• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.153-160
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• 2012

Panax ginseng has long been used as a traditional herbal medicine. More recently, it has received attention for its anti-diabetic and anti-obesity effects in humans and in animal models of type 2 diabetes. In the present study, we tested the hypoglycemic effects of ginseng berry extract in beta-cell-deficient mice and investigated the mechanisms involved. Red (ripe) and green (unripe) berry extracts were prepared and administered orally (100 or 200 mg/kg body weight) to streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice daily for 10 wk. The body weight was measured daily, and the nonfasting blood glucose levels were measured after 5 and 10 wk after administration. Glucose tolerance tests were performed, and the serum insulin levels were measured. The proliferation of beta-cells was measured in vitro. The administration of red or green ginseng berry extract significantly reduced the blood glucose levels and improved the glucose tolerance in beta-cell deficient mice, with the higher doses resulting in better effects. Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion was significantly increased in berry extract-treated mice compared with streptozotocin-induced diabetic control mice. Treatment with ginseng berry extract increased beta-cell proliferation in vitro. Both red berry and green berry extracts improved glycemic control in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice and increased insulin secretion, possibly due to increased beta-cell proliferation. These results suggest that ginseng berry extracts might have beneficial effects on beta-cell regeneration.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.153-157
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• 1989

The characteristics of the areal parts, photosynthetic and respiration rates and stem color were examined in 1- to 5-year-old Green-stem, Violet-stem and Yellow-berry variant ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer). The top characteristics, photosynthetic and respiration rates were not significantly different among the three variants. Selfed progency of the Green-stems variant plant produced only green stems, while the others produced green and violet stem in the seedling stage. These results showed that most of the top characteristics of the Green-stem variant were similar those of the Violet-stem and Yellow-berry variants with age.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.264-269
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• 1985

The inheritance of violet and green stems was examined in F1 F2 of violetstem variant x yellow-berry variant in Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, and the characters of F1 and F2 plants were investigated. From these results, it was shown that most of the characters of F1 and F2 plants were simillar to the female plants. However, reciprocal crosses between violet and green stems yielded progeny of violet-stem variant. Thus the cross V♀x♂Y gave all violet-stem seedlings, and the cross Y♂ x Y♀ gave all violet-stem seedlings. And all of the crosses segregated in F2 in a ratio of 3 violet to 1 green.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.631-641
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• 2021

Background: Main bioactive constituents and pharmacological functions of ripened red ginseng berry (Panax ginseng Meyer) have been frequently reported. Yet, the research gap targeting the beneficial activities of transformed green ginseng berries has not reported elsewhere. Methods: Ginsenosides of new green berry cultivar K-1 (GK-1) were identified by HPLC-QTOF/MS. Ginsenosides bioconversion in GK-1 by bgp1 enzyme was confirmed with HPLC and TLC. Then, mechanisms of GK-1 and β-glucosidase (bgp1) biotransformed GK-1 (BGK-1) were determined by Quantitative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction and Western blot. Results: GK-1 possesses highest ginsenosides especially ginsenoside-Re amongst seven ginseng cultivars including (Chunpoong, Huangsuk, Kumpoong, K-1, Honkaejong, Gopoong, and Yunpoong). Ginseng root's biomass is not affected with the harvest of GK-1 at 3 weeks after flowering period. Then, Re is bioconverted into a promising pharmaceutical effect of Rg2 via bgp1. According to the results of cell assays, BGK-1 shows decrease of tyrosinase and melanin content in α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone challenged-murine melanoma B16 cells. BGK-1 which is comparatively more effective than GK-1 extract shows significant suppression of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation and inflammatory target genes, in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Conclusion: These results reported effective whitening and anti-inflammatory of BGK-1 as compared to GK-1.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.467-476
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• 2002

