• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.160-168
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• 2016

Background: Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) is a well-characterized medicinal herb listed in the classic oriental herbal dictionary as "Shin-nong-bon-cho-kyung." Ginseng has diverse pharmacologic and therapeutic properties. Black ginseng (BG, Ginseng Radix nigra) is produced by repeatedly steaming fresh ginseng nine times. Studies of BG have shown that prolonged heat treatment enhances the antioxidant activity with increased radical scavenging activity. Several recent studies have showed the effects of BG on increased lipid profiles in mice. In this study report the effects of water and ethanol extracts of BG on hypercholesterolemia in rats. To our knowledge, this is the first time such an effect has been reported. Methods: Experiments were conducted on male Sprague Dawley rats fed with a high-cholesterol diet supplemented with the water and ethanol extracts of BG (200 mg/kg). Their blood cholesterol levels, serum white blood cell levels, and cholesterol-metabolizing marker genes messenger RNA (mRNA) expression were determined. Liver and adipose tissues were histologically analyzed. Results: We found that BG extracts efficiently reduced the total serum cholesterol levels, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels with increased food efficiency ratio and increased number of neutrophil cells. It also attenuated the key genes responsible for lipogenesis, that is, acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) acetyltransferase 2, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2, at the mRNA level inside liver cells. Furthermore, the BG extract also reduced the accumulation of fat in adipose tissues, and inhibited the neutral fat content in liver cells stained with hematoxylin and eosin and oil red O. Conclusion: Administration of BG extracts to Sprague Dawley rats fed with high-cholesterol diet ameliorated hypercholesterolemia, which was mediated via modulation of cholesterol-metabolizing marker genes. This data throw a light on BG's cardioprotective effects.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.438-447
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• 2016

This study was conducted in order to investigate the physiochemical properties and antioxidative activity of red ginseng manufactured using the high temperature high pressure (HTHP) process, which is faster and simpler than the conventional process. According to increasing the steaming temperature, pressure and time, the content of minor non-polar ginsenosides, such as Rg3, Rk3, Rh4, Rk1 and Rg5 gradually increased. Also, the contents of acidic polysaccharide, total phenolic compounds and maltol gradually increased. Based on the results of the physiochemical properties and appearance quality, the optimum conditions of HTHP process were estimated as $140^{\circ}C$, $3kg/cm^2$ in 20 min. The total phenolic compounds and maltol contents of the HTHP process red ginseng (1.0% and 2.49 mg%, respectively) were higher than those of conventional red ginseng (0.23% and 0.60 mg%, respectively). In addition, the antioxidative activity was investigated using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2'-aziono-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) radical scavenging activity. DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities of HTHP process red ginseng increased by 3.4 and 3.6 folds, respectively, compared with conventional red ginseng. In addition, total phenolic compounds and maltol contents, as well as the antioxidant activity of the HTHP process red ginseng were similar to black ginseng. The present results suggest that the HTHP process is available for the development of value-added red ginseng products.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.222-229
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• 2019

Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) was processed by drying, steaming, or puffing, and the effects of these processes on the ginsenoside profile were investigated. The main root of 4-year-old raw Korean ginseng was dried to produce white ginseng. Steaming, followed by drying, was employed to produce red or black ginseng. In addition, these three varieties of processed ginseng were puffed using a rotational puffing gun. Puffed ginseng showed significantly higher extraction yields of ginsenosides (49.87-58.60 g solid extract/100 g of sample) and crude saponin content (59.40-63.87 mg saponin/g of dried ginseng) than non-puffed ginseng, respectively. Moreover, puffing effectively transformed the major ginsenosides (Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, Re, and Rg1) of ginseng into minor ones (F2, Rg3, Rk1, and Rg5), comparable to the steaming process effect on the levels of the transformed ginsenosides. However, steaming takes much longer (4 to 36 days) than puffing (less than 30 min) for ginsenoside transformation. Consequently, puffing may be an effective and economical technique for enhancing the extraction yield and levels of minor ginsenosides responsible for the major biological activities of ginseng.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.352-359
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to develop a new preparation process of ginseng leaf and stem extracts having high concentrations of ginsenoside Rg2, Rg3, Rg5, Rh1, a special component of red and black ginseng. Chemical transformation from ginseng saponin glycosides to prosapogenin was analyzed by the HPLC. Extracts of ginseng (Panax ginseng) leaf and stem were processed under several treatment conditions including ultrasonication treatments. The content of total saponin reached their heights at 17 hr (UGL-17) of ultrasonication treatment, followed by 16 hr (UGL-16) and 7 hr (UGL-7) of ultrasonication treatment at $100^{\circ}C$. UGL-17 findings show that the ginseng leaf and stem that had been processed with ultrasonication for 17 hours peaked in the level of Rg2, Rg3 and Rh1. In addition, UGL-16 contained ginsenoside Rg5 at high concentrations. It is thought that such results provide basic information in preparing ginseng leaf and stem extracts with functionality enhanced.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.116-121
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• 2018

