• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.475-482
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• 2013

The main active components of Panax ginseng are ginsenosides. Ginsenoside Rb1 and Rg1 are accepted as marker substances for quality control worldwide. The analytical methods currently used to detect these two compounds unfairly penalize steamed and dried (red) P. ginseng preparations, because it has a lower content of those ginsenosides than white ginseng. To manufacture red ginseng products from fresh ginseng, the ginseng roots are exposed to high temperatures for many hours. This heating process converts the naturally occurring ginsenoside Rb1 and Rg1 into artifact ginsenosides such as ginsenoside Rg3, Rg5, Rh1, and Rh2, among others. This study highlights the absurdity of the current analytical practice by investigating the time-dependent changes in the crude saponin and the major natural and artifact ginsenosides contents during simmering. The results lead us to recommend (20S)- and (20R)-ginsenoside Rg3 as new reference materials to complement the current P. ginseng preparation reference materials ginsenoside Rb1 and Rg1. An attempt has also been made to establish validated qualitative and quantitative analytical procedures for these four compounds that meet International Conference of Harmonization (ICH) guidelines for specificity, linearity, range, accuracy, precision, detection limit, quantitation limit, robustness and system suitability. Based on these results, we suggest a validated analytical procedure which conforms to ICH guidelines and equally values the contents of ginsenosides in white and red ginseng preparations.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.78-82
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• 1986

Panax ginseng seedlings were grown in vermiculite with nutrient solution different in nitrogen, phosphorus ana potassium level. Ginsenoside contents of root were investigated by high performance liquid chromatogram. Elimination or increase of one of N.P.K. increased or decreased total saponin content. Nitrogen was most effective (15.5% for-N to 8.9% for 3N) and potassium least. Similar trend was shown in each ginsenoside. According to coefficient of variation in one nutrient treatment or among all nutrient treatments ginsenoside Re was most insensitive to nutrient change and also other environmental factors and Rd most sensitive. Diol content (PD) was more variable than triol (PT) and variation of PT/PD was about half of them. Variation of ginsenoside content by nutrient change had no relation with the ginsenoside content. Similarity of ginsenoside pattern slightly decreased with the difference of saponin content by nutrient change. Root weight was significantly small only in tap water plot.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.351-358
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• 2016

Background: This study was designed to investigate whether ginsenoside Rb1 (Rb1) and compound K (CK) ameliorated insulin resistance by suppressing endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced inflammation in adipose tissue. Methods: To induce ER stress, epididymal adipose tissue from mice or differentiated 3T3 adipocytes were exposed to high glucose. The effects of Rb1 and CK on reactive oxygen species production, ER stress, TXNIP/NLRP3 inflammasome activation, inflammation, insulin signaling activation, and glucose uptake were detected by western blot, emzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, or fluorometry. Results: Rb1 and CK suppressed ER stress by dephosphorylation of $IRE1{\alpha}$ and PERK, thereby reducing TXNIP-associated NLRP3 inflammasome activation in adipose tissue. As a result, Rb1 and CK inhibited IL-$1{\beta}$ maturation and downstream inflammatory factor IL-6 secretion. Inflammatory molecules induced insulin resistance by upregulating phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 at serine residues and impairing insulin PI3K/Akt signaling, leading to decreased glucose uptake by adipocytes. Rb1 and CK reversed these changes by inhibiting ER stress-induced inflammation and ameliorating insulin resistance, thereby improving the insulin IRS-1/PI3K/Akt-signaling pathway in adipose tissue. Conclusion: Rb1 and CK inhibited inflammation and improved insulin signaling in adipose tissue by suppressing ER stress-associated NLRP3 inflammation activation. These findings offered novel insight into the mechanism by which Rb1 and CK ameliorate insulin resistance in adipose tissue.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1987.06a
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• pp.20-28
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• 1987

To clarify central mechanisms of ginsenosides, changes in ingestive and ambulatory behaviors were investigated in rats after single or continuous infusion into the third cerebroventricle or various hypothalamic loci. Following single infusion into the third cerebroventricle, ginsenoside Rbl at doses of 0.05, 0.10 and 0.20 $\mu$mol dose-dependently decreased food intake. None of the doses tested affected ambulation. Drinking suppression was only observed at the maximum dose of 0.20 $\mu$mol. Equimolar injections into the peritoneum had no effects on ingestive behavior or ambulation. These findings indicated that ginsenoside Rbl specifically and centrally inhibited food intake. According to analyses of daily feeding patterns, this feeding suppression was the result of a decrease in meal size, not from changes in the postprandial intermeal interval or eating speed. The suppressed food intake was accompanied by hyperglycemia, leaving plasma insulin unaffected. Unilateral micro injection of 0.01 u mot ginsenoside Rb, into the ventromedial hypothalamus specifically decreased food intake, although equimolar injection into the lateral hypothalamic area did not affect food intake. Following continuous infusion of Rg, into the third cerebroventricle, the feeding inhibition due to surgical operation was attenuated. Rbs administered by the same procedure abolished the toxic effect of toxohormone-L on food intake. Taken together, these findings suggest that ginsenoside as a whole may have pharmacological potency to maintain feeding at a certain physiological level.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.219-224
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• 1991

Liver protective effects of ginsenosides as well as fractions of dammarane glycosides of Panax ginseng were studied using galactosamine (GalN)-induced cytotoxicity in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Preventing effects on GalN-induced hepatotoxicity were found both microscopic observation and determination of GPT level with total dammarane glycosides fraction and $20(S)-ginsenoside-Rb_1$ as well as $20(S)-ginsenoside-Rg_1$ at the concentration of $50{\mu}g/ml$. The syntheses of both protein and RNA were significantly increased by the treatment of $50{\mu}g/ml$ of total dammarane glycoside fraction, $20(S)-ginsenoside-Rb_1$, -Rc, -Re and $-Rg_1$, respectively in both normal and GalN-induced cytotoxic hepatocytes.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.212-218
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• 1995

