• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.40-46
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• 2012

Ginseng, the root of Panax ginseng Meyer, has been used frequently in traditional oriental medicine and is popular globally. Ginsenosides, which are the saponins in ginseng, are the major components having pharmacological and biological activities, including anti-diabetic and anti-tumor activities. In this study, we investigated the effects of total saponin from Korean red ginseng(TSKRG) on thrombin-produced thromboxane $A_2$ ($TXA_2$), an aggregating thrombogenic molecule, and its associated microsomal enzymes cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and $TXA_2$ synthase (TXAS). Thrombin (0.5 U/mL) increased $TXA_2$ production up to 169 ng/$10^8$ platelets as compared with control (0.2 ng/$10^8$ platelets). However, TSKRG inhibited potently $TXA_2$ production to the control level in a dose-dependent manner, which was associated with the strong inhibition of COX-1 and TXAS activities in platelet microsomes having cytochrome c reductase activity. The results demonstrate TSKRG is a beneficial traditional oriental medicine in platelet-mediated thrombotic diseases via suppression of COX-1 and TXAS to inhibit production of $TXA_2$.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 1978

Total saponins and ether extracts of red and white ginseng were obtained and their effects on blood pressure in cat and their histamine liberating activities in rabbits were measured. 1) Ether extract of red ginseng showed a transient hypotensive effect and subsequently showed a remarkable and persistent hypotensive effect, whereas other three fractions, such as saponin fractions of red and white ginseng and ether extract of white ginseng showed only a initial transient hypotensive effects. 2) Histamine levels liberated into blood after administration of each fractions measured by the bioassay with guinea pig ileum. Ether extract of red ginseng immediately increased histamine contents in plasma but the histamine levels decreased to normal level within 10min in spite of decreased blood pressure was sustained. Although white ginseng saponin lowered blood pressure immediately when it is administered, histamine release was observed after 10min. The results suggest that hypotensive effects of ginseng seems to have no correlation with the histamine liberating activity. Ginseng appears to show hypotensive effect via some other mechanisms.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.127-134
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• 2008

This study was carried out to investigate the changes of ginsenosides composition in Korean red ginseng water extract (RGWE) after heated with high temperatures above $100^{\circ}C$. RGWEs were adjusted with pH 3.0, pH 7.0 and pH 10.0, respectively, and then heated at 100,110 and $120^{\circ}C$ for 30 minutes by using autoclave. Total ginsenosides of RGWE treated with heating showed decreasing tendency when compared with control. By TLC analysis, decreasing effect of ginsenosides in RGWE were significantly observed in the acidic condition of pH 3.0, particulary. By HPLC analysis, total ginsenoside of control showed 1.89%, while those of RGWE treated with 100, 110 and $120^{\circ}C$ showed 1.22, 1.05 and 0.97%, respectively. The ratio of protopanaxadiol (PD) to protopanaxatriol (Pr) saponins in control was 1.89, while that of PD/PT in treated RGWEs were level of 1.33 to 1.47. By the result of decreased ratio of PD/PT in RGWE, it was considered that PD type saponin such as ginsenoside$-Rb_{1}$, $-Rb_{1}$, -Rc and -Rd was more unstable than PT type saponin such as ginsenoside-Re and Rg against high temperature heating above $100^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.188-195
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• 2000

Using Ginseng saponins (crude saponin and total saponin) and ginsenoside Rbl Rb2, Rc, Rd, Re, Rhl, and Rh2 in this study, we have examined the effects of the compounds on the induction of differentiation in normal rat mammary epithelial cells and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary tumor cells in culture. When normal rat mammary organoids were cultured in 100-mm culture plates in the presence or absence of ginseng saponins, there were four different cell colonies after two weeks in culture: cobble stone, spindle, honey comb, and senescence type colonies. Ginseng saponins showed different effects on the development of each colonies. Scrape-loading dye transfer tech-nique was performed to measure the effects of total saponin, Rhl, and Rh2 on intercellular junctional communication. Intercellular communication was not observed at short cultilral time, e.g., four or seven days, but when it cultured it up to two weeks, cell to cell communication was observed in saponin-treated cells. Reconstituted basement membrane, Matrigel, supported the growth and development several different multicellular structures from normal mammary organoids (e.g., ductal, webbed, stellate, and squamous colonies) or DMBA-induced mammary tumor (e.g., alveolar unit, foamy alveolar unit, squamous metaplasia, lobule-ductal, stellate, and webbed colony). In ginseng saponin-treated groups, webbed colonies were more and squamous colonies were less than control group. Moreover, the ductal colonies, marker tructure of well-differentiate mammary epithelial cells, were developed more in saponin-treated group than in control group. In conclusion, ginseng saponins affected on the differentiation of normal rat mammary epithelial cells and DMBA-induced mammary tumor cells in culture.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.197-203
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• 2001

