• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.390-396
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• 2008

For evaluating the quality of ginseng, simple and fast analysis methods are needed to determine the ginsenoside content of the ginseng products. The aim of this study was therefore to optimize conditions for fast analysis of the ginsenosides, the active ingredients in extracts of Korean red ginseng. When tandem HPLC mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was used, four forms of ginsenoside, Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Re, were readily separated in seven minutes using a gradient mobile phase (acetonitrile and water containing acetic acid). This is the shortest separation time reported among the studies of major ginsenoside analysis. When gradient HPLC with UV detection was used, the detection limit was high, but separation of these four ginsenosides required 25 minutes using acetonitrile and water containing formic acid as a mobile phase. HPLC-MS/MS was able to separate ginsenoside Rg1 easily regardless of the mobile phase condition, but the HPLC-UV could not separate Rg1 because acetonitrile concentration in the mobile phase had to be maintained below 20%. Ginsenoside peaks were clearer and had more sensitive detection limits when Korean red ginseng extract was analyzed by the HPLC-MS/MS, but the UV detection was useful for chromatographic fingerprinting of all four major ginsenosides of the extract: Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Re. Extracts were found to contain 2.17 mg, 1.51 mg, 1.29 mg, and 0.46 mg of ginsenoside Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Re, respectively, per gram weight. The ratios of each ginsenoside in the extracts were 1.0 : 0.7 : 0.6 : 0.2, respectively. Taken together, the results indicate that HPLC-MS/MS spectrometry could be the most useful method for rapid analysis of even small amounts of major ginsenosides, while HPLC with UV detection could also be used for rapid analysis of major ginsenosides and for quality control of ginseng products.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.277-285
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• 2008

Panax ginseng C.A. Mayer (Araliaceae, P. ginseng) has been used for the enhancement of vascular and immune functions in Korea and Japan for a long time. Ginsenoside $Rb_1$ and $Rg_3$ isolated from P. ginseng head-part butanolic extract (PGHB) were investigated for anti-inflammatory activity. Ginsenosides and PGHB did not affect the cell viability within $0\;-\;100\;{\mu}g/ml$ concentration to RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells. Ginsenosides and PGHB inhibited partly lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitrite production in a dose-dependent manner. The ginsenosides and PGHB showed partially chemical nitric oxide (NO) quenching (maximum 40%) in the cell-free system. Also, ginsenoside $Rb_1$ and $Rg_3$ inhibited markedly approximately 74 and 54% of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA transcription from LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Taken together, the inhibitory effect of ginsenosides and PGHB on NO production did not occur as a result of cell viability, but was caused by both the chemical NO quenching and the regulation of iNOS. Additionally, the ginsenoside $Rb_1$ and PGHB inhibited prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) synthesis in a concentration-dependent manner, showed approximately 70-98% inhibition at $100\;{\mu}g/ml$ concentration. And the treatment with ginsenosides and PGHB attenuated partially LPS-upregulated cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene transcription. Ginsenoside $Rg_3$ suppressed LPS-stimulated interleukin-6 (IL-6) level to the basal in RAW 264.7 cells. From these results, ginsenoside $Rb_1,\;Rg_3$, and PGHB may be useful for the relief and retardation of immunological inflammatory responses and its action may occur through the reduction of inflammatory mediators, including NO, $PGE_2$, and IL-6 production.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.389-392
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• 2016

The present study was conducted to investigate the ginsenoside profiles of the main root, root hair, and leaf of ginseng in order to demonstrate their possible application in medicine. The total ginsenoside content of the leaf was up to 12 times than that in the main root, and the content of protopanaxadiol groups was higher than that of protopanaxatriol groups in all the samples. The leaf was shown to contain high amounts of ginsenosides Rb3 and Rh1, whereas the main root contained large amounts of ginsenosides Rb1 and Rc. Moreover, Rb2, Rb3, and Rg1 were only detected in the root hair, leaf, and main root, respectively. The ginsenoside Re content of Panax ginseng leaf and root hair was 2.6~4 times higher than that of the main root. Therefore, the results indicate that the ginsenoside content of Panax ginseng is higher in the leaf and root hair, and lower in the main root.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.229-237
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• 2020