A human hepatoma cell line, hep G2, was used to investigate the mechanism of serum cholesterol reduction by ginseng total saponin, ginsenoside-$Rb_1$, - $Rb_2$, and non-saponin fraction (ether extraction). Hep G2 cells were incubated in 10 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml of cholesterol containing serum free-RPMl1640 medium with various concentration of ginseng components. The amounts of cholesterol in Hep G2 cells were decreased to maximum 51% in total saponin or two ginsenoside-treated groups while there was 137% increase in cholesterol level of control group as compared with that of normal group. Nonsaponin groups did not show the same effect. In order to elucidate the observed changes in the amount of cholesterol, the activity of amyl CoA : cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) in groups showing remarkable reduction in cholesterol amount, i.e., total saponin 10-6%, ginsenoside-$Rb_1$ $10^{-4}$%, ginsenoside-$Rb_2$, $10^{-4}$%, and non-saponin fraction $10^{-4}$%, was assayed using [1-$^{-14}C$%]oleic acid as enzyme substrate. The activity of ACAT was increased in all groups tested as compared with that of control group except for non-saponin group cultured in water soluble cholesterol containing medium. The serum cholesterol lowering effects of ginseng components can partially be attributed to the increased hepatocellular ACAT activity.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.215-219
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• 2007

This study was conducted to analyze not only for the quality guaranteed of red ginseng but also for the minor ginsenosides. Although several studies have reported to analyze ginseng saponins, those were focused to major saponins, including 6 to 7 ginsenosides. As increase of interest in medicinal effect of ginseng products, anasis of various ginsenosides in both red and white ginseng are strongly demanded. To perform optital condition of 12 ginsenoside analysis, We controlled HPLC conditions, such as the gradient elution of the mobile phase. We found the adequate separation method for 12 ginse-nosides. The optimum condition was as following : H$_2$O/CH$_3$CN ratios were 82/18, 70/30, 55/45 and 50/50, respectively. Sol-vent flow rate was 1.00 ma/min. Column temperature was kept to 35$^{\circ}$C. UV detector was set to 203 nm.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.37 no.4 s.147
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• pp.217-220
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• 2006

This study compared the contents of ginsenoside according to the extract conditions of red ginseng to provide basic information for developing functional food using red ginseng. According to the result, the content of crude saponin was highest in 72 hours of extraction at $82^{\circ}C$ (RG-823). The content of prosapogenin (ginsenoside $Rh_1,\;Rh_2,\;Rg_2,\;Rg_3$) was highest in 48 hours of extraction, and followed by 72 and 24 hours at $82^{\circ}C$. And at $93^{\circ}C$ the prosapogenin contents were highest in the order of 48 hours, and next in 24 and 72 hours. In addition, ginsenoside $Rb_1,\;Rb_2$ Rc and Re were not detected in 72 hours of extraction at $93^{\circ}C$ (RG-933) presumedly due to hydrolysis, but ginsenoside Rd, Rf and $Rg_1$ were detected as long as 72 hours of extraction. These results show that protopanaxatriol group is relatively more resistant to heat than protopanaxadiol group.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.86-92
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• 2007

This study was carried out to develop health & functional food by using Korean red ginseng for prevention of skin wrinkles. Effects of Korean red ginseng on the collagen biosynthesis and inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-I (MMP-1) activity in human dermal fibroblast were investigated. Crude saponin contents of Korean red ginseng water extract (WE), Korean red ginseng ethanol extracts (EE) and Korean Red ginseng purified extracts (PE) were 72 mg/g, 107 mg/g and 220 mg/g, respectively. We incubated human fibroblast cell with Korean red ginseng component by addition of l ${\mu}g/ml$, 5 ${\mu}g/ml$, 10 ${\mu}g/ml$. Amount of collagen biosynthesis was 1.86 ng/ml in control sample and 2.85 ng/ml, 2.05 ng/ml and 2.58 ng/ml in retinoic acid, EE and PE respectively. Furthermore, $ginsenoside-Rg_1$ and $ginsenoside-Rb_1$ were shown 2.01 ng/ml and 3.07 ng/ml. MMP-l activities of EE, PE, $ginsenoside-Rg_1$ and $ginsenoside-Rb_1$ were decreased to 92%, 94%, 91% and 78% respectively as compared with control. Cell proliferation were showed 84-96% in the Korean red ginseng components. The antioxidative SOD activities of the Korean red ginseng components were showed 28-69%, however it was lower than that of Vitamin C. From this results, we conclude that Korean red ginseng have a anti-wrinkle effect and $ginsenoside-Rb_1$ may be considered as a more effective component.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.168-174
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• 2010

Ethanol and water extracts of white and fermented ginseng were prepared and their ginsenoside composition and antioxidant effects were assessed. The main ginsenosides in white ginseng were $Rb_1$ > Re > $Rg_1$, and those in fermented ginseng were $Rb_2+Rb_3$ > Rd > $Rg_1$. Ginsenosides Rd and $Rg_3$ in fermented ginseng were enriched 11 and 58 times, respectively, over that in white ginseng through fermentation with five Bacillus spp. The greatest levels of 2-deoxyribose and superoxide anion dismutase-like activities were found in 50% ethanol extracts of fermented ginseng. Thus, these data suggest that white ginseng has the greatest free radical scavenging activity and that fermented ginseng has the highest antioxidant activity.