• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.401-412
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• 2013

Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) is an oriental herbal preparation obtained from Panax ginseng Meyer (Araliaceae). To expand our understanding of the action of KRG on central nervous system (CNS) function, we examined the effects of KRG on tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)/plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) expression in rat primary astrocytes. KRG extract was treated in cultured rat primary astrocytes and neuron in a concentration range of 0.1 to 1.0 mg/mL and the expression of functional tPA/PAI-1 was examined by casein zymography, Western blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. KRG extracts increased PAI-1 expression in rat primary astrocytes in a concentration dependent manner (0.1 to 1.0 mg/mL) without affecting the expression of tPA itself. Treatment of 1.0 mg/mL KRG increased PAI-1 protein expression in rat primary astrocytes to $319.3{\pm}65.9%$ as compared with control. The increased PAI-1 expression mediated the overall decrease in tPA activity in rat primary astrocytes. Due to the lack of PAI-1 expression in neuron, KRG did not affect tPA activity in neuron. KRG treatment induced a concentration dependent activation of PI3K, p38, ERK1/2, and JNK in rat primary astrocytes and treatment of PI3K or MAPK inhibitors such as LY294002, U0126, SB203580, and SP600125 (10 ${\mu}M$ each), significantly inhibited 1.0 mg/mL KRG-induced expression of PAI-1 and down-regulation of tPA activity in rat primary astrocytes. Furthermore, compound K but not other ginsenosides such as Rb1 and Rg1 induced PAI-1 expression. KRG-induced up-regulation of PAI-1 in astrocytes may play important role in the regulation of overall tPA activity in brain, which might underlie some of the beneficial effects of KRG on CNS such as neuroprotection in ischemia and brain damaging condition as well as prevention or recovery from addiction.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.576-583
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• 2019

The effect of aeration process in causing changes in the prosapogenin content and the antioxidant activity of red ginseng powder extracts was investigated. With respect to the color change of the extracts, the L-value and b-value decreased significantly with the lapse of extraction time both with and without the aeration process. The a-value increased with the lapse of the extraction time in the non-aeration process but decreased in the aeration process. This result suggests that when the aeration process was performed, the lightness, yellowness, and redness decreased with the lapse of the extraction time, resulting in a darker color. The total polyphenolic and total flavonoid contents were the highest at 0.84 and 0.96 mg Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE)/mL, 21.77 and 21.93 mg GAE/mL at 24 h and 36 h, respectively for the aerated red ginseng powder extracts. The DPPH, ABTS, H₂O₂ scavenging activity, and reducing power were measured to confirm the antioxidant effects of red ginseng powder extracts after the aeration process. Thus, the antioxidant activity was increased in the aerated red ginseng powder extracts. In addition, when comparing the contents of Rb1, Rg1, and Rg3, the content of Rg3 was significantly different, and it was confirmed that a large amount was produced in the aerated red ginseng extracts. These results indicate that the red ginseng extracts subjected to the aeration process are superior than the ones processed by the non-aeration process.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.123-128
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• 2008

