• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.72-76
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• 1980

The present studies were carried out to develope a simple quantitative analysis for saponins in ginseng by hemolysis. Erythrocytes from pig, rabbit, human and cattle were useful for this purpose. Erythrocytes could be stored at $4^{\circ}C$for 9 days without altering the sensitivity to saponins. Ginsenoside-Rb_1 did hemolysis, but Ginsenoside-Re protected erythrocytes from hemolysis. The following formula is proposed for calculation of saponins from ginseng extract: X=120$\mu$g $\times$$V_2/V_1$

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.319-328
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• 2023

Background: Demyelination has been observed in neurological disorders, motivating researchers to search for components for enhancing remyelination. Previously we found that Rb1, a major ginsenoside in Korean Red Ginseng (KRG), enhances myelin formation. However, it has not been studied whether Rb1 or KRG function in remyelination after demyelination in vivo. Methods: Mice were fed 0.2% cuprizone-containing chow for 5 weeks and returned to normal chow with daily oral injection of vehicle, KRG, or Rb1 for 3 weeks. Brain sections were stained with luxol fast blue (LFB) staining or immunohistochemistry. Primary oligodendrocyte or astrocyte cultures were subject to normal or stress condition with KRG or Rb1 treatment to measure gene expressions of myelin, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, antioxidants and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). Results: Compared to the vehicle, KRG or Rb1 increased myelin levels at week 6.5 but not 8, when measured by the LFB⁺ or GST-pi⁺ area within the corpus callosum. The levels of oligodendrocyte precursor cells, astrocytes, and microglia were high at week 5, and reduced afterwards but not changed by KRG or Rb1. In primary oligodendrocyte cultures, KRG or Rb1 increased expression of myelin genes, ER stress markers, and antioxidants. Interestingly, under cuprizone treatment, elevated ER stress markers were counteracted by KRG or Rb1. Under rotenone treatment, reduced myelin gene expressions were recovered by Rb1. In primary astrocyte cultures, KRG or Rb1 decreased LIF expression. Conclusion: KRG and Rb1 may improve myelin regeneration during the remyelination phase in vivo, potentially by directly promoting myelin gene expression.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.1206-1215
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• 2016

Ginsenosides are the major active ingredients in ginseng used for human therapeutic plant medicines. One of the most well-known probiotic bacteria among the various strains on the functional food market is Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. Biocatalytic methods using probiotic enzymes for producing deglycosylated ginsenosides such as Rd have a growing significance in the functional food industry. The addition of 2% cellobiose (w/v) to glucose-free de Man-Rogosa-Sharpe broths notably induced β-glucosidase production from L. rhamnosus GG. Enzyme production and activity were optimized at a pH, temperature, and cellobiose concentration of 6.0, 40℃, and 2% (w/v), respectively. Under these controlled conditions, β-glucosidase production in L. rhamnosus GG was enhanced by 25-fold. Additionally, whole-cell homogenates showed the highest β-glucosidase activity when compared with disrupted cell suspensions; the cell disruption step significantly decreased the β-glucosidase activity. Based on the optimized enzyme conditions, whole-cell L. rhamnosus GG was successfully used to convert ginsenoside Rb1 into Rd.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.61-67
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• 1979

Two pure saponin components, Panax saponin C (protopanaxatriol derivative, ginsenoside Re) and Panax saponin E (protopanaxadiol derivative, ginsenoside $Rb_l$) were isolated from Panax ginseng root and their acute toxicities in mice and antistress effects in rats were investigated. Average lethal doses $(LD_{50})$ of ginsenoside Re were 130mg/kg (i.v.), more than 1,000mg/kg (i.p.) and more than 1,500mg/kg (s.c.), respectively. Average lethal dose of ginsenoside $Rb_{1}$ was 243mg/kg intravenously. Adrenal ascorbic acid and cholesterol contents were significantly decreased when normal rats were exposed to heat $(40^{\circ}C)$ for 30 min. The reduction of the adrenal ascorbic acid and cholesterol contents in rats was partially prevented when the rats received the ginseng saponins prior to exposure to heat stress and most pronounced effects were observed in rats received ginsenoside Re. However, it was found that administration of ginseng alone, without stress, did not significantly change the ascorbic acid and cholesterol contents in adrenal glands. Eosinophil counts in the blood of the rats were elevated when the rats were exposed to the heat stress, and the elevation of the eosinophil counts were prevented with the ginseng saponins under the stress, but the changes were all insignificant statistically.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.23-28
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• 2000

