• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.160-164
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• 1995

This study was carried out to compare the root yields, root characters, saponin and ginsenosides contents of 6-year-old p. ginseng and p. quinquefolium. These two ginseng species showed difference in the diameter and ten비h of mainroot. The main root length or p. quinquefolium was shorter than that of p. ginseng, whereas Jakyung-jong and Hwangsook-jong of P. ginseng showed similar root length. Proximate composition were similar between the two species, however, crude fibercontent was significantly higher in main and lateral root of Jakyung-jong and Hwang sook-jong of P ginseng than P quinquefolium. In regard to mineral contents of root, P ginseng contained more Ca and Mn and less Fe and Al than P. quinquefolium. P. quinquefolium contained more of Rbl and Rd of protopanaxadiol saponin, and less or Re, $Rg_1$ and $Rg_2$ of protopanaxatriol saponin than P ginseng. However, no Rf was detected in the p. quinquefolium. Key words Panax ginseng, Panax quinquefolium, ginseng character, ginsenoside.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.274-283
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• 1998

It has generally been accepted that quality of ginseng should be determined not by the content of a single component but by composition and balance of total active principles. However, there still can be an exception with a product in which a given ginsenoside is used for the treatment of a specific disease. Although ginsenosides have been regarded to be major active components of ginseng and employed as index components for the quality control, it does not consistent with the traditional concept on ginseng quality creterion; main root has been more highly appreciated than the lateral or fine root. Content of ginsenosides in the lateral or fine root is much higher than that in main root. However, the ratio of protopanaxadiol (PD) and protopanaxatriol (PT) saponins existing in various part of ginseng root is greatly different. The ratio of PD/PT saponins in main root is well balanced but the thinner the root is the higher the ratio. Thus far, a total of 34 different kinds of ginsenosides have been isolated from Korean (red) ginseng, and their pharmacological activities were elucidated partly. Interestingly, different ginsenoside shows similar or contrary effects to each other in biological systems, thus indicating the significance of absolute content of single ginsenoside as well as compositional patterns of each ginsenoside. Therefore, pharmacological activities of ginseng should be determined as a wholly concept. In these regards, standardization of ginseng material (fresh ginseng root) should be preceded to the standardization of ginseng products because ginsenoside content and non-saponin active principles such as polysaccharides and nitrogen (N)-containing compound including proteins are significantly different from part to part of the root. In other words, the main root contains less ginsenosides than other lateral or fine roots. Contents of polysaccharides and N-containing compound in main root is higher. However, the quality control of ginseng products focused on non-saponin compounds has limitation in applying to the analytical method, because of the difficult chemical analysis of these compounds. Content of ginsenosides, and ratios of PD/PT and ginsenoside Rb,/Rg, are inversely proportional to the diameter of ginseng root. Therefore, these can be served as the chemical parameters for the indirect method of evaluating from what part of the root does the material originate. Furthermore, contents of polysaccharides and N-containing compounds show inverse relationship to saponin content. Therefore, it seems that index for analytical chemistry of saponin can be applied to the indirect method of evaluating not only saponin but also non-saponin compounds of ginseng. From these viewpoints, it is strongly recommended that quality of ginseng or ginseng products be judged not only by the absolute content of given ginsenoside but also by varieties and compositional balance of ginsenosides, including contents of non-saponin active principles.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.751-761
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• 2016

In order to reduce the bitter taste of red ginseng extract(RGE), inclusion complexes(RGE-CD) of the extract with ${\alpha}$-, ${\beta}$-, ${\gamma}$-cyclodextine after acetic acid treatment at the steam process were prepared and studied for their taste by an electronic tongue. By complexation, the bitter taster- reducing efficacies of ${\alpha}$-CD and ${\beta}$-CD were much lower than that of ${\gamma}$-CD. This study suggested that by processing red ginseng with acetic acid it is possible to enhance the yield of both ginsenoside $Rg_3$ and nonpolar ginsenosides. Taste such as bitterness, sourness, saltiness, umami and sweetness of the red ginseng extract with different amounts of ${\alpha}$-CD, ${\beta}$-CD and ${\gamma}$-CD were checked using an electronic tongue. As a result, REG-${\gamma}$-CD10, prepared using 10%(w/w), showed significantly lower bitter taste than those of the other samples.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.635-644
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• 2019