The MRLs (maximum residue limits) of DDT (DDD and DDE) in fresh ginseng, dried ginseng, and steamed red ginseng are set as low as 0.01 mg/kg, 0.05 mg/kg, and 0.05 mg/kg, respectively. Therefore, this study was undertaken to develop a simple and highly sensitive analysis method, as well as to reduce interfering ginseng matrix peaks, for the determination of DDT isomers (o,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDE, o,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDD, o,p'-DDT, and p,p'-DDT) in fresh ginseng, dried ginseng, and steamed red ginseng at the 0.01 mg/kg level. The method used acetonitrile extraction according to simultaneous analysis, followed by normal-phase Florisil solid-phase extraction column clean-up. The purification method entailed the following steps: (1) dissolve the concentrated sample extract in 7 mL hexane; (2) add 3 mL of $H_2SO_4$; (3) vigorously shake on avortex mixer; (4) cetrifuge at 2000 rpm for 5 min; (5) transfer 3.5 mL of the supernatant to the Florisil-SPE (500 mg/6 mL);and (6) elute the SPE column with 1.5 mL of hexane and 10 mL of ether/hexane (6:94). The determination of DDT isomers was carried out by a gas chromatography-electron capture detector (GC-${\mu}$ECD). The hexane and ether/hexane (6:94) eluate significantly removed chromatographic interferences, and the addition of 30% $H_2SO_4$ to the acetonitrile extract effectively reduced many interfering ginseng matrix peaks, to allow for the determination of the DDT isomers at the 0.01 mg/kg level. The recoveries of the 6 fortified (most at 0.01 mg/kg) DDT isomers from fresh ginseng, dried ginseng, and steamed red ginseng ranged from 87.9 to 99.6%. The MDLs (method detection limits) ranged from 0.003 to 0.009 mg/kg. Finally, the application of this method for the determination of DDT isomers is sensitive, rapid, simple, and inexpensive.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.93-97
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to develop a new ginseng (Panax ginseng) flower buds extract with the high concentration of ginsenoside Rg3, Rg5, Rk1, Rh1 and F4, the Red ginseng special component. Chemical transformation from the ginseng saponin glycosides to the prosapogenin was analyzed by the HPLC. The ginseng flower buds were processed at the several treatment conditions of the ultrasonication (Oscillator 600W, Vibrator 600W) and vinegar (about 14% acidity). The result of UVGFB-480 was the butanol fraction of ginseng flower buds that had been processed with ultrasonication and vinegar for 480 minutes gained the highest amount of ginsenoside Rg5 (3.548%), Rh1 (2.037%), Rk1 (1.821%), Rg3 (1.580%) and F4 (1.535%). The ginsenoside Rg5 of UVGFB-480 was found to contain 14.3 times as high as ginseng flower buds extracts (GFB, 0.249%).

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.58-63
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to develop a new preparation process of ginseng berry extracts having high concentrations of ginsenoside Rh1, Rg2, Rg5, F4, 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) berry was processed under several treatment conditions including ultrasonication treatments. The content of total saponin reached their heights at 6 hr (UGB-6, 61.760%) of ultrasonication treatment, followed by 10 hr (UGB-10, 53.009%) and 9 hr (UGB-9, 50.652%) of ultrasonication treatment at $100^{\circ}C$. Results of those treatments showed that the quantity of ginsenoside Rh1 increased by over 15% at 10 hr of ultrasonication treatment at $100^{\circ}C$. The results of processing with UGB-10 indicate that the ultrasonication processed ginseng berry extracts that had gone through 10 hr treatments were found to contain the largest amount of ginsenoside Rh1 (15.358%), Rg2 (6.301%), Re (4.567%) and F4 (2.658%). In addition, UGB-6 contained ginsenoside Rg3 (13.632%) at high concentrations. It is thought that such results provide basic information in preparing ginseng berry extracts with functionality enhanced.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.222-227
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• 2017

Red ginseng prepared from fresh 6-year-old ginseng treated with colloidal gold nanoparticles was extracted using hot water to evaluate its total phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant capacity, and neuroprotective effects. Water extract of red ginseng treated with gold nanoparticles (WERGGN) had total phenolic and total flavonoid contents of 212.2 mg gallic acid equivalents/$^{\circ}Bx$ and 3.5 mg catechin equivalents/$^{\circ}Bx$, respectively. The antioxidant capacities of WERGGN measured using ABTS, DPPH, and ORAC assays were 272.3, 141.2, and 868.4 mg vitamin C equivalents/$^{\circ}Bx$, respectively. The WERGGN showed protective effects on the viability of neuron-like PC-12 cells against oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide in a dose-dependent manner, partly because of a reduction in intracellular oxidative stress. Acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase, which degrade the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to terminate neurotransmission, were inhibited by treatment with WERGGN. These results suggest that WERGGN is useful as a functional material to decrease oxidative stress and neuronal damage.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1351-1357
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• 2009