A large number of individual ginseng plants have been selected in the farmer's fields to develop new ginseng varieties with desirable traits since 1970s. Among them, Hwangsukjong with green stem and yellow berry was selected as a ginseng germplasm. The phenotype of Hwangsukjong is quite different from Jakyungjong that has violet stem and red berry and has been cultivated in most of ginseng fields. Therefore, Hwangsukjong was crossed with Jakyungjong to clarify the inheritance of stem color and then the characteristics of $F_1\;and\;F_2$ hybrids were investigated. $F_1$ hybrid plants were similar to Jakyungjong in most of aerial part characters and showed hybrid vigor in fresh weight of root and weight of 100 seeds. In $F_2$ generation, the stem color was segregated in a ratio of 3 violet to 1 green. From this result, it was elucidated that violet color was controlled by single dominant gene. In another experiment, DNA was extracted from parents (Jakyungjong and Hwangsukjong) and $F_1$ hybrid. For each primer evaluated, multiple band profile was produced comprising from one to five major bands plus a varying number of minor bands and amplified bands were detected among most primers. In case of UBC primer number 13, 17, 30, 31, and 43, band patterns of parents and $F_1$ hybrid were very similar, but the others were not. Especially, in {\sharp}1$, {\sharp}4$, and {\sharp}33$, specific band was produced in Hwangsukjong and $F_1$ hybrid while in {\sharp}6$, another specific band was produced in Jakyungjong and $F_1$ hybrid. Therefore, $F_1$ hybrid had all specific bands at these primers. So, these selective markers could be used for identification of characteristics of $F_2$ hybrids

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.413-423
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• 2020

Background: Ginseng berries (GBs) show temporal metabolic variations among different maturation stages, determining their organoleptic and functional properties. Methods: We analyzed metabolic variations concomitant to five different maturation stages of GBs including immature green (IG), mature green (MG), partially red (PR), fully red (FR), and overmature red (OR) using mass spectrometry (MS)-based metabolomic profiling and multivariate analyses. Results: The partial least squares discriminant analysis score plot based on gas chromatography-MS datasets highlighted metabolic disparity between preharvest (IG and MG) and harvest/postharvest (PR, FR, and OR) GB extracts along PLS1 (34.9%) with MG distinctly segregated across PLS2 (18.2%). Forty-three significantly discriminant primary metabolites were identified encompassing five developmental stages (variable importance in projection > 1.0, p < 0.05). Among them, most amino acids, organic acids, 5-C sugars, ethanolamines, purines, and palmitic acid were detected in preharvest GB extracts, whereas 6-C sugars, phenolic acid, and oleamide levels were distinctly higher during later maturation stages. Similarly, the partial least squares discriminant analysis based on liquid chromatography-MS datasets displayed preharvest and harvest/postharvest stages clustered across PLS1 (11.1 %); however, MG and PR were separated from IG, FR, and OR along PLS2 (5.6 %). Overall, 24 secondary metabolites were observed significantly discriminant (variable importance in projection > 1.0, p < 0.05), with most displaying higher relative abundance during preharvest stages excluding ginsenosides Rg1 and Re. Furthermore, we observed strong positive correlations between total flavonoid and phenolic metabolite contents in GB extracts and antioxidant activity. Conclusion: Comprehending the dynamic metabolic variations associated with GB maturation stages rationalize their optimal harvest time per se the related agroeconomic traits.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.747-755
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• 2020

Background: Ginsenosides accumulation responses to temperature are critical to quality formation in cold-dependent American ginseng. However, the studies on cold requirement mechanism relevant to ginsenosides have been limited in this species. Methods: Two experiments were carried out: one was a multivariate linear regression analysis between the ginsenosides accumulation and the environmental conditions of American ginseng from different sites of China and the other was a synchronous determination of ginsenosides accumulation, overall DNA methylation, and relative gene expression in different tissues during different developmental stages of American ginseng after experiencing different cold exposure duration treatments. Results: Results showed that the variation of the contents as well as the yields of total and individual ginsenosides Rg1, Re, and Rb1 in the roots were closely associated with environmental temperature conditions which implied that the cold environment plays a decisive role in the ginsenoside accumulation of American ginseng. Further results showed that there is a cyclically reversible dynamism between methylation and demethylation of DNA in the perennial American ginseng in response to temperature seasonality. And sufficient cold exposure duration in winter caused sufficient DNA demethylation in tender leaves in early spring and then accompanied the high expression of flowering gene PqFT in flowering stages and ginsenosides biosynthesis gene PqDDS in green berry stages successively, and finally, maximum ginsenosides accumulation occurred in the roots of American ginseng. Conclusion: We, therefore, hypothesized that cold-induced DNA methylation changes might regulate relative gene expression involving both plant development and plant secondary metabolites in such cold-dependent perennial plant species.