Background: To increase the pharmacological effects of red ginseng (RG, the steamed root of Panax ginseng Meyer), RG products modified by heat process or fermentation have been developed. However, the antiallergic effects of RG and modified/fermented RG have not been simultaneously examined. Therefore, we examined the allergic rhinitis (AR)-inhibitory effects of water-extracted RG (wRG), 50% ethanol-extracted RG (eRG), and bifidobacteria-fermented eRG (fRG) in vivo. Methods: RBL-2H3 cells were stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate/A23187. Mice with AR were prepared by treatment with ovalbumin. Allergic markers IgE, tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, interleukin (IL)-4, and IL-5 were assayed in the blood, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, nasal mucosa, and colon using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Mast cells, eosinophils, and Th2 cell populations were assayed using a flow cytometer. Results: RG products potently inhibited IL-4 expression in phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate/A23187-stimulated RBL-2H3 cells. Of tested RG products, fRG most potently inhibited IL-4 expression. RG products also alleviated ovalbumin-induced AR in mice. Of these, fRG most potently reduced nasal allergy symptoms and blood IgE levels. fRG treatment also reduced IL-4 and IL-5 levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, nasal mucosa, and reduced mast cells, eosinophils, and Th2 cell populations. Furthermore, treatment with fRG reduced IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 levels in the colon and restored ovalbumin-suppressed Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria populations and ovalbumin-induced Firmicutes population in gut microbiota. Treatment with ginsenoside Rd significantly alleviated ovalbumin-induced AR in mice. Conclusion: fRG and ginsenoside Rd may alleviate AR by suppressing IgE, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 expression and restoring the composition of gut microbiota.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.86-95
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• 2019

Background: Depending on the processing method, the raw materials constituents change in various ways. In particular, a heat treatment process, such as steaming, changes the color and aroma of a raw material to increase its palatability and number of physiologically active ingredients. Methods and Results: In the present study, the effects of the steaming temperature and time on the yield, color, proximal composition, and total polyphenol and ginsenoside content of a 4-year-old ginseng root were analyzed. The yield tended to decrease with the increase of steaming time at each temperature and the total ginsenoside content increased with increasing of steaming temperature except at $80^{\circ}C$. Conclusions: These results suggest that steaming at $100^{\circ}C$ for 6 - 9 hours or at $110^{\circ}C$ for 3 - 6 hours is suitable for increasing total polyphenol and ginsenoside content with less yield reduction in a 4-year-old ginseng root.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.246-253
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• 2021

Background: Ginseng is one of the most valuable herbal supplements. It is challenging to perform quality control of ginseng products due to the diversity of bioactive saponins in their composition. Acid or alkaline hydrolysis is often used for the structural elucidation of these saponins and sugars in their side chains. Complete transformation of the original ginsenosides into their aglycones during the hydrolysis is one of the ways to determine a total saponin group content. The main hurdle of this approach is the formation of various by-products that was reported by many authors. Methods: Separate HPLC assessment of the total protopanaxadiol, protopanaxatriol and ocotillol ginsenoside contents is a viable alternative to the determination of characteristic biomarkers of these saponin groups, such as ginsenoside Rf and pseudoginsenoside F₁₁, which are commonly used for authentication of P. ginseng Meyer and P. quinquefolius L. samples respectively. Moreover, total ginsenoside content is an ideal aggregated parameter for standardization and quality control of ginseng-based medicines, because it can be directly applied for saponin dosage calculation. Results: Different hydrolysis conditions were tested to develop accurate quantification method for the elucidation of total ginsenoside contents in herbal products. Linearity, limits of quantification, limits of detection, accuracy and precision were evaluated for the developed HPLC-MS method. Conclusion: Alkaline hydrolysis results in fewer by-products than sugar elimination in acidic conditions. An equimolar response, as a key parameter for quantification, was established for several major ginsenosides. The developed approach has shown acceptable results in the analysis of several different herbal products.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.505-514
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• 2022

