• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.343-348
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• 2009

This study was conducted to produce a new red ginseng by steaming ginseng using a new pre-treatment method, so as to develop ginseng products with improved flavor and thereby expand ginseng's consumer base. The color parameters (Hunter value), free sugar contents, and ginsenoside contents of the powder from the dried red ginseng, and the sensory test of the semi-dried red ginseng and the decoction from the dried red ginseng, were measured to investigate the effect of acid (ascorbic acid or citric acid) impregnation pre-treatment on red ginseng. The powder from the acid-pretreated red ginseng became lighter and more yellow than the red ginseng that was not pre-treated, but the redness (avalue) of the powder from the acid-pre-treated red ginseng increased. The ginsenoside contents of $Rg_2+Rh_1$ and $Rg_3$ increased with the acid treatment. There was a significant difference in the color and sweetness of the semi-dried acidtreated and non-treated red ginsengs in the sensory test. As the results of the sensory test were expressed in the hedonic scale, however, there were significant differences in the degrees of bitterness, astringency, sourness, odor, and color of the red ginseng decollation. Especially, the acid-treated red ginseng extract tasted less bitter, which shows the potential of new red ginseng products with improved ginseng flavor.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.528-534
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• 2011

This study was conducted to investigate the changes in saponin content and antioxidant activity of crude ginseng and extruded ginseng by using different solvent extraction methods. Each of the fractions was first extracted by 80% ethanol followed by ether treatment to remove the lipid components. Water soluble components were separated by ethylacetate and water saturated butanol. Four fraction, including 80% ethanol, ethylacetate, butanol and water were obtained from crude and extruded ginsengs to analyze saponin content and antioxidant activity. Saponin content and antioxidant capacity of each of the four fractions were measured by LC/MS analysis and ORAC(Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) assay, respectively. It was found that a major portion of saponin was present in ethyl acetate and water saturated butanol fractions. When extracted by 80% ethanol, ginsenoside Rb1 and Rg1 were mostly found in crude ginseng, while ginsenoside Re and Rb1 were detected in extruded ginseng. Even though Rh1 and Rg3 were found in a very small quantity in crude ginseng, there was a significant quantity of both in extruded ginseng when extracted by 80% ethanol. Similar tendency was also observed in extruded ginseng fraction when extracted with ethyl acetate and butanol. In crude ginseng, the level of Rg1 was the highest among other ginsenosides upon extraction by ethyl acetate, while Rh1 and Rg3 were predominantly found by employing similar solvent extraction in the extruded ginseng. Also, Rg1, Re and Rb1 were also found in the extruded ginseng with small quantity. Rg1, Re and Rb1 were found in crude ginseng by butanol extraction, while Rb1 and Re were extracted from the extruded ginseng. Overall, there was no difference in the saponin content between crude ginseng and extruded ginseng when extracted by butanol and water, but twice as much of saponin was obtained by 80% ethanol extraction and 6 times more saponin were obtained in ethyl acetate fraction in the extruded ginseng. Antioxidant capacity of crude ginseng as determined by ORAC assay was higher in 80% ethanol(high in many different kinds of biological compounds) and water saturated butanol(high in polar saponin) fractions than the ethyl acetate and water fractions. No difference in antioxidant capacity was observed between crude and extruded ginseng. However, antioxidant capacity of ethyl acetate and water fractions in extruded ginseng was significantly higher than crude ginseng($P$ >0.05). All the fractions in both, crude and extruded ginseng possessed antioxidant capacity and even water fractions that contained almost no saponin had some antioxidant capacity. While determining correlation coefficient between fractions in extruded ginseng by Pearson correlation, it was observed that 80% ethanol fraction was in correlation with ethyl acetate($P$ >0.01) and ethanol($P$ >0.001) and in the case of ethylacetate, correlation was observed only with butanol fraction($P$ >0.05).

