• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 2004

When ginseng water extract was incubated at $60^{\circ}C$ in acidic conditions, its protopanaxadiol ginsenosides were transformed to ginsenoside $Rg_3$ and ${\Delta}^{20}$-ginsenoside $Rg_3$. However, protopanaxadiol glycoside ginsenosides $Rb_1, Rb_2$ and Rc isolated from ginseng were mostly not transformed to ginsenoside $Rg_3$ by the incubation in neutral condition. The transformation of these ginsenosides to ginsenoside $Rg_3$ and ${\Delta}^{20}$-ginsenoside $Rg_3$ was increased by increasing incubation temperature and time in acidic condition: the optimal incubation time and temperature for this transformation was 5 h and $60^{\circ}C$ resepectively. The transformed ginsenoside $Rg_3$ and ${\Delta}^{20}$-ginsenoside $Rg_3$ were metabolized to ginsenoside $Rh_2$ and $\Delta^{20}$--ginsenoside $Rh_2$, respectively, by human fecal microflora. Among the bacteria isolated from human fecal microflora, Bacteroides sp., and Bifidobacterium sp. and Fusobacterium sp. potently transformed ginsenoside $Rg_3$ to ginsenoside $Rh_2$. Acid-treated ginseng (AG) extract, fermented AG extract, ginsenoside $Rh_2$ and protopanaxadiol showed potent cytotoxicity against tumor cell lines. AG extract, fermented AG extract and protopanaxadiol potently inhibited the growth of Helicobacter pylori.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.509-513
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to develop a new preparation process of ginseng extract using high concentrations of ginsenoside $Rg_3$, a special component in red ginseng. From when the ginseng saponin glycosides transformed into the prosapogenins chemically, they were analyzed using the HPLC method. The ginseng and ginseng extract were processed with several treatment conditions of an edible brewing vinegar. The results indicated that ginsenoside $Rg_3$ quantities increased over 4% at the pH 2-4 level of vinegar treatment. This occurred at temperatures above $R90^{\circ}C$, but not occurred at other pH and temperature condition. In addition, the ginseng and ginseng extract were processed with the twice-brewed vinegar (about 14% acidity). This produced about 1.5 times more ginsenoside $Rg_3$ than those processed with regular amounts of brewing vinegar (about 7% acidity) and persimmon vinegar (about 3% acidity). Though the white ginseng extract was processed with the brewing vinegar over four hr, there was no change for ginsenoside $Rg_3$. However, the VG8-7 was the highest amount of ginsenoside $Rg_3$ (4.71%) in the white ginseng extract, which was processed with the twice-brewed vinegar for nine hr. These results indicate that ginseng treated with vinegar had 10 times the quantity of ginsenoside $Rg_3$, compared to the amount of ginsenoside $Rg_3$ in the generally commercial red ginseng, while ginsenoside $Rg_3$ was not found in raw and white ginseng.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.178-182
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• 1989

Red ginseng products manufactured by the Korea Ginseng and Tobacco Corporation were analyzed to determine the crude saponin , total saponin and ginsenoside contentents by gravimetry, spertrometry and HPLC, respectively, to see if effective quality control of the components in the products can be achieved. Medicinal powders, powders, tablets and capsules which were made from ginseng powder showed similarity in saponin content, the ratio of PD to PT saponin, and the ginsenoside content and composition, while extract powder, extract, extract tea, extract pills and tea, which were made of ginseng extract, showed difference in saponin content, ratio of PD to PT saponin, and the content and composition of ginsengside. It is, accordingly, believed that ginseng products which are uniform in contents and saponin composition can be produced by carrying out strict quality control throughout the processes of making raw red ginseng into final products.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.203-207
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• 2014

Background: There is limited understanding of the effect of dietary components on the absorption of ginsenosides and their metabolites into the blood. Methods: This study investigated the pharmacokinetics of the ginseng extract and its main constituent ginsenoside Rb1 in rats with or without pretreatment with a prebiotic fiber, NUTRIOSE, by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. When ginsenoside Rb1 was incubated with rat feces, its main metabolite was ginsenoside Rd. Results: When the intestinal microbiota of rat feces were cultured in vitro, their ginsenoside Rd-forming activities were significantly induced by NUTRIOSE. When ginsenoside Rb1 was orally administered to rats, the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the plasma drug concentratione-time curve (AUC) for the main metabolite, ginsenoside Rd, were $72.4{\pm}31.6ng/mL$ and $663.9{\pm}285.3{\mu}g{\cdot}h/mL$, respectively. When the ginseng extract (2,000 mg/kg) was orally administered, Cmax and AUC for ginsenoside Rd were $906.5{\pm}330.2ng/mL$ and $11,377.3{\pm}4,470.2{\mu}g{\cdot}h/mL$, respectively. When ginseng extract was orally administered to rats fed NUTRIOSE containing diets (2.5%, 5%, or 10%), Cmax and AUC were increased in the NUTRIOSE receiving groups in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: These findings reveal that intestinal microflora promote metabolic conversion of ginsenoside Rb1 and ginseng extract to ginsenoside Rd and promote its absorption into the blood in rats. Its conversion may be induced by prebiotic diets such as NUTRIOSE.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.451-456
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• 2013

