• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.162-165
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• 2005

A series of fluorine and hydroxyl containing jasmonate derivatives, which were chemically synthesized in our institute, were investigated for their effects on the biosynthesis and heterogeneity of ginsenosides in suspension cultures of Panax notoginseng cells. Com-pared to the control (without addition of elicitors), $100{\mu}M$ of each of the jasmonate was added on day 4 to the suspension cultures of P. notoginseng cells. It was observed that, jasmonates greatly enhanced the ginsenoside content and the ratio of Rb group to Rg group (i.e. $(Rb_1\;+\;Rd)/(Rg_1\;+\;Re)$ in the P. notoginseng cells. Some of the synthetic jasmonates, such as pentafluoropropyl jasmonate (PFPJA), 2-hydroxyethyl jasmonate (HEJA) and 2-hydroxye-thoxyethyl jasmonate (HEEJA), could promote the ginsenoside content to $2.55\;\pm\;0.11,\;3.65\;\pm\;0.13\;and\;2.94\;\pm\;0.06$mg/100 mg DW, respectively, compared to that of $0.64\;\pm\;0.06$mg/100 mg DW for the control and $2.17\;\pm\;0.04$ mg/100 mg DW by the commercially available methyl jasmonate (MJA); and they could change the respective Rb:Rg ratio to $1.60\;\pm\;0.04,\;1.87\;\pm\;0.01\;and\;1.56\;\pm\;0.05$, compared to that of $0.47\;\pm\;0.01$ for the control and $1.42\;\pm\;0.06$ by MJA. The results suggest that suitable esterification of MJA with fluorine or hydroxyl group could in-crease the elicitation activity to induce plant secondary metabolism. The information obtained from this study is useful for hyper-production of heterogeneous products by plant cell cultures.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.94-99
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• 2008

Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is very difficult to obtain stable production of qualified ginseng roots because of variable stresses in soil environments. High salt concentrations in the ginseng nursery soil environment of Korea is one of important reducing factors for the stable production of quality ginseng. These studies were accomplished to identify the growth rate and production of ginsenoside from ginseng hairy root against NaCI. In the MS liquid culture, the highest contents and productivity of ginsenosides were appeared at 4 week after onset of the treatment of 0.1 M NaCI. And 0.24 M NaCI was more effective on the growth of ginseng hairy root under light condition than dark condition. Plants generally produce secondary metabolites in nature as a defense mechanism against pathogenic and insect attack. In this study, NaCI acts as a kind of stress as well as elicitor for production of ginsenosides.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.20-20
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• 2012

Isoprenoids represent the most diverse group of metabolites, which are functionally and structurally identified in plant organism to date. Ginsenosides, glycosylated triterpenes, are considered to be the major pharmaceutically active ingredient of ginseng. Its backbones, categorized as protopanaxadiol (PPD), protopanaxatriol (PPT), and oleanane saponin, are synthesized via the isoprenoid pathway by cyclization of 2,3-oxidosqualene mediated with dammarenediol synthase or beta-amyrin synthase. The rate-limiting 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR), which is the first committed step enzyme catalyzes the cytoplasmic mevalonate (MVA) pathway for isoprenoid biosynthesis. DXP reductoisomerese (DXR), yields 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP), is partly involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis via plastid. Squalene synthase and squalene epoxidase are involved right before the cyclization step. The triterpene backbone then undergoes various modifications, such as oxidation, substitution, and glycosylation. Here we will discuss general biosynthesis pathway for the production of ginsenoside and its modification based on their subcellular biological functions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Biotechnology Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.88-94
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• 2005

