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

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.342-349
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• 1984

In order to obtain the basic information for the development of ginseng varieties with high saponin contents. saponin contents and ginsenosides of Panax ginseng (Korean ginseng) and Panax quinquefolium (American ginseng) grown under the same environmental conditions were analysed. Crude saponin contents of root and aerial parts were more in Panax quinquefolium than in Panax ginseng, and aerial parts had more saponin contents in comparison with a root. Protopanaxatriol saponin was greatly more in the aerial parts of ginseng while more amount of protopanaxadiol saponins were detected in the root. As for the ginsenosides, the patterns of ginsenosides detected in total saponin of the aerial parts were not different between two species, Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolium, but the root ginsenoside patterns were quite different. Ginsenosides such as Rg$_2$, R$_{f}$. R$_{a}$ and R$_{o}$ were not detected in the root of Panax quinquefolium (American ginseng).).).).

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 1999

The experiments were carried out to determine the optimum conditions for the induction of hairy roots in ginseng(Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) by Agrobacterium spp. We were examined the antibiotics resistance of Agrobacterium spp and various ginseng parts, and the media for induction of hairy roots. The optimum concentration of NaOCl for sterilization of ginseng root segments without tissue damage with reduce of contamination was 7% NaOCl for 15-20 min and 9% NaOCl for 5 min, respectively. The more ginseng ages, the more contamination of ginseng root segment by sterilized in 7% NaOCl for 20 min, and especially in ginseng root segments with epidermis in six-year old roots. The growth of Agrobacterium spp were inhibited, but ginseng root segments was death in 30mg/L tetracycline. In 500mg/L cefotaxime or 500mg/L carbenicillin, the growth of Agrobacterium sup were inhibited, and root segments was grown normally. The optimum conditions for induction of hairy roots were using the root segments of three-year old ginseng cultured in 1/2MS medium supplemented with 500mg/L cefotaxime, and inoculation of Agrobacterium to root segments were better co-culture than smear method. After 2 weeks co-culture, the callus induced in cambium of root segments cultured in 1/2MS solid medium with 500mg/L cefotaxime. And then after 2 weeks, ginseng hairy roots were induced in callus of root segments. PCR analysis of rot C gene fragment confirmed that hairy roots were transgenic tissues.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.563-569
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• 2020

Background: White ginseng consists of the roots and rhizomes of the Panax species, and red ginseng is made by steaming and drying white ginseng. While red ginseng has both polar and nonpolar ginsenosides, previous studies showed white ginseng to have only polar ginsenosides. Because nonpolar ginsenosides are formed through the manufacture of red ginseng from white ginseng, researchers have generally thought that nonpolar ginsenosides do not exist in white ginseng. Methods: We developed a simultaneous quantitative method for six nonpolar ginsenosides in white ginseng using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with integrated pulsed amperometric detection. The nonpolar ginsenosides of white ginseng were extracted for 4 h under reflux with 50% methanol. Results: Using the gradient elution system, all target components were completely separated within 50 min. Nonpolar ginsenosides were determined in the rhizome head (RH), main root (MR), lateral root, and hairy root (HR) of 6-year-old white ginseng samples obtained from several regions (Geumsan, Punggi, and Kanghwa). The total content in the HR of white ginseng was 37.8-56.8% of that in the HR of red ginseng. The total content in the MR of white ginseng was 5.9-24.3% of that in the MR of red ginseng. In addition, the total content in the RH of white ginseng was 28.5-35.8% of that in the HR of red ginseng Conclusion: It was confirmed that nonpolar ginsenosides known to be specific components of red ginseng were present at substantial concentrations in the HR or RH of white ginseng.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.187-195
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• 1997

The Chinese ginseng roots were collected at twelve places of Jilin Province and two places of Liaoning Province in China and their appearances were compared with those of the Korean ginseng roots. The color of the most of the Chinese red ginseng was brown or dark brown and the color of many of the Chinese dried ginseng was pale yellow and the root-age of the most of the Chinese red ginseng as well as the Chinese dried ginseng was evaluated five or six year regardless of the collection places, so it cannot be easily concluded that the color and the root-age of the Chinese ginseng roots are different from those of the Korean ginseng roots. However the rhizomes and the lateral roots of the Chinese ginseng roots were poorly developed and many of them did not have either rhizome or lateral roots. Moreover the rhizomes of the Chinese red ginseng as well as the Chinese dried ginseng were much more easily removed than those of the Korean red ginseng and the Korean white ginseng. Therefore it is thought that the development status of the rhizome and the lateral roots of the Chinese ginseng roots are quite different from those of the Korean ginseng roots.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.183-187
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• 1991

Effect of ginseng hairy and native roots on body absorption, fecal and urinary excretion of Ingested radiostrontium were investigated in the mouse(NIH-strain, male) treated with or without pre-feeding of each ginseng soluble fraction. The test groups were fed with basic diet supplemented with 1% each ginseng soluble fraction for 7 darts before the radiostrontium were administered by intragastric intubation. In the groups of treated with soluble fraction from ginseng hairy roots, the radioactivities of fecal and urinary excretion increased about 15% over than that of control groups and the whole body retention were about 38%. In the groups of treated with soluble fraction from native ginseng roots, the radioactivities of fecal and urinary excretion increased about 25% over than that of control groups and the whole body retention were about 28%. Also, the levels of radiostrontium accumulation retained significantly the higher percent in skeletons than in other organs.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.220-228
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• 2024