Background: Black ginseng (BG) has greatly enhanced pharmacological activities relative to white or red ginseng. However, the effect and molecular mechanism of BG on muscle growth has not yet been examined. In this study, we investigated whether BG could regulate myoblast differentiation and myotube hypertrophy. Methods: BG-treated C2C12 myoblasts were differentiated, followed by immunoblotting for myogenic regulators, immunostaining for a muscle marker, myosin heavy chain or immunoprecipitation analysis for myogenic transcription factors. Results: BG treatment of C2C12 cells resulted in the activation of Akt, thereby enhancing hetero-dimerization of MyoD and E proteins, which in turn promoted muscle-specific gene expression and myoblast differentiation. BG-treated myoblasts formed larger multinucleated myotubes with increased diameter and thickness, accompanied by enhanced Akt/mTOR/p70S6K activation. Furthermore, the BG treatment of human rhabdomyosarcoma cells restored myogenic differentiation. Conclusion: BG enhances myoblast differentiation and myotube hypertrophy by activating Akt/mTOR/p70S6k axis. Thus, our study demonstrates that BG has promising potential to treat or prevent muscle loss related to aging or other pathological conditions, such as diabetes.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.273-279
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• 2021

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of a dietary addition of red ginseng marc, mineral^® and black sugar^® on the dry matter intake, daily gain, yield grade and quality grade of Holstein steers(Bos taurus). A total of 32 fattening Holstein steers(avg. BW 590kg) were assigned to four treatments which included a control diet(mixed concentrate and forage; namely, C) and three treatments diet(T1; control diet+red ginseng marc 200g, T2; control diet+red ginseng marc 100g+mineral 50g, T3; control diet+mineral 50g+ black sugar 20g). The results are summarized as follows; the total feed intake and daily feed intake were significantly(p<0.05) higher in T2 and T3 than in the other two treatments(C and T1). The daily gain was higher in T2 than in the other treatments, but there was no significant difference. The back fat thickness, longissimus muscle area and meat yield grade were no significant difference. The marbling score showed significantly(p<0.05) higher in order of T3(4.5) > T1(4.0) > T2(2.7) > C(2.5). The meat color, fat color, texture and maturity were no significant difference. The quality grade was higher in T3 than in the other treatments(C, T1 and T2), but there was no significant difference. T3, which numerically had a higher daily gain and carcass quality grade, showed higher economic efficiency, whereas C showed low economic efficiency. Based on the above results, T3 treatment compared to the other treatments improved the daily gain, carcass quality grade and economic efficiency.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.156-162
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• 2011