Compound K is a major metabolite of ginsenoside Rb1, which has various pharmacological activities in vivo and in vitro. However, previous studies have focused on the pharmacokinetics of a single metabolite or the parent compound and have not described the pharmacokinetics of both compounds in humans. To investigate the pharmacokinetics of ginsenoside Rb1 and compound K, we performed an open-label, single-oral dose pharmacokinetic study using Korean Red Ginseng extract. We enrolled 10 healthy Korean male volunteers in this study. Serial blood samples were collected during 36 h after Korean Red Ginseng extract administration to determine plasma concentrations of ginsenoside Rb1 and compound K. The mean maximum plasma concentration of compound K was $8.35{\pm}3.19$ ng/mL, which was significantly higher than that of ginsenoside Rb1 ($3.94{\pm}1.97$ ng/mL). The half-life of compound K was 7 times shorter than that of ginsenoside Rb1. These results suggest that the pharmacokinetics, especially absorption, of compound K are not influenced by the pharmacokinetics of its parent compound, except the time to reach the maximum plasma concentration The delayed absorption of compound K support the evidence that the intestinal microflora play an important role in the transformation of ginsenoside Rb1 to compound K.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.1 s.31
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• pp.478-493
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• 1996

The components of Red-ginseng radix extract solution for herb- acupuncture were analyzed by HPLC. According to the Medical Product Safety Administration Guidelines for safety assessment, mice and rats were used for acute toxicity test. The results were summarized as follows; 1. In the Saponin contents(%) of Red-ginseng radix extract, Ginsenoside $Rb_1$ Saponin was 0.27% in raw material, 1.67% in extract powder and Ginsenoside Rc Saponin was 0.16% in raw material, 1.12% in extract powder and Ginsenoside Rd Saponin was 0.08% in raw material, 0.54% in extract powder. 2. There were no abnormal findings in acute toxicity test treated with Red-ginseng radix extract solution for herb-acupuncture and $LD_{50}$ could not be measured.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.260-264
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• 1993

In order to determine the stability of ginseng components in this salt concentration when used to ginseng as additive ingredient of sauces or seasonings, we study on the content and charactristic of ginsenosides and changes in pH and color, ginseng tail and ginseng extract were treated with various concentration of NaCl solution. In this experiment, extract of ginseng tail were increased in pH as NaCl concentration were increased, but ginseng extract have not changed evidently. The both solution were decreased in color as the salt concentration were increased. Yield of n-butanol extract was decreased in 5% NaCl concentration, while it was increased in the above concentration, and ginseng extract was changed higher than ginseng tail. Ginsenosides content were increased in 5% NaCl concentration, both $ginsenosied-Rb_1$, $-Rb_2$, -Rc, -Rd of diol line and ginsenoside-Re of triol line and increased in above NaCl concentration. Especially ginsenoside-Re showed to sensitive response to the changes of the salt concentration.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.212-218
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• 2008

We extracted red ginseng with various alcohol concentrations and evaluated total carbohydrate, uronic acid, polyphenols compounds and ginsenoside contents, and yields of alcohol extract. The water extraction (0% alcohol extraction) showed a high level of total carbohydrate content. 10% and 20% alcohol extraction showed the highest uronic acid contents (7,978.8 and $7,872.7\;{\mu}g/mL$ of extract, respectively). The efficiency order of the red ginseng extract (RGE) preparations in liberating polyphenols was: $0{\sim}50%$ alcohol${\geq}\;60%$ alcohol> $70{\sim}90%$ alcohol. Solid contents in RGE were decreased with increased alcohol concentration; the same tendency as with the results of total carbohydrate content. Total ginsenoside contents in $20{\sim}50%$ alcohol extracts showed similar levels ($442,962.9{\sim}47,930.8\;{\mu}g/mL$ of extract). Water extraction showed the lowest ginsenoside content ($14,509.4\;{\mu}g/mL$ of extract). The ginsenoside contents at above 60% alcohol were decreased with increased alcohol concentration. Generally, ginsenoside (Rg2, Rg1, Rf, Re, Rd, Rb2, Rc and Rb1) contents were increased with increased alcohol concentrations. However, Rg3 content was decreased with increases in alcohol concentration.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.139-143
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• 2006

To increase the contents of functional ginsenosides by conversion, especially ginsenoside-$Rg_3$ and $Rh_2$, the extracts of red ginseng were treated with high temperature and citric acid or apricot extract. When the extracts were subject to $120^{\circ}C$ for 2 hours, the content of ginsenoside-$Rg_3$ was increased 2 times than in control. When the extracts were subject to $120^{\circ}C$ and acidic conditions adjusted with citric acid, the ginsenoside-$Rg_3$, was detected 2.8 times, but other ginsenoside were decreased heavily to 65%. When the extract were treated with for 12 hours at $80^{\circ}C$, the content of ginsenoside-$Rg_3$ was increased to 3.3 times, Also, when the red ginseng extracts were treated with apricot extract, the ginsenoside-$Rg_3$ was detected to 4 times than in control, but other ginsenoside were decreased lightly to 35%, not same as at the $120^{\circ}C$ treatment.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.276-281
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• 2013

This study was conducted to compare the contents of ginsenoside according the water extract conditions of red ginseng. In method A, red ginseng extract was prepared at $75^{\circ}C$ for 18 hours by 1 time extraction, and method B, the preparation was done at $85^{\circ}C$ for 18 hours by 1 time extraction. In method C, the primary extract prepared at $75^{\circ}C$ for 9 hours was blended with the secondary extract prepared by re-extracting the red ginseng residue obtained after the primary extraction, at $85^{\circ}C$ for 9 hours. Method D was the same procedure as method C but the extraction temperature for the primary extraction was $85^{\circ}C$ and that for the secondary extraction was $95^{\circ}C$. The contents of total and $Rb_1$, $Rg_1$ and $Rg_3$ ginsenoside were highest in Method C. The content of prosapogenin (ginsenoside $Rg_2$, $Rg_3$, $Rb_1$ and $Rb_2$) was highest in Method B. There was no consistent tendency in Brix, pH, Hue value and absorbance among extraction methods.