• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.212-218
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• 2009

Triterpenoid saponins were synthesized in Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer via the isoprenoid pathway by cyclization of 2,3-oxidosqualene to give primarily oleanane (beta-amyrin) or dammarane triterpenoid skeletons. The triterpenoids are backbone and undergoes various modifications (oxidation, substitution and glycosylation), mediated by cytochrome P450 (CYP)-dependent monooxygenases, glycosyltransferase and other enzymes. This is likely to be due in part to the complexity of the molecules and the lack of pathway intermediates for biochemical studies. A cDNA clone encoding a putative CYP gene was isolated from flower bud of ginseng and transformed into the plant(Nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanthi) and confirmed by PCR analysis. The CYP gene (PgCYP) contained an open reading frame(ORF) encoding mature protein of 500 amino acids. The expression of PgCYP were investigated in transgenic tobacco by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.38-45
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• 2015

Background: Korean ginseng is a well-known medicinal herb that has been widely used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases, including asthma. Ginseng can be classified as white ginseng (WG) or red ginseng (RG), according to processing conditions. In this study, the authors compared the efficacies of these two ginseng types in a mouse model of acute asthma. Methods: To produce the acute asthma model, BALB/c mice were sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA) and aluminum hydroxide, and then challenged with OVA. WG and RG extracts were administered to mice orally. The influences of WG and RG on airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), immune cell distributions in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and OVA-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE), IgG1, and IgG2a in serum were investigated. Cytokine production by lymphocytes isolated from peribronchial lymph nodes and histopathological changes was also examined. Results: In OVA-sensitized mice, both WG and RG reduced AHR and suppressed immune cell infiltration in bronchoalveolar regions. BALF OVA-specific IgE levels were significantly lower in RG-treated OVAsensitized mice than in the OVA-sensitized control group. WG and RG also suppressed inflammatory cytokine production by peribronchial lymphocytes. Histopathological findings showed reduced inflammatory cell infiltration and airway remodeling (e.g., epithelial hyperplasia) in WG- and RG-treated OVA mice compared with OVA controls. Conclusion: In this study, WG and RG showed antiasthmatic effects in an OVA-sensitized mouse model, and the efficacies of RG were found to be better than those of WG.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.333-339
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality properties of muffin added with different concentration (0, 1, 3, and 5%) of ginseng leaves powder, which is discarded in the process of ginseng. Density of muffin was the highest at 1.45 g/mL in control, and pH (7.41) was at the highest level as well. There was no tendency at the bottom and upper dimensions according to addition of ginseng leaf powder. The height and baking loss rate of the muffins increased with increase in the powder concentration, but there were no significant differences. The weight of muffins did not show constant tendency, according to addition ratio of ginseng leaves powder. The degree of lightness and yellowness of muffin decreased as the concentration of the powder increased, whereas no significant difference in the redness was found with increased powder concentration. The factors of hardness and chewiness were higher at the control group and cohesiveness was the highest at 0.65 in 3% group, but springiness and gumminess did notshow significant differences. DPPH free radical scavenging activity of muffins was significantly increased with increasing ginseng leaves powder (p<0.05). For the sensory evaluation in 1% group, the intensity of color, smell, taste, softness, and moistness was the lowest, whereas the overall acceptability score of color, smell, taste, chewiness, and moistness was the highest. Thesensory properties of muffin linearly decreased as the concentration of ginseng leaves powder increased. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that ginseng leaf powder is a good ingredient for increasing the consumer acceptability and functionality of cookies.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.1106-1109
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• 2008

The anti-Helicobacter pylori activity, cytotoxicity, and anti-inflammatory activity of white ginseng extract (WGE) were investigated in vitro in this study. The antimicrobial effects of WGE toward H. pylori strains 52 J99, SSI, and 51 were tested using the disk diffusion method. Among these H. pylori strains, H. pylori 52 was the most sensitive, having the largest inhibition zone (19 mm), followed by J99, SSI, and 51. The zone of inhibition due to WGE increased significantly with increasing dosage. The cytotoxicity of WGE toward the human cancer cell lines A-549 (human lung carcinoma), HEC-1-B (human endometrial adenocarcinoma), HeLa (human uterin adenocarcinoma), and SW-156 (human kidney carcinoma) was measured using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthizol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenylate-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. WGE exhibited an inhibitory effect on cell growth at 2.0 mg/mL for all tumor cell lines. An analysis of anti-inflammatory activity using the RAW 264.7 cell line showed that the inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production increased as the WGE content increased. These results demonstrate the potential of WGE to be used as a health-promoting substance.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Biology Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.81-85
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• 2003

In round numbers the 100 strains of entomopathogenic nematodes were isolated through the investigation of cultivated including the ginseng forming cultivated and forest soil samples by silkworm trap. The 28 strains of nematodes were selected among the isolated entomopathogenic nematodes that were confirmed the pathogenicity against Holotrichia morosa, Hoiotrichia diomphalia and Ectinus sericeus, the pest of korean ginseng and silkworm. Pathogenicity of the 2025, 2027, 2028, 2034, 2039 and 2057 strains was excellent. Selected entomopathogenic nematodes are classified of two species by morphologiacl and molecular studies, which were Sterinernma carpocapsae sp. and Diplogaster lethier sp.. Diagnostic characters include body length, lateral field pattern, tail shape and so on. The DNA sequences of the ITS region of rDNA shows similar to S. carpocapsae and .D. lethier. Isolated entomopathogenic nematodes were demonstrates that are quite within the realms of possibility for biological control agents of the pests of Korean Ginseng.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.208-214
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• 2014