Plant tissue culture studies have been done for the preservation of medicinal plant resources and efficient production of pharmaceutically important secondary metabolites. Micropropagation methods for Cephaelis ipecacuanha have been established and these methods enabled much more efficient propagation of the plants than the conventional methods using seedling or layering. The C. ipecacuanha plants derived from tissue culture grew uniformly in the field and they showed higher alkaloid contents compared to the plants grown from seedlings. Hairy root cultures of C. ipecacuanha and Panax ginseng have been established by infection with Agrobacterium rhizogenes, and the production of important pharmaceuticals by these cultures have been successfully demonstrated. In the case of C. ipecacuanha, the highest alkaloid yields from the hairy roots cultured for 8 weeks were 2.75-fold cephaeline (5.5 mg) and one third emetine (0.7 mg) compared with those from the roots of one-year old plant propagated through shoot-tip culture and cultivated in a greenhouse (2.0 mg cephaeline and 2.0 mg emetine). In the case of P. ginseng, ginsenoside contents in the hairy roots optimally cultured for 4 weeks were much higher than those in the roots of 4-year old field-grown plant. Thus our medicinal plant tissue cultures demonstrate desirable properties. However, they are always exposed to danger of microbial contamination or unexpected trouble of culture facilities. Cryopreservation of plant tissue cultures is a reliable method for long-term preservation. Cryopreservation studies on these cultures are also presented.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.35-43
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• 2002

Glycosides of herbal medicines, such as glycyrrhizin, ginsenosides, kalopanaxsaponins, rutin and ponicirin, were studied regarding their metabolic fates and pharmacological actions in relation to intestinal bacteria using germ-free, gnotobiotic and conventional animals. When glycyrrhizin (GL) was orally administered, $18{\beta}-glycyrrhetinic\;acid\;(GA)$, not GL, was detected in plasma and intestinal contents of gnotobiotic and conventional rats. However, GA could not be detected in germ-free rats. When GL was incubated with human intestinal bacteria, it was directly metabolized to GA (>95%) or via $18{\beta}-glycyrrhetinic\;acid-3-{\beta}-D-glucuronide$(>5%). Orally administered GL was effective in gnotobiotic and conventional rats for liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride, but was not effective in germ-free rats. When ginseng saponins were orally administered to human beings, compound K in the plasma was detected, but the other protopanxadiol saponins were not detected. The compound K was active for tumor metastasis and allergy. When kalopanaxsaponins were incubated with human intestinal microflora, they were metabolized to kalopanaxsaponin A, kalopanaxsaponin I and hederagenin. These metabolites were active for rheumatoid arthritis and diabetic mellitus while the other kalopanxsaponins were not. When flavonoid glycosides were orally administered to animals, aglycones and/or phenolic acids were detected in the urine. The metabolic pathways proceeded by intestinal bacteria rather than by liver or blood enzymes. These metabolites, aglycones and phenolic acids, showed antitumor, antiinflammatory and antiplatelet aggregation activities. These findings suggest that glycosides of herbal medicines are prodrugs.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.58-65
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• 2021

Background: Panax ginseng, as one of the most widely used herbal medicines worldwide, has been studied comprehensively in terms of the chemical components and pharmacology. The proteins from ginseng are also of great importance for both nutrition value and the mechanism of secondary metabolites. However, the proteomic studies are less reported in the absence of the genome information. With the completion of ginseng genome sequencing, the proteome profiling has become available for the functional study of ginseng protein components. Methods: We optimized the protein extraction process systematically by using SDS-PAGE and one-dimensional liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. The extracted proteins were then analyzed by two-dimensional chromatography separation and cutting-edge mass spectrometry technique. Results: A total of 2,732 and 3,608 proteins were identified from ginseng root and cauline leaf, respectively, which was the largest data set reported so far. Only around 50% protein overlapped between the cauline leaf and root tissue parts because of the function assignment for plant growing. Further gene ontology and KEGG pathway revealed the distinguish difference between ginseng root and leaf, which accounts for the photosynthesis and metabolic process. With in-deep analysis of functional proteins related to ginsenoside synthesis, we interestingly found the cytochrome P450 and UDP-glycosyltransferase expression extensively in cauline leaf but not in the root, indicating that the post glucoside synthesis of ginsenosides might be carried out when growing and then transported to the root at withering. Conclusion: The systematically proteome analysis of Panax ginseng will provide us comprehensive understanding of ginsenoside synthesis and guidance for artificial cultivation.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.445-454
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• 2020