Background: We investigated the tolerability and pharmacokinetic properties of various ginsenosides, including Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, and compound K, after single or multiple administrations of red ginseng extract in human beings. Methods: Red ginseng extract (dried ginseng > 60%) was administered once and repeatedly for 15 days to 15 healthy Korean people. After single and repeated administration of red ginsengextract, blood sample collection, measurement of blood pressure and body temperature, and routine laboratory test were conducted over 48-h test periods. Results: Repeated administration of high-dose red ginseng for 15 days was well tolerated and did not produce significant changes in body temperature or blood pressure. The plasma concentrations of Rb1, Rb2, and Rc were stable and showed similar area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) values after 15 days of repeated administration. Their AUC values after repeated administration of red ginseng extract for 15 days accumulated 4.5- to 6.7-fold compared with single-dose AUC. However, the plasma concentrations of Rd and compound K showed large interindividual variations but correlated well between AUC of Rd and compound K. Compound K did not accumulate after 15 days of repeated administration of red ginseng extract. Conclusion: A good correlation between the AUC values of Rd and compound K might be the result of intestinal biotransformation of Rb1, Rb2, and Rc to Rd and subsequently to compound K, rather than the intestinal permeability of these ginsenosides. A strategy to increase biotransformation or reduce metabolic intersubject variability may increase the plasma concentrations of Rd and compound K.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.16-16
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• 2010

Ginseng(Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is reported to have many pharmaceutical activities. The minor ginsenosides(Rd, Rg3, Rh2 and compound K) display pharmaceutical properties superior to those of the major ginsenosides. These minor ginsenosides, which contribute a very small percentage, are produced by hydrolysis of the sugar moieties of the major ginsenosides. The pH of red ginseng extracts fermented with S. cerevisiae and S. carlsbergensis decreased rapidly during 3 days of fermentation, with no further significant change thereafter. After 20 days of fermentation, a relatively small difference remained in the acidity of extracts fermented with S. cerevisiae (0.54%) and S. carlsbergensis (0.58%). Reducing sugar in the S. cerevisiae and S. carlsbergensis extracts decreased from 25.86 to 4.54 mg/ml and 4.32 mg/ml glucose equivalents, respectively; and ethanol contents increased from 1.5% at day 0 to 16.0 and 15.0%, respectively, at 20 days. Ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Re, Rf, and Rg1 decreased during the fermentation with S. cerevisiae, but Rd and Rg3 increased by 12 days. Ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Re and Rg1 decreased gradually in the extract with S. carlsbergensis, but Rd and Rg3 were increased at 6 days and 9 days.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.486-490
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• 2002

In different approaches ginsenosides were extracted from Korean ginseng roots by ammonia and for comparison with methanol-water and water. The extracts have been analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively to evaluate yield and selectivity of extractions of ginsenosides. Water supplied the lowest yield. The yields of extracts with liquid ammonia were higher than those with methanol-water. However, this is partly due to the conversion of malonyl ginsenoside to normal ginsenosides by ammonia. It was proved by HPLC that malonyl-ginsenosides $m-Rb_1,\;m-Rb_2,$ m-Rc and m-Rd were converted to the corresponding neutral ginsenosides. Furthermore, ginsenosides from ginseng roots were extracted by alkaline methanol-water $(60\%)$ solutions. Alternatively, the extracts of the methanol-water $(60\%)$ extraction were treated with sodium hydroxide solution. Both methods also convert the malonyl-ginsenosides to neutral ginsenosides.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.366-372
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• 2024