The objective of this study is to evaluate antioxidant activities of black ginseng prepared by nine repeated steaming-drying cycles. Ethanol extracts from each cycle of ginseng showed 33.5~41.0% of yields, 36.2~44.5% of moisture content and $64\sim66^{\circ}Brix$ of soluble solids. As the number of steaming-drying cycles increased, pH decreased, while the absorbance at 420 nm increased remarkably after the 4th cycle. Although the amounts of Rg1 and Rb1 contents quite decreased, the total phenol content of black ginseng (the final cycle of ginseng) was increased to 126%, compared with that of white ginseng. Antioxidant activities, determined by ferric-reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP), 2,2'-azinobis(3 ethybenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities, increased remarkably as the number of steaming-drying cycles increased. Especially, FRAP value increased 155.6%. Also, $IC_{50}$ values for DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities of the final 9th-cycling product, decreased 4.5 folds and 9.7 folds, respectively, compared with those of white ginseng. Based on these results, it was suggested that antioxidant activities of black ginseng improve according to the increasing number of steaming-drying cycles, which was derived from increase of total phenol content.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.320-325
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to develop a new preparation process of Notoginseng root(Panax notoginseng) extracts having high concentrations of ginsenoside $Rg_3$, $Rg_5$, $Rk_1$ and $Rh_4$, a special component of Red and Black ginseng(Panax ginseng). Chemical transformation from ginseng saponin to prosapogenin was analyzed by the HPLC. Extracts of Notoginseng root was processed under several treatment conditions including microwave and vinegar(about 14% acidity) treatments. Results of those treatments showed that the quantity of ginsenoside $Rg_3$ increased by over 7.6% at 15 minutes of pH 2~4 vinegar and microwave treatments. The results of processing with MPN-15 indicate that the microwave and vinegar(about 14% acidity) processed Notoginseng root extracts that had gone through 15-minute treatments were found to contain the largest amount of ginsenoside $Rg_3$(7.639%), $Rg_5$(6.061%), $Rk_1$(1.516%) and $Rh_4$(1.599). It is thought that such results provide basic information in preparing Notoginseng root extracts with functionality enhanced.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 1985

This experiment was designed to determine the effect of light quality on the appearance of photobleaching leaves during the cure of Burley Tobacco. The harvested and browned tobacco leaves were exposed to sunlight in pipe houses covered with 8 kinds of color vinyls (white, red, black, yellow, purple, orange, blue, green), and exposed to ultraviolet rays(20W x 3) and infrared rays (150W x 2) in curing chamber (1.2 x 1.2 x 1.2m). Photobleaching occured more at lower position leaf and after the leaves being browned when the curing was done in sunlight under a transparent vinyl. But photobleaching leaves were 5-6% of total cured leaves in sunlight under all kinds of color vinyl houses. It seems that photobleaching mainly induced by ultrabiolet rays of sunlight, and humidity too influenced. Yellow, orange and purple vinyl were durable and effective as shading material of color vinyls. since white and red vinyl tore easily in two monthes in strong sunlight and under black and blue vinyl houses curing period was longer than others.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.1036-1048
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• 2021

This study investigated the possible improvement in the antioxidative status and quality characteristics of ready-to-eat (RTE) Samgyetang after adding various black garlic (BG) extracts. The antioxidant activity, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), meat quality indexes, and lipid oxidation rates were measured after receiving one of five different treatments consisting of conventional Samgyetang broth as a negative control, raw garlic (RG) extract as a positive control, BG, oven-dried BG, and maltodextrin-encapsulated BG extract as treatments. Employing retort cooking, fat trimmed carcasses were added to the initially prepared broth together with a phenolic extract that was set at 5% (w/w). A significant intensification of red and yellow color was observed in breast and thigh meat treated with BG extracts, regardless of pretreatment, compared to the negative control and RG. The moisture percentage was affected by the addition of BG extracts, where the encapsulation group retained the highest water content after retorting. In terms of antioxidative status, maltodextrin-encapsulated BG extract was as effective as an oven-dried extract to scavenge free radicals and showed the highest score among samples (p<0.01). The concentration of TFC was found to be the highest and did not differ between encapsulation and oven-dried groups, followed by BG, RG, and the negative control. However, the addition of encapsulated BG extract was the most effective in delaying the formation of malondialdehyde among the samples. Therefore, pre-treatment of BG extract through encapsulation is recommended to develop a higher antioxidative status and quality characteristics of Samgyetang.