• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2003.12a
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• pp.32-36
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• 2003

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.77-97
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• 1993

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.65-66
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• 2003

Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) is an representative medicinal herb. It is classified as an adaptogen, helping the body to adapt to stress, improving stamina and concentration, and providing a normalizing and restorative effect. However, cultivation and breeding of the plant is very difficult because it requires at least 4-year cultivation from seed germination to root harvest.(중략)

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.277-283
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• 2016

Background: The photosynthetic efficiency cool-season, semi-shade ginseng is normal at low morning temperatures, but drops at high afternoon temperatures. Therefore, optimal plant performance would be ensured if it were possible to control daily light transmission rates (LTR). Methods and Results: Plants were grown in a controlled light environment that replicated 11 AM conditions and comparatively analyzed against plant grown under normal conditions. Growth in the controlled light environment resulted in a 2.81 fold increase in photosynthetic efficiency with no change in chlorophyll content, although LTR were high due to low morning temperatures. Increased aerial plant growth was observed in the ginseng plants adapted to the controlled light environment, which in turn influenced root weight. An 81% increase in fresh root weight (33.3 g per plant on average) was observed in 4-year-old ginseng plants grown in controlled light environment compared to the plants grown following conventional practices (18.4 g per plant on average). With regard to the inorganic composition of leaves of 4-year-old ginseng plants grown in controlled light environment, an increased in Fe content was observed, while Mn and Zn content decreased, and total ginsenoside content of roots increased 2.37 fold. Conclusions: Growth of ginseng under a favorable light environment, such as the condition which exist naturally at 11 AM and are suitable for the plant's photosynthetic activity creates the possibility of large scale production, excellent-quality ginseng.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.153-158
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• 1993

The study was carried out for comparison of variants and development of genetic markers using Randomly Amplified Polymorphic D사A (RAPD) analysis method. The ginseng variants used were as follows: Chungkyung-Chong, Hwangskoog-Chong, KG101 selected by the pureline selection method, and 6 kinds of Jakyung-Chong strains Uinjakyung, Jakyung-Chong 81783, Jakyung-Chong 847913, Jaky tong-Chong 79742, Jinjakyung of USSR, and Mimaki of Japan). Four of 10 RAPD primers showed the distinctive polymorphism among 9 ginseng variants and lines, and were selected for more detailed polymorphic analysis. The sequences of 4 selected primers were TGCCGAGCTG (Primer#2), AATCGGGCTG (#4), GAAACGGGTG (U7), and GTGACGTAGG (#8). All primers produced several common bands among the strains. However, when primer # 2 was applied, the electrophoregram showed the specific band at 1.8 kb region in Chungkyung-Chong, Hwangskoog- chong, and KG101, and 1 kb in the Jakyung-Chong 847913. In primer #4, 1.1 kb band was shown in Chungkyung-Chong, Hwangskoog-Chong, KG101, and Jakyung-Chong 79742. In primer # 7, 700 bp band was appeared in Jakyung-Chong 81783 and Jinjakyung of USSR In primer # 8, 800 bp band was observed only in Mimaki, comparing to another strains. When Similarity Index (SI) was calculated, Chungkyung-Chong and Hwngskoog-Chong, and Jakyung- chong 81783 and Jinjakyung of USSR showed the most close SI, 0.11 and 0.08, respectively. The data of KG101, which showed the SI of 0.13 with the group of Chungkyung-Chong and Hwangskoog-Chong, coincided with the fact that it was released from Hwangskoog-Chong by breeding process. The data of Jakyung strains indicated the significant variation among the strains. From these results, RAPD analysis method could be succesively applied to the classification and genetic analysis for breeding of Korean ginseng.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.37-41
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• 1989

Reactive metabolites generated by benzo(a)pyrene(BP) monooxygenase(AHH) interact with nucleophiles in DNA and cause mutation and carcinogenesis. We studied the effect of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, which induce epoxide hydratase(EH) activity without concomitant induction of AHH activity, on the binding of BP metabolites to DNA in uitro in Sprague Dawley rats. DNA-BP metabolite adducts can be resolved into at least five distinct peaks by elution of a Sephadex LH-20 column with a water methanol gradieNt. These peaks are arbitrarily designated A(most polar) through I(least polar). Of the 5 peaks tentatively assigned to 7,8 biol-9,10-oxide(A),7,8·oxide(B),4,5-oxide(C), and further metabolites of 9-OH-BP(D & E), peaks A, C, D, and I were reduced to 70, 85, 80, and 30% of controls, respectively, and there was no significant change in peak B. In connection with this DNA binding study, BP metabolizing enzymes including AHH, EH, demethylase(DM) activity and cyt. P-450 contents were also investigated in order to compare the BP treated control with ginseng and BP treated test groups. The results showed that the EH activity was increased by 139% over the BP control, the Cyt. P-450 content was increased by 180% over the control value, and DM and AHH activities were also increased to some degree for the BP test group, but there was no significant effect of the ginseng treatment.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.406-413
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• 2015

