• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.239-247
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• 2018

In recent years, several therapeutic drugs have been rationally designed and synthesized based on the novel knowledge gained from investigating the actions of biologically active chemicals derived from foods, plants, and medicinal herbs. One of the major advantages of these naturalistic chemicals is their ability to interact with multiple targets in the body resulting in a combined beneficial effect. Ginseng is a perennial herb (Araliaceae family), a species within the genus Panax, and a highly valued and popular medicinal plant. Evidence for the medicinal and health benefits of Panax ginseng and its components in preventing neurodegeneration has increased significantly in the past decade. The beneficial effects of P. ginseng on neurodegenerative diseases have been attributed primarily to the antioxidative and immunomodulatory activities of its ginsenoside components. Mechanistic studies on the neuroprotective effects of ginsenosides revealed that they act not only as antioxidants but also as modulators of intracellular neuronal signaling and metabolism, cell survival/death genes, and mitochondrial function. The goal of the present paper is to provide a brief review of recent knowledge and developments concerning the beneficial effects as well as the mechanism of action of P. ginseng and its components in the treatment and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.33-38
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• 2022

Traditionally, Asian ginseng or Korean ginseng, Panax ginseng has long been used in Korea and China to treat various diseases. The main active components of Panax ginseng is ginsenoside, which is known to have various pharmacological treatment effects such as antioxidant, vascular easing, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetes, and anticancer. Most reactive oxygen species (ROS) cause chronic diseases such as myocardial symptoms and cause fatal oxidative damage to cell membrane lipids and proteins. Therefore, many studies that inhibit the production of oxidative stress have been conducted in various fields of physiology, pathophysiology, medicine and health, and disease. Recently, ginseng or ginsenosides have been known to act as antioxidants in vitro and in vivo results, which have a beneficial effect on preventing cardiovascular disease. The current review aims to provide mechanisms and inform precious information on the effects of ginseng and ginsenosides on the prevention of oxidative stress and cardiovascular disease in animals and clinical trials.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.168-172
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• 1998

Systematic electrophoretic analysis of alcohol-soluble proteins and salt-soluble proteins of 247 Panax ginseng (P.g) and Panax quinquefolium (P.q) germplasms seed was carried out on an improved lactate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, a method with high resolving power, good reproducibility and stability. The electrophoregrams of proteins, according to their migration rate, were classified into four groups such as ${\alpha}$, ${\beta}$, ${\gamma}$ and $\omega$ for the alcohol-soluble proteins and three such as I, II and III for the salt-soluble ones. Panax ginseng or Panax quinquefolium had their own unique band pattern distinguishable from each other, regarding as their specific "fingerprint". In this study, 3 of 168 (1.8%) P.g germplasms and 1 of 79 (1.3%) P.q germplasms had their own unique band pattern, showing that P.g and P.q germplasms have poor genetic diversity in species. The band patterns of dry seed and stratified seed (embryo rate=60%) were basically the same. The band number of the F, hybrid of p.gx p.q was exactly equivalent to the number of the common bands plus the specific bands of the two parents, indicating that the difference of band patterns was a genetic trait con- trolled by the nuclear genes. The electrophoregram of F1 of P.g x P.q could be predicted by that of the two parents and the band pattern of the F1 hybrids could be demnonstrated by that of the mixed seed extract from the two parents.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.291-298
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• 1996

Free amino acid (FAA) compositions in the central part (pith-xylem : P-X) and the outer part (phloem-cortex : P-C) of root were investigated for P ginseng (P.g), p. quinque-folium (P.q) an, B P nutoginsen (P.n) by an amino acid analyzer. Total free amlno acids content (TFAA) was highest in p.맥 and lowest in p.n. The TFAA of P-Xs were higher than those of P-Cs in these Panax species except p.n. The higher the TFAA in P-X, the higher the ratio of TFAA in P-X to that in P-C. Seven- teen free amino acids and ammonia were identified, and four unknown peaks appeared before the usual amino acids eluted. The total aspartic acid equivalent of these unknown peaks was corresponded to 77% of known TFAA in P-C of p.n, 17% in P. n, and 7% in p.q. The pattern of unknown peaks of p.g was different from p.q and similar to P.n. In all samples six major amino acids and ammonia accounted for 90~95% of TFAA. Arginine was comprised from 29% (P.n) to 43% (P.g) by amole as amino acid and from 50 to 71% by amole as nitrogen (N amole) in TFAA. Ammonia was the second abundant one by amole and the third by Npmole. Histidine was the second by Npmole. Praline was one of major FAA in p.q. Pattern similarity of FAA composition (excluding Arg and Am) by simple correlation was closer between P-C of p.g and P-X of p.q than between both P-Xs and quite different between the P-X of p.g and that of p.n. The pattern similarities of major FAA percent abundance excluding Arg and Am were significant only between P-X and P-C of the same species. Arginine content (amole) had positive correlation (r=0.859, p=0.05) with Arg/Am among species. Ammonia content was higher than arginine in p.n. Tryptophan content was greatest in p.n among species and higher than lysine only in p.n. The ratios of TFAA to N(W/W) were in the range of 3.89~4.14 for TFAA and 3.61~3.92 for TFAA plus ammonia.

