• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.316-323
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• 1998

To study e(feces of Korean Binseng (Parfax ginseff C. A. hfeyer) total saponin fraction on spermidine and spermine metabolism in rat reproductive systems, we administrated the saponin fractation to rats for 2 years. Then, we determined the activities of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC), the quantitation of the enzyme protein and the amounts of spermidine and spermine contents In prostate and testis. In young sexually immature stage, administration of Korean ginseng saponin fraction showed no effect on SAMDC activities. The stimulatory effect on the activities of SAMDC gradually increased and reached maximal activities in test groups of prostate and testis at sexually mature stage. The amounts of SAMDC protein in test groups were paralleled by the changes of SAMDC activities in test groups, indicating that all of the increased activity occurring in administration of ginseng saponin fraction was not due to the activation of SAMDC activity but to the Increase in enzyme protein. However, the spermidine and spermine contents of test groups showed small increase in compared to that of control groups. From these results, we suggest that administration of ginseng saponin fraction alter the spermidine and spermine metabolism in sexually mature and aged reproductive systems in rats.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.240-247
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• 1985

Attempts were made to see if we could cut more pBR322 in the presence of ginseng saponin fraction in connection with possibly for shortening the enzymatic reaction time and the amount of the enzyme to be used. The following results were obtained restriction endonucleases such as AccI, XhoII, SaII, and HincII were observed to cut pBR322 efficiently at 10-1% ginseng saponin fraction. In case of BamHI, 10-2% ginseng saponin fraction was observed to the most effective concentration. Such cumulative results suggest that ginseng saponin fraction would play important role as far as the cleavage of pBR322 for short period by endonucleases is concerned.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.233-240
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• 1996

In order to study effects of Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) saponin fraction on polyamine metabolism in rat organs, Korean ginseng saponin fraction was administrated to rats for 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12 months and brain, liver, prostate, spleen and testis were removed from these rats. Two enzyme activities were measured from those organs; ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), which is a regulatory enzyme of putrescence biosynthesis and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC), which is also a regulatory enzyme of spermidine and spermine biosynthesis. The amounts of polyamine were also determined. As for prostate and testis organs, Korean ginseng saponin fraction was innocuous for ODC and SAMDC activities from rats fed for 1 and 2 months. However, after 3 months, the stimulatory effect on the activities of two enzyme gradually increased in test groups and reached its maximum in 12 months. The contents of spermidine and spermlne of test groups in prostate and testis were also much higher than those of control groups. Another stimulatory effect on the activities of two enzymes was observed in liver and reached its maximum in 6 months. In the other organs such as brain and spleen, the enzymes were turned out to be not affected by feeding Korean ginseng saponin fraction. From the cumulative results, the stimulatory effect of Korean ginseng saponin fraction on polyamine metabolism was observed in prostate, testis and liver.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 1989

Linoleic acid and ferulic acid were isolated from alkaline hydrolysate of a crude ginseng saponin fraction of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer roots.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.188-204
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• 1977

The studies on the saponins of Korean ginseng, Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, were performed according to the cultivating locations, sampling seasons, plant parts, and growing stages. The changes in saponin content in the course of manufacturing Red ginseng and Ginseng extract were observed. In this paper, a new method for the determination of the total and the individual saponin glucosides was proposed and applied to the samples under study. The method employing Digital Densitorol DMU-33C (Toyo electric Co., Japan) followed the separation of the saponins by means of a preparative thin layer chromatography. The saponin contents and their fractional distribution were summarized as follows: 1. The average concentrations(% plant dry weight) of semi-purified saponins in the roots of Korean ginseng planted in the various locations were 5.0%(Keumsan), 6.0% (Kimpo), and 5.4% (Pocheon), respectively. 2. There were 3.3% saponins in White ginseng(Rhizome) and 12.7% saponins in Ginseng tail (Fibrous root). 3. Regarding the year of growth, the contents of saponins were 90.3mg (2-year-old ginseng), 254.4mg (3-year-old ginseng), 404.2mg (4-year-old ginseng). 999.6mg (5-year-old ginseng), and 1377.1mg (6-year-old ginseng) respectively, and the saponin factions containing panaxatriol as an aglycone increased. 4. Thin layer chromatography revealed that Red ginseng yielded many saponins which Shibata et al. designated as $ginsenoside-Rb_1$ (22.1%), $-Rb_2(15.4%)$, -Rc(12.6%), -Re (15.7%), and $-Rg_1$, (9.3%). 5. 29.9% of crude saponins were isolated from ethanolic extract of Panax ginseng fibrous root and their extraction yield was 94.2% of fibrous root saponin.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.86-94
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• 1985