Background: Pathogenesis-related 10 (PR-10) proteins are small, cytosolic proteins with a similar three-dimensional structure. Crystal structures for several PR-10 homologs have similar overall folding patterns, with an unusually large internal cavity that is a binding site for biologically important molecules. Although structural information on PR-10 proteins is substantial, understanding of their biological function remains limited. Here, we showed that one of the PgPR-10 homologs, PgPR-10.3, shares binding properties with flavonoids, kinetin, emodin, deoxycholic acid, and ginsenoside Re (1 of the steroid glycosides). Methods: Gene expression patterns of PgPR-10.3 were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. The three-dimensional structure of PgPR-10 proteins was visualized by homology modeling, and docking to retrieve biologically active molecules was performed using AutoDock4 program. Results: Transcript levels of PgPR-10.3 expressed in leaves, stems, and roots of 3-wk-old ginseng plantlets were on average 86-fold lower than those of PgPR-10.2. In mature 2-yr-old ginseng plants, the mRNA of PgPR-10.3 is restricted to leaves. Ginsenoside Re production is especially prominent in leaves of Panax ginseng Meyer, and the binding property of PgPR-10.3 with ginsenoside Re suggests that this protein has an important role in the control of secondary metabolism. Conclusion: Although ginseng PR-10.3 gene is expressed in all organs of 3-wk-old plantlets, its expression is restricted to leaves in mature 2-yr-old ginseng plants. The putative binding property of PgPR-10.3 with Re is intriguing. Further verification of binding affinity with other biologically important molecules in the large hydrophobic cavity of PgPR-10.3 may provide an insight into the biological features of PR-10 proteins.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.85-95
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• 2017

Background: American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) and Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) products, such as slices, have a similar appearance, but they have significantly different prices, leading to widespread adulteration in the commercial market. Their aroma characteristics are attracting increasing attention and are supposed to be effective and nondestructive markers to determine adulteration. Methods: The aroma characteristics of American and Asian ginseng were investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS) and an electronic nose (E-nose). Their volatile organic compounds were separated, classified, compared, and analyzed with different pattern recognition. Results: The E-nose showed a good performance in grouping with a principle component analysis explaining 94.45% of variance. A total of 69 aroma components were identified by GC-MS, with 35.6% common components and 64.6% special ingredients between the two ginsengs. It was observed that the components and the number of terpenes and alcohols were markedly different, indicating possible reasons for their difference. The results of pattern recognition confirmed that the E-nose processing result is similar to that of GC-MS. The interrelation between aroma constituents and sensors indicated that special sensors were highly related to some terpenes and alcohols. Accordingly, the contents of selected constituents were accurately predicted by corresponding sensors with most $R^2$ reaching 90%. Conclusion: Combined with advanced chemometrics, the E-nose is capable of discriminating between American and Asian ginseng in both qualitative and quantitative angles, presenting an accurate, rapid, and nondestructive reference approach.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.59-64
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• 2009

$Ca^{2+}$ and calmodulin (CaM), a key $Ca^{2+}$ sensor in all eukaryotes, have been implicated for defense responses of plants. Eukaryotic CaM contains four structurally and functionally similar $Ca^{2+}$ domains named I, II, III and IV. Each $Ca^{2+}$ binding loop consists of 12 amino acid residues with ligands arranged spatially to satisfy the octahedral symmetry of $Ca^{2+}$ binding. To investigate the altered gene expression and the role of CaM in ginseng plant defense system, cDNA clone containing a CaM gene, designated PgCaM was isolated and sequenced from Panax ginseng. PgCaM, which has open reading frame of 450 nucleotides predicted to encode a precursor protein of 150 amino acid residues. Its sequence shows high homologies with a number of other CaMs, with more similarity to CaM of Daucus carota (AAQ63461). The expression of PgCaM in different P. ginseng organs was analyzed using real time PCR. The results showed that PgCaM expressed at different levels in young leaves, shoots, and roots of 3-week-old P. ginseng. In addition, the expressions of PgCaM under different abiotic stresses were analyzed at different time intervals.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.3-7
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• 2009

Background and Objectives : Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer is a medical plant that has been widely utilized as a tonic and nutritional agent since ancient times in Korea. Ginseng has anti-metastatic property of cancer and immunomodulating activity. The novel acidic polysaccharide compound(MB40) was isolated from the leaves of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer. To determine immunomodulating activities of MB40, we evaluate anti-cancer and anti-metastatic effects of MB40 in tumor bearing immune competent mice. Material and Methods : C3H mice were divided into three equal groups(Cisplatin treatment group, MB40 treat-ment group, Cisplatin and MB40 treatment group) and were transplanted SCC(Squamous Cell Carcinoma) cells(2${\times}$106) to the lateral side of abdomen. From day 4 after transplantation, MB40 was administrated at dose of 10mg/kg, respectively, every other day by intratumoral injection. Cisplatin was systemically administrated at doses of 1mg/kg, respectively, every week by intraperitoneal injection. Results : 5 days after administration, tumors can be palpated in every mice group. After 13 days of administration, the mice group to which MB40 were administrated exhibited reduction in tumor size respectively, compared to cisplatin group. Overall status of mice such as body weight and activity were superior in MB40 group than cisplatin group. Conclusion : The result of this study indicates MB40 may have significant therapeutic effect and decreases complications induced by systemic chemotheraphy. MB40 may be developed as a novel and potent immunotropics to improve the cell immune system and anti-cancer drug for the treatment of cancer patients in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.