Background: Culturing wild ginseng adventitious root using plant factory technology provides genetic safety and high productivity. This production technology is drawing attention in the fields of functional raw materials and product development. The cultivation method using elicitors is key technology for controlling biomass and increasing secondary metabolites. Methods and Results: Elicitor treatments using methyl jasmonate, pyruvic acid, squalene, β-sistosterol were performed to amplify total ginsenosides (Rb1, Rc, Rb2, Rb3, and Rd) of cultured wild ginseng adventitious root. Thereafter, fermentation and steaming processes were performed to convert total ginsenosides into minor molecular ginsenosides (Rg3, Rk1, and Rg5). The result indicated that methyl jasmonate minimizes the reduction in fresh weight of cultured wild ginseng adventitious root and maximizes total ginsenosides (sum of Rb1, Rc, Rb2, Rb3, and Rd). Ginsenoside conversion results showed a maximum degree of conversion of 131 mg/g. Conclusions: In this study, we demonstrated that the optimal elicitor treatment method increased the content of total ginsenosides, while the steaming and fermentation processing method increased the content of minor ginsenosides.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.540-547
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• 2017

Background: In general, after Panax ginseng is administered orally, intestinal microbes play a crucial role in its degradation and metabolization process. Studies on the metabolism of P. ginseng by microflora are important for obtaining a better understanding of their biological effects. Methods: In vitro biotransformation of P. ginseng extract by rat intestinal microflora was investigated at $37^{\circ}C$ for 24 h, and the simultaneous determination of the metabolites and metabolic profile of P. ginseng saponins by rat intestinal microflora was achieved using LC-MS/MS. Results: A total of seven ginsenosides were detected in the P. ginseng extract, including ginsenosides Rg1, Re, Rf, Rb1, Rc, Rb2, and Rd. In the transformed P. ginseng samples, considerable amounts of deglycosylated metabolite compound K and Rh1 were detected. In addition, minimal amounts of deglycosylated metabolites (ginsenosides Rg2, F1, F2, Rg3, and protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides) and untransformed ginsenosides Re, Rg1, and Rd were detected at 24 h. The results indicated that the primary metabolites are compound K and Rh1, and the protopanaxadiol-type ginsenosides were more easily metabolized than protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides. Conclusion: This is the first report of the identification and quantification of the metabolism and metabolic profile of P. ginseng extract in rat intestinal microflora using LC-MS/MS. The current study provided new insights for studying the metabolism and active metabolites of P. ginseng.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.52-62
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• 2006

In previous reports we demonstrated that ginsenosides, active ingredients of Panax ginseng, affect some subsets of voltage-dependent $Ca^{2+}$ channels in neuronal cells expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. However, the major component(s) of ginseng that affect cloned $Ca^{2+}$ channel subtypes such as ${\alpha}_{1C}$(L)-, ${\alpha}_{1B}$(N)-, ${\alpha}_{1A}$(P/Q)-, ${\alpha}_{1E}$(R)- and ${\alpha}_{1G}$(T) have not been identified. Here, we used the two-microelectrode voltage clamp technique to characterize the effects of ginsenosides and ginsenoside metabolites on $Ba^{2+}$ currents ($I_{Ba}$) in Xenopus oocytes expressing five different $Ca^{2+}$ channel subtypes. Exposure to ginseng total saponins (GTS) induced voltage-dependent, dose-dependent and reversible inhibition of the five channel subtypes, with particularly strong inhibition of the ${\alpha}_{1G}$-type. Of the various ginsenosides, $Rb_1$, Rc, Re, Rf, $Rg_1$, $Rg_3$, and $Rh_2$, ginsenoside $Rg_3$ also inhibited all five channel subtypes and ginsenoside $Rh_2$ had most effect on the ${\alpha}_{1C}$- and ${\alpha}_{1E}$-type $Ca^{2+}$ channels. Compound K (CK), a protopanaxadiol ginsenoside metabolite, strongly inhibited only the ${\alpha}_{1G}$-type of $Ca^{2+}$ channel, whereas M4, a protopanaxatriol ginsenoside metabolite, had almost no effect on any of the channels. $Rg_3$, $Rh_2$, and CK shifted the steady-state activation curves but not the inactivation curves in the depolarizing direction in the ${\alpha}_{1B}$- and ${\alpha}_{1A}$-types. These results reveal that $Rg_3$, $Rh_2$ and CK are the major inhibitors of $Ca^{2+}$ channels in Panax ginseng, and that they show some $Ca^{2+}$ channel selectivity.

• 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.