Background: The biological activity and pharmacological effects of rare ginsenosides have been proven to be superior to those of the major ginsenosides, but they are rarely found in ginseng. Methods: Ginsenoside Rb1 was chemically transformed with the involvement of methanol molecules by a synthesized heterogeneous catalyst 12-HPW@MeSi, which was obtained by the immobilization of 12-phosphotungstic acid on a mesoporous silica framework. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was used to identify the transformation products. Results: A total of 18 transformation products were obtained and identified. Methanol was found to be involved in the formation of 8 products formed by the addition of methanol molecules to the C-24 (25), C-20 (21) or C-20 (22) double bonds of the aglycone. The transformation pathways of ginsenoside Rb1 involved deglycosylation, addition, elimination, cycloaddition, and epimerization reactions. These pathways could be elucidated in terms of the stability of the generated carbenium ion. In addition, 12-HPW@MeSi was able to maintain a 60.5% conversion rate of Rb1 after 5 cycles. Conclusion: Tandem and high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis allowed rapid and accurate identification of the transformation products through the characteristic fragment ions and neutral loss. Rare ginsenosides with methoxyl groups grafted at the C-25 and C-20 positions were obtained for the first time by chemical transformation using the composite catalyst 12-HPW@MeSi, which also enabled cyclic heterogeneous transformation and facile centrifugal separation of ginsenosides. This work provides an efficient and recyclable strategy for the preparation of rare ginsenosides with the involvement of organic molecules.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.418-424
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• 2012

This study focused on the enzymatic biotransformation of the major ginsenoside Rb1 into Rd for the mass production of minor ginsenosides using a novel recombinant ${\beta}$-glucosidase from Flavobacterium johnsoniae. The gene (bglF3) consisting of 2,235 bp (744 amino acid residues) was cloned and the recombinant enzyme overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) was characterized. This enzyme could transform ginsenoside Rb1 and gypenoside XVII to the ginsenosides Rd and F2, respectively. The glutathione S-transferase (GST) fused BglF3 was purified with GST-bind agarose resin and characterized. The kinetic parameters for ${\beta}$-glucosidase had apparent $K_m$ values of $0.91{\pm}0.02$ and $2.84{\pm}0.05$ mM and $V_{max}$ values of $5.75{\pm}0.12$ and $0.71{\pm}0.01{\mu}mol{\cdot}min^{-1}{\cdot}mg$ of $protein^{-1}$ against p-nitrophenyl-${\beta}$-D-glucopyranoside and Rb1, respectively. At optimal conditions of pH 6.0 and $37^{\circ}C$, BglF3 could only hydrolyze the outer glucose moiety of ginsenoside Rb1 and gypenoside XVII at the C-20 position of aglycon into ginsenosides Rd and F2, respectively. These results indicate that the recombinant BglF3 could be useful for the mass production of ginsenosides Rd and F2 in the pharmaceutical or cosmetic industry.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.25-29
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• 1982

This investigation was carried out to study the influence of pH and heat treatment on the ginsenosides in the white ginseng extract. Changes in ginsenosides (Rb1, Rb2, ,Rc, Rd) and free sugar were measured by the peak area variation of HPLC chromatogram during 25 hours heat treatment at the various level of pH. It was found that :(1) The peak areas of Rb1. Rb2, Rc and Rd on the HPLC chromatogram were decreased remarkably below pH 4.0 and more decrease was found as the temperature and heating time increased. (2) Those of glucose and arabinose were increased remarkably. It is considrered that the increase of glucose and the formation of arabinose result from the hydrolysis of ginsenoside( Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd) linked with sugars.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.485-489
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• 2000

The patterns and contents of ginsenosides were examined in normal root parts and hairy root lines of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer. Ginsenoside-Rb$_1$, -Rb$_2$, -Rc, -Rd, -Re, -Rf, -Rg$_1$, -Rg$_2$ were detected in normal roots and hairy roots of ginseng. The patterns and contents of ginsenosides in that were very difference each other. The contents of total ginsenoside of hairy root (KGHR-1) was 17.42 mg/g dry wt, it's highest compared to others. Ginsenoside contents of hairy root (KGHR-1) was higher on ginsenoside-Rd, Rg$_1$, KGHR-5 was higher on ginsenoside-Rb$_1$, Rg$_1$, and KGHR-8 was higher on ginsenoside-Rd, Re than others. The contents of total ginsenosides on 6 years old ginseng cultured in the field were high in the order of main root, lateral root and fine roots, and content of ginsenosides in fine roots was 3.2 times higher than that in main root. The ratio of ginsenoside-Rg$_1$to total ginsenosides were about 3.43%, 8.68% and 14.18% respectively on fine root, lateral root and main root, it's very lower than that in hairy roots. It is suggested that specific ginsenosides can be produce in cultures of ginseng hairy roots.