To develop a dry alcohol containing red ginseng extract, dry alcohols composed of ethanol, water, dextrin and sodium lauryl sulfate were prepared using spray dryer, and their ethanol contents and encapsulation efficiencies were determined. An optimal dry alcohol containing red ginseng extract was chosen and the feeling for its oral administration was evaluated. Dextrin at dextrin/water weight ratios below 1.6/l and ethanol at ethanol/water weight ratios below 1/1 remarkably Increased both the ethanol contents and encapsulation efficiencies of dry alcohols. However dextrin at dextrin/water weight ratios above 1.6/1 and ethanol at ethanol/water weight ratios above 1/1 slightly decreased the both parameters. It might be due to the low solubility of dextrin in ethanol and limited diffusion coefficient of ethanol to the dextrin shell. furthermore, 0.5% (w/w) sodium lauryl sulfate gave the maximum ethanol content of dry alcohol. The more increased amounts of red ginseng extract were added, the more increased amounts of ginsenoside Rb1 but the more decreased amounts of ethanol were encapsulated in dry alcohols. A dry alcohol containing red ginseng extract was prepared with dextrin/ethanol/water (1/1/1, w/w/w) mixed solution, in which 0.5% (w/w) sodium lauryl sulfate and 20% (w/w) red ginseng extract were dissolved. It contained the ethanol contents of31.17$\pm$ 1.33% (w/w) and ginsenoside Rbl of 243.0$\pm$7.0 $\mu$g/g. It gave the moderate taste of red ginseng extract at Its oral administration with or without water Thus, the dry alcohol containing red ginseng extract can be further developed as a more convenient dosage form for red ginseng extract.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.562-570
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• 2018

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In this study, we used a bioactivity-guided isolation technique to identify constituents of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) with antiproliferative activity against human lung adenocarcinoma cells. Methods: Bioactivity-guided fractionation and preparative/semipreparative HPLC purification were used with LC/MS analysis to separate the bioactive constituents. Cell viability and apoptosis in human lung cancer cell lines (A549, H1264, H1299, and Calu-6) after treatment with KRG extract fractions and constituents thereof were assessed using the water-soluble tetrazolium salt (WST-1) assay and terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, respectively. Caspase activation was assessed by detecting its surrogate marker, cleaved poly adenosine diphosphate (ADP-ribose) polymerase, using an immunoblot assay. The expression and subcellular localization of apoptosis-inducing factor were assessed using immunoblotting and immunofluorescence, respectively. Results and conclusion: Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the KRG extract revealed that its ethyl acetate-soluble fraction exerts significant cytotoxic activity against all human lung cancer cell lines tested by inducing apoptosis. Chemical investigation of the ethyl acetatesoluble fraction led to the isolation of six ginsenosides, including ginsenoside Rb1 (1), ginsenoside Rb2 (2), ginsenoside Rc (3), ginsenoside Rd (4), ginsenoside Rg1 (5), and ginsenoside Rg3 (6). Among the isolated ginsenosides, ginsenoside Rg3 exhibited the most cytotoxic activity against all human lung cancer cell lines examined, with $IC_{50}$ values ranging from $161.1{\mu}M$ to $264.6{\mu}M$. The cytotoxicity of ginsenoside Rg3 was found to be mediated by induction of apoptosis in a caspase-independent manner. These findings provide experimental evidence for a novel biological activity of ginsenoside Rg3 against human lung cancer cells.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.171-177
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• 1990

Using an ethopharmacological technique, we demonstrated that saponin fraction from red ginseng root possessed a potent psychotropic actions on either intermale or maternal aggression models. A series of experiments clearly indicated that one of psychoactive ingredient is ginsenoside Rbl. Although a drug-induced debilitation of motor performance remains a possible cause of the antiaggressive affect of the drug. ginsenoside Rbl did not alter the locomotor activity of the mice during agonistic confrontations. Thus. one can eliminate the possibility that the psychotropic effect of ginsenoside Rbl might be concealed by a drug-induced impairment of motor performance. More recently, we developed a nevi model for copulatory disorder and introduced into the behavioral analysis of drug action. Male mice which has been housed individually from weaning for 5 weeks failed to manifest copulatory behavior when they encountered with the sexually receptive females. Daily administration of crude ginseng saponin during isolation housing period prevented the development of copulatory disorder, whereas both ginsenoside Rbl and Rgl were ineffective. A further experiment may be needed to explore active ingredient of ginseng saponins.

• 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.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.23-24
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• 2007