• Plant Resources
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2001

Many plant species are used in China in tradtional medicine for the prevention and treatment of cancer. This paper presents some of these species with defals on other pharmacologic evaluation and its tradional Chinese meditional uses. The known bioaktivities and some chemical constituents of each of the species given. Information on bioactivities of each species resulting from tests on experimental animals are given. Many of the known chemical constituents of each species are given. Various species of plants elective for various types. In this meeting I will present on some antitumor of the plants which are as follows ; (1) Akebia trifoliata(Thunb.)Koidz. ((2) Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F, H, Chen ., (3)Ziziphus jujuba Mill., (4)coriotus versicolor(Fr.) Quel., (5) Trich osanthes kirilowii Maxim., (6) Ficus carica Linnaeus., (7) Acanthopanax senticosus(Rupr. et Maxim.)Harms.,(5) Hibiscus mutabilis Linnaeus.,(9) Arctium lappa Linnaeus., (11) Agrimonia pilose Ledebour and (12) Hedyotis diffusa Willd.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.52-63
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• 2000

Many plant species are used in China in traditional medicine for the prevention and treatment of cancer. This paper presents some of these species with details on other pharmacologic evaluation and its traditional Chinese meditional uses. The known bioaktivities and some chemical constituents of each of the species given. Information on bioactivities of each species resulting from tests on experimental animals are given. Many of the known chemical constituents of each species are given. Various species of plants elective for various types. In this meeting I will present on some antitumor of the plants which are as follows; (1) Akebia trifoliata(Thunb.)Koidz. ((2) Panax notoginseng(Burk.) F, H, Chen., (3) Ziziphus jujuba Mill., (4) coriolus versicolor(Fr.)Que l., (5) Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim., (6) Ficus carica Linnaeus., (7) Acanthopanax senticosus(Rupr.et Maxim.)Harms., (8) Hibiscus mutabilis Linnaeus., (9) Arctium lappa Linnaeus., (11) Agrimonia pilosa Ledebour and (12) Hedyotis diffusa Willd.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.182-186
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• 2004

Morphological observation of roots and molecular technique were used to investigate the symbiotic relationships between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and ginseng roots. Korean ginseng, Panax ginseng, was collected from 8 sites in Korea. Colonization pattern of AM fungi in ginseng roots was determined as an Arum type under light microscopes. Nested PCR using AM fungal specific primers was employed to amplify a partial region on 18s rDNA of AM fungi from the root extracted mixed DNA. The amplified DNA was cloned and analyzed by random fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) with restriction enzymes, AluI, HinfI and AsuC21. One from each RFLP pattern was selected for sequencing. A total 16 clones were sequenced and identified as 2 species of AM fungi; Paraglomus brasilianum and Glomus spurcum. Paramglomus brasilianum was found from most of the ginseng roots, in this syudy suggesting that this species of AM fungi could have specific relationship with the ginseng root. Possible roles of AM fungal species in ginseng roots are discussed.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.81-94
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on growth of Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Mey.) seedlings. Five species of AMF (Glomus mosseae, Glomus intraradices, Glomus etunicatum, Acaulospora longula, Acaulospora trappei) were inoculated to ginseng seedlings at 60 days after ginseng seed germination. Dry weights, heights of the plants and chlorophyll fluorescence were measured at 120 days after inoculation of AMF. Dry weights and shoot heights were increased in seedlings inoculated with AMF compared to the controls without AMF. However, chlorophyll fluorescence of seedlings with AMF showed no significant difference compared to the control.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.290-297
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• 2017

Background: The use of X-ray phase-contrast microtomography for the investigation of Chinese medicinal materials is advantageous for its nondestructive, in situ, and three-dimensional quantitative imaging properties. Methods: The X-ray phase-contrast microtomography quantitative imaging method was used to investigate the microstructure of ginseng, and the phase-retrieval method is also employed to process the experimental data. Four different ginseng samples were collected and investigated; these were classified according to their species, production area, and sample growth pattern. Results: The quantitative internal characteristic microstructures of ginseng were extracted successfully. The size and position distributions of the calcium oxalate cluster crystals (COCCs), important secondary metabolites that accumulate in ginseng, are revealed by the three-dimensional quantitative imaging method. The volume and amount of the COCCs in different species of the ginseng are obtained by a quantitative analysis of the three-dimensional microstructures, which shows obvious difference among the four species of ginseng. Conclusion: This study is the first to provide evidence of the distribution characteristics of COCCs to identify four types of ginseng, with regard to species authentication and age identification, by X-ray phase-contrast microtomography quantitative imaging. This method is also expected to reveal important relationships between COCCs and the occurrence of the effective medicinal components of ginseng.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.176-184
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• 2016

Background: Wild ginseng, Panax ginseng Meyer, is an endangered species of medicinal plants. In the present study, we analyzed variations within the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) cluster to gain insight into the genetic diversity of the Oriental ginseng, P. ginseng, at artificial plant cultivation. Methods: The roots of wild P. ginseng plants were sampled from a nonprotected natural population of the Russian Far East. The slides were prepared from leaf tissues using the squash technique for cytogenetic analysis. The 18S rDNA sequences were cloned and sequenced. The distribution of nucleotide diversity, recombination events, and interspecific phylogenies for the total 18S rDNA sequence data set was also examined. Results: In mesophyll cells, mononucleolar nuclei were estimated to be dominant (75.7%), while the remaining nuclei contained two to four nucleoli. Among the analyzed 18S rDNA clones, 20% were identical to the 18S rDNA sequence of P. ginseng from Japan, and other clones differed in one to six substitutions. The nucleotide polymorphism was more expressed at the positions 440-640 bp, and distributed in variable regions, expansion segments, and conservative elements of core structure. The phylogenetic analysis confirmed conspecificity of ginseng plants cultivated in different regions, with two fixed mutations between P. ginseng and other species. Conclusion: This study identified the evidences of the intragenomic nucleotide polymorphism in the 18S rDNA sequences of P. ginseng. These data suggest that, in cultivated plants, the observed genome instability may influence the synthesis of biologically active compounds, which are widely used in traditional medicine.