Background: In previous work, we reported that Korean Red Ginseng saponin fraction (RGSF) showed anti-inflammatory activities in vitro and in vivo. Methods: The present study investigated the radioprotective properties of RGSF by examining its effects on ionizing radiation (IR)-enhanced and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated inflammatory responses in murine macrophage cells. Results: RGSF induced strong downregulation of IR-enhanced and LPS-induced proinflammatory responses such as nitric oxide (NO) production (Inhibitory Concentration $50(IC_{50})=5.1{\pm}0.8{\mu}M$) and interleukin-$1{\beta}$ levels. RGSF was found to exert its radioprotective effects by inhibition of a signaling cascade that activated checkpoint kinase 2enuclear factor-${\kappa}B$. In addition, RGSF strongly inhibited IR-enhanced LPS-induced expression of hemoxyganase-1, implying that the latter may be a potential target of RGSF. Conclusion: Taken together, our data suggest that RGSF can be considered and developed for use as an effective radioprotective agent with minimal adverse effects.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.188-193
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• 2006

We induced the activation of melanocytes in the epidermis of C57BL/6 mice by ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation and observed the effect of red ginseng (RG) on the formation, and decrease of UVB-induced epidermal mel-anocytes. C57BL/6 mice were irradiated by UVB $80mJ/cm^2$ (0.5 mW/sec) daily for 7 days, and RG was intraperitoneally or topically applied pre- or post-irradiation. For the estimation of change of epidermal melanocytes, light microscopic observation with dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) stain was performed. Split epidermal sheets prepared from the ear of untreated mice exhibited 11-16 $melanocytes/mm^2$, and one week after UV irradiation, the applied areas show an increased number of strongly DOPA-positive melanocytes with stout dendrites. But intraperitoneal or topical treatment with RG before each irradiation interrupted UVB-induced pigmentation and resulted in a marked reduction in the number of epidermal melanocytes as compared to radiation control skin. The number and size of DOPA-positive epidermal mel-anocytes were also significantly decreased in intraperitoneally injected or topically applicated group after irradiation with RG at 3rd and 6th weeks after irradiation. The present study suggests the RG as inhibitor of UVB-induced pigmentation and depigmenting agent.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 2008

Anemarrhena asphodeloides (Korean name "Ji-Mo") has been used for oriental medicinal purposes in Korea, China and Japan. In this study, 29 A. asphodeloides samples were collected including 3 certified A. asphodeloides plants and many commercially marketed A. asphodeloides products. Chloroplast trnL-F regions of the "Ji-Mo" samples were sequenced and used to identify whether the samples were genuine A. asphodeloides or not. As the result, the trnL-F sequences of all the "Ji-Mo" samples were shown to be identical and it was proven that commercially available medicinal products "Ji-Mo" are genuine A. asphodeloides. Phylogenetic tree of. A. asphodeloides using the trnL-F sequences was constructed and compared with phylogenetic tree using rubisco large subunit (rbcL) gene sequences. In these tree, A. asphodeloides was affiliated in the family Agavaceae in the order Asparagales. It is proven that trnL-F phylogenetic tree is useful to study taxonomic position of A. asphodeloides.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.199-205
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• 2009

Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is one of the most important medicinal plants in East Asia. Microsatellite or simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers are used in obtaining genetic analysis and authentication in many plants. The present study examined five microsatellites in conjunction with P. ginseng in Korea. The total observed allelic number was 17 (mean = 3.4), and gene diversities varied from 0.078 to 0.543 with an average of 0.314. Through a combined analysis of five loci in 100 ginseng samples, 44 different combined genotypes were observed. Expected and observed heterozygosites ranged from 0.077 to 0.541 (mean = 0.313) and 0.040 to 0.130 (0.083), respectively. All examined loci exhibited deficiency of heterozygosity and deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Such results may be explained by the non-random mating and inbreeding that has occurred for several hundred years. These microsatellite markers could be used for the study of molecular genetics and the establishment of DNA marker database, as well as authentication of ginseng species and chromosomal mapping of QTL loci in P. ginseng.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2002

It has been well known that Korea red ginseng has an antihypertensive effect. The antihypertensive effect may be due to its ability to change the peripheral resistance. Change of vascular tone in the resistance-sized artery contribute to the peripheral resistance, thereby regulate the blood pressure. Therefore, we investigated to clarify the vasorelaxing mechanism induced by crude saponin of Korea red ginseng in the resistance-sized mesenteric artery of rats. The resistance-sized mesenteric artery was isolated and cut into a ring. The ring segment was immersed in HEPES-buffered solution and its isometric tension was measured using myograph force-displacement transducer. Crude saponin of ginseng relaxed the mesenmetric arterial rings precontracted with norepinephrine (3$\mu$M) in dose-dependent manner (0.01 mg/㎖ -1 mg/㎖. The relaxation by crude saponin was smaller in endothelium-intact preparation than that in endothelium-denuded preparation. The contraction induced by A23187 or phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate was not affected by crude saponin of ginseng. The vasorelaxing effect of crude saponin of ginseng was significantly attenuated by the increase of the extracellular K$\^$+/ concentration. Crude saponin-induced vasorelaxation was not affected by tetraethylammonium (1 mM), glybenclamide (10$\mu$M), and 4-aminopyridine (0.1 mM) in these preparations. Ba$\^$2+/(10$\mu$M ∼100$\mu$M) markedly reduced the crude saponin-induced vasorelakation dose-dependently. From the above results, we suggest that crude saponin of ginseng may stimulate K$\^$+/ efflux and hyperpolarize the membrane, thereby cause the vasorelaxation in the resistance-sized mesenteric artery of rats.