Purpose: 인삼이 항당뇨 활성을 가진다는 연구가 많은 연구자들에 의해 진행되었고, 이는 인삼의 구성 성분 중 ginsenoside에 기인한다는 보고가 있다. 본 연구는 ginsenoside의 항당뇨 작용기전을 in vitro에서 알아보고자 3T3-L1 지방세포에서 glucose uptake와 췌장 베타세포인 HIT-T15 세포에서 insulin 분비 효과를 확인하였다. 이를 위하여 인삼을 식초로 처리한 긴삼의 70% MeOH 분획으로부터 protopanaxadiol 계인 ginsenoside $Rb_2$, $Rg_3$ 그리고 protopanaxtriol 계인 $Rg_2$를 분리하여 본 실험에 사용하였다. Method: Ginsenoside $Rb_2$, $Rg_2$, $Rg_3$가 지방 세포에서 glucose uptake에 미치는 효과를 확인하기 위하여 3T3-L1 세포를 DMEM (Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium) 배지에서 분화 유도시켰으며 3T3-L1 preadipocyte가 80% 정도 자라면 분화 유도 배지 (5% fetal bovine serum (FBS), 0.5 mM isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX), 1 mM dexamethasone 그리고 $10{\mu}g/ml$ insulin가 포함된 DMEM)로 4일, $10{\mu}g/ml$ insulin가 포함된 DMEM으로 2일, FBS만 포함된 DMEM으로 2일 배양하여 총 8일 동안 분화를 유도하였다. 분화 유도된 3T3-L1 adipocytes 에 각각 $Rb_2$, $Rg_2$, $Rg_3$를 $20{\mu}M$로 처리하여 16시간 배양하여 low glucose DMEM에서 3시간 배양한 후에 $37^{\circ}C$에서 insulin 10 ng/ml 과 각각 $Rb_2$, $Rg_2$, $Rg_3$가 포함된 Krebs Ringer Hepes buffer(KRP buffer)에서 20분간 배양하였다. 2-deoxy-D-[$^3H$]-glucose를 넣고 10분 후에 차가운 PBS로 반응을 종결시켜 lysis buffer로 cell을 모은 후 scintillation counter를 이용하여 glucose를 측정하였다. Insulin 분비 효과는 HIT-T15 세포와 일차 배양한 흰쥐 소도세포(islets)를 사용하여 확인하였다. HIT-T15 세포는 24 well plate에 well 당 $2{\times}10^5$ 개씩 분주하여 24시간 동안 배양한 후 시료를 처리하였으며 소도 세포는 Sprague-Dawley rat의 췌장에 collagenase가 포함된 Hanks' Balanced Salt Solution(HBSS)을 주입하여 분리하고 islets을 얻었다. 분리한 소도세포를 $1{\sim}2$일 동안 배양하여 $Rb_2$, $Rg_2$, $Rg_3$가 각각 $20{\mu}M$의 농도로 첨가된 insulin 측정용 buffer인 Krebs-Ringer buffer (KRB+0.3% BSA, KRBB)에 $37^{\circ}C$에서 1시간 incubation 시킨 후 배양액으로 분비된 인슐린의 양을 측정하였다. 한편 ginsenoside의 인슐린 분비 촉진 기전을 알아보기 위한 실험에서는 ATP-sensitive $K^+$ channel opener인 diazoxide (0.5 mM)가 ginsenoside에 의해 촉진된 인슐린 분비를 억제하는지 살펴보았다. Result: glucose uptake assay 에서는 $Rg_2$가 가장 크게 glucose uptake를 증가시켰고 $Rb_2$, $Rg_3$는 그 활성이 크지 않았다. 한편 Insulin 분비 효과는 diol계인 $Rg_3$에서 용량 의존적으로 인슐린의 분비를 촉진시켰으며 $20{\mu}M$ 농도에서 대조군과 비교해 1.5배 이상의 분비 촉진 효과를 보였고 triol계인 $Rg_2$ 에서는 이러한 효과가 나타나지 않았다. $Rg_3$의 인슐린 분비 촉진 기전을 0.5 mM 의 diazoxide를 이용하여 확인한 결과 $Rg_3$에 의해 촉진된 인슐린 분비를 감소시켰다. 이로 미루어보아 $Rg_3$의 인슐린 분비 촉진 기전은 ATP-sensitive $K^+$ 채널의 봉쇄에 의한 것임을 확인할 수 있었다.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.361-369
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• 2017

Background: The chemical constituents of Panax ginseng are changed by processing methods such as steaming or sun drying. In the present study, the chemical change of Panax ginseng induced by steaming was monitored in situ. Methods: Samples were separated from the same ginseng root by incision during the steaming process, for in situ monitoring. Sampling was sequentially performed in three stages; FG (fresh ginseng) ${\rightarrow}$ SG (steamed ginseng) ${\rightarrow}$ RG (red ginseng) and 60 samples were prepared and freeze dried. The samples were then analyzed to determine 43 constituents among three stages of P. ginseng. Results: The results showed that six malonyl-ginsenoside (Rg1, Rb1, Rb3, Rc, Rd, Rb2) and 15 amino acids were decreased in concentration during the steaming process. In contrast, ginsenoside-Rh1, 20(S)-Rg2, 20(S, R)-Rg3 and Maillard reaction product such as AF (arginine-fructose), AFG (arginine-fructose-glucose), and maltol were newly generated or their concentrations were increased. Conclusion: This study elucidates the dynamic changes in the chemical components of P. ginseng when the steaming process was induced. These results are thought to be helpful for quality control and standardization of herbal drugs using P. ginseng and they also provide a scientific basis for pharmacological research of processed ginseng (Red ginseng).