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of crude ginseng saponin (CGS) on clinical pathological parameters in adult female guinea pigs exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). A total of 80 guinea pigs (800$\pm$20 g) were divided into 8 groups: group 1 (normal control group) was given vehicle (com oil containing small amount of acetone and DMSO) and saline; group 2 (single TCDD-treated) received TCDD (1 $\mu\textrm{g}$/kg, i.p.) and saline (i.p.); groups 3 and 4 were administered CGS at daily i.p. doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg for 4 weeks, respectively; groups 5 and 6 were administered CGS (10 and 20 mg/kg, respectively) for 5 weeks starting 1 week before TCDD-exposure; groups 7 and 8 were administered CGS (10 and 20 mg/kg, respectively) for 3 weeks from 1 week after TCDD-exposure. CGS was prepared by Diaion HP-20 adsorption chromatography. Body weight of G2 was significantly decreased from the 2nd week after TCDD-exposure (p<0.01). Body weights of the CGS-treated groups were also decreased by TCDD-exposure, but the weight loss was greatly retarded compared with that of G2. Increase in blood glucose, amylase, lipase, total cholesterol. triglyceride, AST and LDL-cholisterol levels by TCDD exposure was significantly attenuated by the CGS-treatment (p<0.05). From these results, we found that saponin the main active ingredient of ginseng, played a protective role against TCDD-induced toxicity in not only male but female guinea pigs.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.287-293
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• 2009

In this study, red ginseng extract solutions were analyzed to set up the functional saponin content and quality optimization condition. The highest saponin content among the total red ginseng extracts was 64.6 mg / 100 ml which was extracted at $75^{\circ}C$ for 18 hours. In addition, the saponin content decreased according to the increased extraction temperature and time. The highest total content of $Rb_2$ and Re was 11.8 mg / 100 ml at $75^{\circ}C$ for 12 hours which decreased according to the increased extraction temperature and time. The prosapogenin content of red ginseng extract was increased at $75^{\circ}C$ and $85^{\circ}C$ while the content decreased at $95^{\circ}C$, in which the highest prosapogenin content was 34.9 mg / 100 ml at $85^{\circ}C$ for 24 hours. The total sugar content and cloudness were increased according to the increased extraction time at $95^{\circ}C$, but pH and hue value were decreased according to the increased extracted time. The highest sweetness content was 4.0% which was found at $95^{\circ}C$ for 24 hours extract. Therefore, the most appropriate red ginseng extracting method was lower the temperature for saponin content at first time in combination with raise the temperature for taste at second time.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.17-22
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• 1984

Effects of total ginseng saponin, 20-S-protopanaxadiol saponin, 20-S-protopanaxatriol saponin and playcodon saponin on the osmotic behavior of liposomes were investigated by optical measurement. These saponins showed different activities on liposomal membrane, and cholesterol in liposomes was an important factor to this variation of saponin activities.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.155-161
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• 1983

The rates of deterioration of contractile forces of isolated hearts from ginseng component treated rats were determined. Rat papillary muscles were also used to study the influence of ginseng on the mechanical performance of heart. Rats weighing 200-300g were administered orally with ginseng ethanol extract (100mg/kg/day), ginseng total saponin (50mg/kg/day) and ginsenoside Rbl (5mg/kg/ day) for a week respectively. The isolated hearts from rats were perfused with Krebs-Henseleit solution by Langendorff perfusion apparatus. The force-velocity relation was clearly seen with the load-generator equipped isotonic shortening recording apparatus. The control group was only able to maintain 60% of their initial contractile forces after 120 minutes of perfusion, whereas ginseng ethanol extract treated group was able to sustain nearly their initial strength even after 120 minutes of perfusion. The similar effects were seen in the hearts treated with total ginseng saponin and ginsenoside Rb$_{1}$. Ginseng ethanol extract did alter mechanical performance of rat ventricular myocardium. It increased both maximum velocity(Vmax) of isotonic shortening and isometric force (P$_{0}$) and showed increased velocity of shortening significantly (P<0,05) at any one afterload.d.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.146-153
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• 2017

In this study, we isolated ginseng crude saponin (GCS) from Korean red ginseng (KRG) and determined the ginsenoside content in it to investigate the physiological and pathological effects of GCS on acute pulmonary inflammation induced by intratracheal instillation of cigarette smoke condensates (CSC) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) solution in BALB/c mice. GCS was orally administered at doses of 10 mg/kg and 25 mg/kg for 3 weeks. The recovery rate of GCS from KRG was 6.5 % and total ginsenosides from GCS was 1.13 %, and the content of Rb1 was the highest among them. Total inflammatory cells in the lung homogenates and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) increased following intratracheal administration of CSC and LPS. However, GCS administration impaired this increase. Furthermore, it inhibited the increase in leukocytes in the blood, considerably decreased neutrophils in BALF, and declined infiltration of inflammatory cells and deposition of collagen in the tracheal and alveolar tissue. In this study, GCS was found to have a protective effect against acute pulmonary inflammation and it may be beneficial in preventing various respiratory diseases.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.513-518
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• 2009

This study was carried out to investigate the changes of yield, total phenolics, saponin content and composition, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities of various fractions of fine ginseng root (Panax ginseng C.A. Mayer) by maceration method in the order of increasing polarity (hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol, and water). Butanol fraction showed the highest total saponin content compare to other fractions. Hexane fraction could harvest significantly high ginsenoside Rg2, Rg1, and Rf (p<0.05). And the contents of ginsenoside Rh1, Rg3, and Rg1 showed relatively higher in the fraction of ethyl acetate than other fractions. The system of hexane-chloroform-ethyl aceate-butanol showed relatively high content of ginsenoside Re, Rd, Rc, Rb3, and Rb1. However, the last fraction of water still remained lots of Rb2 content. The fraction of water was the highest phenolics. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryhydrazil, superoxide, and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of water fraction was higher than the other fractions. In antimicrobial activity, the fraction of hexane showed relatively high antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, and Escherichia coli. And the fractions of the chloroform and ethyl acetate showed higher antimicrobial activities than the other samples in against P. aeruginosa and S. typhimurium.