• 한국약용작물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.287.2-287.2
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• 2007

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.435-443
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• 2017

Panax ginseng is one of the most universally used herbal medicines in Asian and Western countries. Most of the biological activities of ginseng are derived from its main constituents, ginsenosides. Interestingly, a number of studies have reported that ginsenosides and their metabolites/derivatives-including ginsenoside (G)-Rb1, compound K, G-Rb2, G-Rd, G-Re, G-Rg1, G-Rg3, G-Rg5, G-Rh1, G-Rh2, and G-Rp1-exert anti-inflammatory activities in inflammatory responses by suppressing the production of proinflammatory cytokines and regulating the activities of inflammatory signaling pathways, such as nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ and activator protein-1. This review discusses recent studies regarding molecular mechanisms by which ginsenosides play critical roles in inflammatory responses and diseases, and provides evidence showing their potential to prevent and treat inflammatory diseases.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1109-1114
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• 2008

To understand the role of intestinal microflora in the biological effect of functional herbs, which have been used in Korea, Japan, and China as traditional medicines, and suggest new bioactive compounds transformed from herbal constituents, the metabolic activities of the functional herb components (ginsenoside Rb1, crocin, amygdalin, geniposide, puerarin, ginsenoside Re, poncirin, hesperidin, glycyrrhizin, and baicalin) toward their bioactive compounds (compound K, crocetin, benzaldehyde, genipin, daidzein, ginsenoside Rh1, ponciretin, hesperetin, 18b-glycyrrhetic acid, and baicalein) were measured in fecal specimens. The metabolic activities of these components were $882.7{\pm}814.5$, $3,938.1{\pm}2,700.8$, $2,375.5{\pm}913.7$, $1,179.4{\pm}795.7$, $24.6{\pm}10.5$, $11.4{\pm}10.8$, $578.8{\pm}206.1$, $1,150.0{\pm}266.1$, $47.3{\pm}58.6$, and $12,253.0{\pm}6,527.6\;{\mu}mol/h/g$, respectively. No differences were found in the metabolic activities of the tested components between males and females, although these metabolic activities between individuals are extensively different. The metabolites of functional herb components showed more potent cytotoxicity against tumor cells than nonmetabolites. These findings suggest that intestinal microflora may activate the pharmacological effect of herbal food and medicines and must be the biocatalytic converter for the transformation of herbal components to bioactive compounds.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.106-110
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• 2016

Ginseng, a traditional herbal drug, has been used in Eastern Asia for more than 2000 years. Various ginsenosides, which are the major bioactive components of ginseng products, have been shown to exert numerous beneficial effects on the human body when co-administered with drugs. However, this may give rise to ginsenoside-drug interactions, which is an important research consideration. In this study, acassette assay was performed the inhibitory effects of 12 ginsenosides on seven cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms in human liver microsomes (HLMs) using LC-MS/MS to predict the herb-drug interaction. After incubation of the 12 ginsenosides with seven cocktail CYP probes, the generated specific metabolites were quantified by LC-MS/MS to determine their activities. Ginsenoside Rb1 and F2 showed strong selective inhibitory effect on CYP2C9-catalyzed diclofenac 4'-hydroxylation and CYP2B6-catalyzed bupropion hydroxylation, respectively. Ginsenosides Rd showed weak inhibitory effect on the activities of CYP2B6, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, 3A4, and compound K, while ginsenoside Rg3 showed weak inhibitory effects on CYP2B6. Other ginsenosides, Rc, Rf, Rg1, Rh1, Rf, and Re did not show significant inhibitory effects on the activities of the seven CYPs in HLM. Owing to the poor absorption of ginsenosides after oral administration in vivo, ginsenosides may not have significant side effects caused by interaction with other drugs.