KH-red ginseng/chlorella (KH-RG/C) is the mixed material of the Korean red ginseng powder (Panax ginseng, 75%) and extract of Chlorella vulgaris (25%). To evaluate the effects of KH-RG/C on endurance capacity and immune regulation, the forced swimming test (FST) was conducted. The immobility time in the FST was significantly decreased in KH-RG/C treated group compared with the DW-treated group at the 3 and 10 days, respectively. In the analysis of the blood biochemical parameters, KH-RG/C treatment significantly increased the glucose level. However, the lactic dehydrogenase level decreased. Although KH-RG/C increased aspartate aminotransferase, it was not different significantly. And KH-RG/C had no affects in the alanine aminotransferase, and blood urea nitrogen levels. In splenocytes and macrophages, KH-RG/C also did not affect the interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, and IL-12 production. These results suggest that KH-RG/C may influence to immune regulation through increasing the physical endurance capacity without effect in activation of immune cells.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.136-140
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• 1982

In order to evaluate the feasibility for the sterilization of Korean red and white ginseng powder by irradiation, red and white ginseng powder (120 mesh) was irradiated by 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1.0 and 2.0 Mrad with $^{60}Co$ irradiator (dose rate: 4000 rad/h). Extraction rate of crude saponins by buthanol and by 50% ethanol were slightly increased according to the irradiation dose (buthanol ex. 1.7%, 50% ethanol ex. 2.6% at 1.0 Mrad irradiation. There are no remarkable changes in HPLC patterns of crude saponins by radiation. It was found that irradiation up to 1 Mrad on Korean ginseng products have no significant effect on proximate component, reducing sugar and amino nitrogen of ginseng powder and on the color density of ginseng extract with 50% ethanol. Irradiation up to 1 Mrad could be utilized for the sterilization of Korean ginseng powder whithout changes of physicochemical properties.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.93-100
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• 2019

The root of Panax ginseng is used in ethnomedicine throughout eastern Asia and various recent studies have proved that Panax ginseng has inhibitory effects on cardiovascular disease. Each factor causing cardiovascular disease is known to have a very complex process which is achieved by a diverse number of mechanisms. Among these factors, platelets are the most important because they directly participate in thrombogenesis. Therefore, inhibiting the activity of platelets is an essential element for prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Our previous study showed the antiplatelet effects of Korean red ginseng extract and two of its components, ginsenoside Rg3 and ginsenoside Ro. However, the inhibitory mechanism of other ginsenosides remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the inhibitory mechanism of ginsenoside F4 (G-F4) from Korean red ginseng on the regulation of signaling molecules involved in human platelet aggregation. With the use of G-F4, collagen-induced human platelet aggregation was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner, and it suppressed collagen-induced elevation of $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ mobilization through elevated phosphorylation of inositol 1, 4, 5-triphosphate receptor I ($Ser^{1756}$). In addition, G-F4 inhibited fibrinogen binding to ${\alpha}IIb/{\beta}_3$ during collagen-induced human platelet aggregation. Thus, in the present study, G-F4 showed an inhibitory effect on human platelet activation, suggesting its potential use as a new natural medicine for preventing platelet-mediated cardiovascular diseases.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.31-34
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• 1989

In ginseng saponin, $ginsenoside-Rb_1$ was contained the most abundantly. But ginsenoside-Rd which is similar to ginsenoside $Rb_1$ in structure was known to be superior to $ginsenoside-Rb_1$ pharmaceutically. A strain of Rhizopus japonicus is able to produce the convertible enzyme which can convert selectively $ginsenoside-Rb_1$ to ginsenoside-Rd without the change of any other ginsenoside. The strain can produce the most enzyme after 5 day-culture on wheat bran medium. The enzyme production was promoted best efficiently by addition of red ginseng powder in ginseng products, xylose in sugars, laminarin in polysaccharides, naringin in flavonoids, and potassium nitrate in nitrogen substrates.