Background: Panax ginseng, one of the valuable perennial medicinal plants, stores numerous pharmacological substrates in its storage roots. Given its perennial growth habit, organ regeneration occurs each year, and cambium stem cell activity is necessary for secondary growth and storage root formation. Cytokinin (CK) is a phytohormone involved in the maintenance of meristematic cells for the development of storage organs; however, its physiological role in storage-root secondary growth remains unknown. Methods: Exogenous CK was repeatedly applied to P. ginseng, and morphological and histological changes were observed. RNA-seq analysis was used to elucidate the transcriptional network of CK that regulates P. ginseng growth and development. The HISTIDINE KINASE 3 (PgHK3) and RESPONSE REGULATOR 2 (PgRR2) genes were cloned in P. ginseng and functionally analyzed in Arabidopsis as a two-component system involved in CK signaling. Results: Phenotypic and histological analyses showed that CK increased cambium activity and dormant axillary bud formation in P. ginseng, thus promoting storage-root secondary growth and bud formation. The evolutionarily conserved two-component signaling pathways in P. ginseng were sufficient to restore CK signaling in the Arabidopsis ahk2/3 double mutant and rescue its growth defects. Finally, RNA-seq analysis of CK-treated P. ginseng roots revealed that plant-type cell wall biogenesis-related genes are tightly connected with mitotic cell division, cytokinesis, and auxin signaling to regulate CK-mediated P. ginseng development. Conclusion: Overall, we identified the CK signaling-related two-component systems and their physiological role in P. ginseng. This scientific information has the potential to significantly improve the field-cultivation and biotechnology-based breeding of ginseng.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.217-223
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• 2017

Background: In Korea, 6-year-old ginseng root is economically more important than 4 or 5-year-old roots. In general, the root age is determined by counting the number of stem vestiges. However, this method does not accurately estimate ginseng root age. Methods and Results: In this study, the stem vestige counting method was used to survey a total of 18,395 fresh ginsengs cultured in 2014, and 2015, to determine the accuracy of this method. The proportion of 6-year-old roots, with more than four stem vestiges, was 46.1% in 2014. For the cultivar Chunpoong cultivated in Eumseong and Goesan countries in 2015, the proportion of more than four stem vestiges was 55.9%, and 43.5%, respectively. The proportion of more than four stem vestiges for the Gumpoong cultivated in Eumseong and Yangpyeong countries was 67.0%, and 35.1%, respectively, whereas that for the cultivar Yunpoong was 36.0% and 61.0%, respectively. Moreover, it was confirmed that differences in the levels of Rg1 will enable root age determination. Conclusions: Root age determination by the stem vestige test was found to differ depending on the environmental and cultivation conditions. To determine the age of ginseng roots, a comprehensive method, such as counting stem vestiges and evaluating differences in ginsenoside levels, should be applied.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2022

Ginseng is an important medicinal plant cultivated in East Asia for thousands of years. It is typically cultivated in the same field for 4 to 6 years and is exposed to a variety of pathogens. Among them, ginseng root rot is the main reason that leads to the most severe losses. In this study, endophytic bacteria were isolated from healthy ginseng, and endophytes with antagonistic effect against ginseng root rot pathogens were screened out. Among the 17 strains, three carried antagonistic effect, and were resistant to radicicol that is a mycotoxin produced by ginseng root rot pathogens. Finally, Bacillus velezensis CH-15 was selected due to excellent antagonistic effect and radicicol resistance. When CH-15 was inoculated on ginseng root, it not only inhibited the mycelial growth of the pathogen, but also inhibited the progression of disease. CH-15 also carried biosynthetic genes for bacillomycin D, iturin A, bacilysin, and surfactin. In addition, CH-15 culture filtrate significantly inhibited the growth and conidial germination of pathogens. This study shows that endophytic bacterium CH-15 had antagonistic effect on ginseng root rot pathogens and inhibited the progression of ginseng root rot. We expected that this strain can be a microbial agent to suppress ginseng root rot.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.192-196
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• 2011

Microbial induction of rusty-root was proved in this study. The enzymes hydrolyzing plant structural materials, including pectinase, pectolyase, ligninase, and cellulase, caused the rusty-root in ginseng. Pectinase and pectolyase produced the highest rusty-color formation. Ferrous ion ($Fe^{+++}$) caused the synergistic effect on rusty-root formation in ginseng when it was used with pectinase. The effect of ferric ion ($Fe^{++}$) on rusty-root formation was slow, compared with $Fe^{+++}$, probably due to gradual oxidation to $Fe^{+++}$. Other metal ions including the ferric ion ($Fe^{++}$) did not affect rusty-root formation. The endophytic bacteria Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Lysobacter gummosus, Pseudomonas veronii, Pseudomonas marginalis, Rhodococcus erythropolis, and Rhodococcus globerulus, and the rotten-root forming phytophathogenic fungus Cylindrocarpon destructans, caused rusty-root. The polyphenol formation (rusty color) was not significantly different between microorganisms. The rotten-root-forming C. destructans produced large quantities of external cellulase activity (${\approx}2.3$ U[${\mu}m$/min/mg protein]), which indicated the pathogenecity of the fungus, whereas the bacteria produced 0.1-0.7 U. The fungal external pectinase activities (0.05 U) and rusty-root formation activity were similar to those of the bacteria. In this report, we proved that microbial hydrolyzing enzymes caused rusty-root (Hue value $15^{\circ}$) of ginseng, and ferrous ion worsened the symptom.