Attempts were made if diol and triol fractions of ginseng saponin affect on glutamine transport into rat renal cortical mitochondria, swelling, phosphate dependent glutaminase activity, and consumption of oxygen. The following results were obtained. When mitochondrial preparation from rat renal cortex was incubated in medium containing 14C-glutamine and either triol or diol fractions, radioactivity was shown to increase at both 10-6% and 10-5% triol fractions of ginseng saponin, but reduce in case of diol fraction. The remarkable acceleration of the rate of swelling of renal cortical mitochondria was observed in the presence of 10-1% trios and diol fractions but no accerelation at lower concentrations. The activity of phosphate dependent glutaminase from renal cortical mitochondria was slightly activated at 10-2% of triol fraction. However, there was no effect in case of diol fraction. Oxygen consumption by mitochondria from renal cortex was remarkably increased at concentrations of 10-5% and 10-6% triol fractions, but reduced in the case of diol fractions. On the basis of these observations it was concluded that triol fraction of ginseng saponin might increase the transport of glutamine into mitochondria by accelerating the respiratory chain and supplying additional energy to mitochondria, and physiological role of triol fraction was entirely different from that of diol fraction of ginseng saponin.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.93-103
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• 1969

Saponin, essential oil, fat oil and alkaloidal fraction were fractionated from the ethanol extract of fanax ginseng. Effect of each fraction of Panax ginseng upon the temperature response induced by reserpine, chlorpromazine and nembutal was investigated in mice, so as to secure some hidden facets of each fraction of Panax ginseng acting upon central nervous system. The authors could arrive at some results, that is: (1) Inhibitory effect of Panax ginseng upon temperature decline induced by nembutal and chlorpromazine and potentiating action upon hyperthermia induced by reserpine reside mainly in saponin fraction and slightly in essential oil fraction. (2) The effect of Ginseng saponin on temperature response in nice seems to be related with the liberation of serotonin and histamine.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.128-134
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• 1988

The effect of the saponin fraction extracted from Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer on the antioxidant activity of $\alpha$-tocopherol was investigated in vitro as well as in vivo. Microsomal preparation of rat(Winter, 180-200g) liver was incubated in the mixture containing NADPH, $Fe^{3+}$, ATP, $\alpha$-tocopherol with and/or without ginseng saponin fraction for 30 minutes and the malondialdehyde formed was assayed and found that the saponin fraction stimulated the antioxidant activity of $\alpha$-tocopherol cooperatively. It was also realized that the cooperative stimulation of the antioxidant activity of $\alpha$-tocopherol was most eminent when the concentration of the saponin fraction was around $10^{-5}$% in the reaction mixture. Alcoholic suspension of $\alpha$-tocopherol with and f or without ginseng saponin fraction was administered orally to rats in which the lipid preoccupation was induced by ethanol administration and the lipid peroxide contents of the liver were assayed at certain periods of time after $\alpha$-tocopherol administration in this animal. From the previous work and present experimental results, it seemed that the saponin fraction accelerated the absorption of $\alpha$-tocopherol and therefore stimulated the antioxidant activity of $\alpha$-tocopherol more effectively in the animal body.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.45-48
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• 1985

The amount of norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain of the mouse fed with normal diet or protein deficient diet with supplement of the saponin fraction of ginseng were determined by the sluorometric method. THe amount of norepinephrine in mouse brain was vivider in the case of protein deficiency. The increase amount of dopamine was observed only in the case of mouse fed with normal diet with supplement of the saponin fraction normal diet with supplement of the saponin fraction of ginseng for 8 weeks.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.200-208
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• 1986

It was attempted in this study to investigate the effect of ginseng saponin on several glycolytic enzymes of yeast cell and the following results were obtained. The amount of $CO_2$formed during the incubation of yeast cells in medium containing saponin fraction of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer was greater than that of control cells and found that the $CO_2$ formation was greatest when the cells were grown in the medium containing 10$^{-3}$% of the saponin fraction, at which the uptake of inorganic phosphate and glucose consumption were also increased. Radioactivity study of several glycolytic intermediates of yeast cells cultured in the medium containing [U-$^{14}$C]-glucose showed that the radioactivity of fructose 6-phosphate of test cells was as much as 1.6times that of control group. On the other hand, the radioactivity of pyruvate of test cells was considerably decreased compared to control. Investigation of the effect of ginseng saponin on yeast hexokinase, phosphoglucose isomers, pyruvate kinase and perverted decarboxylase in vitro showed that the maximum activities of the above enzymes were observed when the concentration of ginseng saponin was 10-$^{-5}$% in the reaction mixture. It seemed that the ginseng saponin stimulated both glycolytic enzymes such as hexokinase, phosphoglucose isomers and perverted decarboxylase significantly.