a, b scale). The crude saponin contents of untreated roasted coffee beans (control) and those coated with $5^{\circ}$ Brix (WGC-1) and $20^{\circ}$ Brix white ginseng extract (WGC-2) were 8.29%, 8.74%, and 8.93%, respectively. The total ginsenoside contents of WGC-1 and WGC-2 were 0.3 mg/g and 0.6 mg/g, respectively. In the case of major ginsenosides, the contents of ginsenosides $Rg_1,\;Rg_2,\;Rb_1,\;Rb_2,\;Rg_2,\;Rh_1$, and $Rg_3$ increased directly with the concentration of white ginseng extract. Total sugar and acidic polysaccharide contents also increased directly with the concentration of white ginseng extract. The coffee beans coated with ginseng extract scored significantly higher ginseng taste scores than the control (p<0.005) in sensory evaluation. In terms of coffee taste, WGC-2 had significantly lower scores than the commercial coffee bean. In the consumer sensory evaluation, overall preference did not differ significantly among the treatments.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.77-81
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• 2009

This study examined the effects of black ginseng (9 times-steamed ginseng) on hypoglycemic action in streptozotocininduced diabetic rats as well as changes in ginsenoside composition by the steaming process. As the number of steaming cycles increased, the amounts of crude saponin and most ginsenoside contents decreased, while the amount of ginsenoside- Rg3 and the ratio of PD/PT (=[$Rb_1+Rb_2+Rc+Rd+Rg_3]/[Re+Rb_1+Rh_1]$) increased. This ginsenoside composition is a unique characteristic compared to other types of ginseng products. In order to investigate the hypoglycemic effect of the black ginseng extract, in vivo studies were performed in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. The studies showed that the administration of the black ginseng extract decreased high blood glucose levels (more than 300 mg/dL) to a normal level (102 mg/dL). These results suggest that this black ginseng extract has a significant hypoglycemic effect and can be used as an anti-diabetic substance for dietary supplements or new drugs.