• 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.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.227-236
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• 2010

The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential use of ginseng leaf as a cosmetic material. In this research, we employed enzymatic treated ginseng leaf by using Ultraflo L to improve the recovery of ginsenosides from the ginseng leaf and studied the biological activities and skin safety of the enzymatic treated ginseng leaf for use as a cosmetic material. The total ginsenoside contents of the non-enzymatic treated ginseng leaf (NEGL) and Ultraflo L treated ginseng leaf (UTGL) were 271 and 406 mg/g, respectively. The level of metabolite ginsenosides (sum of Rg2, Rg3, Rg5, Rk1, compound K, Rh1, Rh2, and F2) was higher in UTGL (93.1 mg) compared to NEGL (62.4 mg) in one gram ginseng leaf extract. The increase in amounts of ginsenoside types in UTGL compared to NEGL was generally 140% to 157%. UTGL exhibited relatively higher 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl hydrate ($IC_{50}$, 2.8 mg/mL) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt ($IC_{50}$, 1.6 mg/mL) radical scavenging activities compared to NEGL (4.8 mg/mL and 2.2 mg/mL). The UTGL group showed normalized hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxidation and visual wrinkling grade induced-UVB exposure. The UTGL did not induce any adverse reactions such as erythema and edema on intact skin sites; however, some guinea pigs treated with UTGL on abraded skin sites showed very slight erythema. The primary irritation index (PII) score of UTGL was 0.05 and it was classified as a practically non-irritating material (PII, 0 to 0.5). In skin sensitization tests with guinea pigs, UTGL had a positive rate of skin sensitization at 40%, and the mean evaluation score was 0.4.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.1057-1063
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• 2011

Herein, a novel ginsenosidase, named ginsenosidase type IV, hydrolyzing 6-O-multi-glycosides of protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides (PPT), such as Re, R1, Rf, and Rg2, was isolated from the Aspergillus sp. 39g strain, purified, and characterized. Ginsenosidase type IV was able to hydrolyze the 6-O-${\alpha}$-L-($1{\rightarrow}2$)-rhamnoside of Re and the 6-O-${\beta}$-D-($1{\rightarrow}2$)-xyloside of R1 into ginsenoside Rg1. Subsequently, it could hydrolyze the 6-O-${\beta}$-D-glucoside of Rg1 into F1. Similarly, it was able to hydrolyze the 6-O-$_{\alpha}$-L-($1{\rightarrow}2$)-rhamnoside of Rg2 and the 6-O-${\beta}$-D-($1{\rightarrow}2$)-glucoside of Rf into Rh1, and then further hydrolyze Rh1 into its aglycone. However, ginsenosidase type IV could not hydrolyze the 3-O- or 20-O-glycosides of protopanaxadiol-type ginsenosides (PPD), such as Rb1, Rb2, Rb3, Rc, and Rd. These exhibited properties are significantly different from those of glycosidases described in Enzyme Nomenclature by the NC-IUBMB. The optimal temperature and pH for ginsenosidase type IV were $40^{\circ}C$ and 6.0, respectively. The activity of ginsenosidase type IV was slightly improved by the $Mg^{2+}$ ion, and inhibited by $Cu^{2+}$ and $Fe^{2+}$ ions. The molecular mass of the enzyme, based on SDS-PAGE, was noted as being approximately 56 kDa.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1993.04a
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• pp.115-115
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• 1993

i) total ginsenoside의 분리 시판백삼(900g)을 상법에 따라 처리, 조 saponin을 얻었으며 (24g) 이를 20(S)-protopanaxadiol을 얻는 원료로 사용하였다. ii) 20(S)-protopanaxadiol의 분리연구 본 연구에서 가장 중요한 단계는 20(S)-protopanaxadiol을 다량 얻는 것이다. 그러나 인삼 saponin을 산으로 가수분해하면 진성 aglycone 인 20(S)-protopanaxadiol이 얻어지지 않고 artifact sapogenol인 panaxadiol이 얻어진다. 이를 해결하기 위하여 sodium ethoxide의 ethanol 용액, sodium butoxide의 butanol 용액, sodium methoxide의 pyridine 용액, sodium methoxide의 DMSO 용액등의 조건에서의 가수분해를 검토한 결과 aprotic polar splvent인 DMSO용매중에서의 분해가 가장 좋음을 알았다. iii) ginsenoside Rh$_2$의 합성연구 Koenigs-Knorr 법에 의하여 bromosugar와 20(S)-protopanaxadiol의 glycosidation 반응결과 약 40%의 수득률로 합성됨을 확인하였다.