Background: The roots of Panax ginseng contain two types of tetracyclic triterpenoid saponins, namely, protopanaxadiol (PPD)-type saponins and protopanaxatiol (PPT)-type saponins. In P. ginseng, the protopanaxadiol 6-hydroxylase (PPT synthase) enzyme catalyses protopanaxatriol (PPT) production from protopanaxadiol (PPD). In this study, we constructed homozygous mutant lines of ginseng by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of the PPT synthase gene and obtained the mutant ginseng root lines having complete depletion of the PPT-type ginsenosides. Methods: Two sgRNAs (single guide RNAs) were designed for target mutations in the exon sequences of the two PPT synthase genes (both PPTa and PPTg sequences) with the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Transgenic ginseng roots were generated through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The mutant lines were screened by ginsenoside analysis and DNA sequencing. Result: Ginsenoside analysis revealed the complete depletion of PPT-type ginsenosides in three putative mutant lines (Cr4, Cr7, and Cr14). The reduction of PPT-type ginsenosides in mutant lines led to increased accumulation of PPD-type ginsenosides. The gene editing in the selected mutant lines was confirmed by targeted deep sequencing. Conclusion: We have established the genome editing protocol by CRISPR/Cas9 system in P. ginseng and demonstrated the mutated roots producing only PPD-type ginsenosides by depleting PPT-type ginsenosides. Because the pharmacological activity of PPD-group ginsenosides is significantly different from that of PPT-group ginsenosides, the new type of ginseng mutant producing only PPD-group ginsenosides may have new pharmacological characteristics compared to wild-type ginseng. This is the first report to generate target-induced mutations for the modification of saponin biosynthesis in Panax species using CRISPR-Cas9 system.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 1992

Chemical composition was determined to evaluate the quality of Panel ginseng-leaf tea over green teas. Ginseng-leaf tea was shown to contain higher contents of soluble matter, ascorbic acid and lower contents of tannins, as compared to tea leaves. The profiles of ginsenoside and sugar of ginseng-leaf tea were noticeably different from those of ginseng roots and the sample maintained high levels of these components under the manufacturing process. Total unsaturated fatty acids and free amino acids were estimated to be decreased in ginseng-leaf tea as compared to those of ginseng leaves. The compositions of amino acids and minerals in ginseng-leaf tea were similar to those of tea leaves and glutamic acid, aspartic acid, leucine, calcium, potassium, sodium, and copper were found to be major components.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.254-259
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• 1995

The content and composition of saponin compounds of Panax species were analyzed according to their species, region and processing type of red and white ginseng. The species employed were Korean-, Chinese-, Japanese red ginsengs, and Korean white ginseng of Panax ginseng, American- and Canadian ginsengs of Panax quinquefolium, and Panax notoinseng. Twelve main saponin components in the ginseng were identified and quantified using TLC and HPLC. All three species had remarkably different content and composition. However, within each species they were similar. Twelve major ginsenosides were determined in P. ginseng, eight in p. quinquefolium, and six in P. notoginseng. Of the components of P ginseng Rf, $Rh_1$, $Rh_2$ and Ra were not detected in P quinquefolium, and $Rb_2$, Rc, Rf, $Rh_2$, Ra and Ro not detected in P. notoinseam. Crude saponin content and protopanaxadiol/protopanaxatriol saponin ratio were compared. They were 4.81~5.24% and 1.27~ 1.45 in p. ginsengs, 7.01~7.25% and 2.12~ 2.15 in p. quinquefolium, 9.80% and 0.99 in P. notoineng. The prosapogenin and sapogenin content were different among the Panax species.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.46-53
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• 2003

Panax ginseng leaf tea was developed for the functional benefit of health, preference and convenience. The leaves of 4-year-old ginseng were selected in July and August. The ginseng leaf was treated by three methods : heat processed tea(HPT), aged tea(AGT) and hot-air dried tea(DRT). The contents and compositions of their crude saponin of ginseng leaves were measured. 1. The content of crude saponin of HPT was the higher than other treatments. The content of HPT was 18.72∼18.82％, ACT 18.24∼18.29％ and DRT 17.02∼17.17％. 2. The harvest time and treatment methods were not affect the composition of ginsenoside in ginseng leaf tea. The ginsenoside-Re was shown the highest value as 1.97∼2.15. And ginsenoside-Rd was 1.48∼1.79, -Rg$_1$ 1.33∼1.58 and -Rb, -Rb$_2$, -Rc in the order. 3. The content of protopanaxadiol(PD) and protopanaxatriol(PT) was shown that DRT was 1.11∼1.13, HPT 1.09～l.12 and AGT 0.92∼1.02. The content of PD and PT were shown similar result at any harvest time. 4. The contents of crude saponin extracted by hot-water at 5 min was the higher ratios in HPT and harvested in July than other treatments. The content of crude saponin of ginseng leaf harvested in July was 15.88% and HPT was 16.88%. The order of contents of ginsenoside were -Re, -Rd, -Rg$_1$, -Rb$_1$, -Rb$_2$, and - Rc. The extraction ratio of crude saponin extracted by the circulated extraction method in 8 hours and 5 min extraction were 81.74∼84.38％. And HPT of ginseng leaf harvested in July was the highest value 84.3％ but the extraction ratio of ginsenoside was 78.00～88.13%. But the extraction ratio of ginsenoside was similar trend in all treatments.