• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2006

Telomerase activation is detected in most cancerous cells; hence, telomerase is a highly selective target for cancer therapy, which plays an important role in the apoptotic process. We have previously reported that the ginseng saponin metabolite, Compound K (20-O-D-glucopyranosyl-20(S)-protopanaxadiol, IH901), inhibits cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the $G_1$ phase. The present study investigated the regulation of telomerase activity in Compound K treated U937 cells. Compound K treatment caused a reduction in telomerase activity and down-regulated the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene, resulting in the decreased expressions of its protein, and of the c-Myc and Spl proteins (transcription factors of hTERT). These results indicate that the anticancer activity of Compound K could be mediated by inhibition of the telomerase activity.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2006

Ceramide has been involved in celt death and acted as a lipid mediator of stress responses. Elevation of ceramide level was reported to occur in oxidative stress and lead to cell death in many cell types. This study was undertaken to elucidate a protective role of ginsenoside Rgl in cell death induced by oxidative stress. When LLC-PK1 cells were treated with $H_2O_2$ at a concentration of $400{\mu}M$ for 5 hr, cell death was observed and a released LDH activity indicative of cytotoxicity was Increased. $H_2O_2$ exposure to LLC-PK1 cells was shown to elevate the content of total ceramide by approximately 200% compared to control cells. Ceramide level was hypothesized to be a key to a reversal of cell death to survival. Ginsenoside Rgl at the concentrations ranging from 12.5 to $250{\mu}M$ protected LLC-PK1 cells from cell death induced by $H_2O_2\;at\;400{\mu}M$ for 5 hr, and decreased the ceramide level relative to $H_2O_2$. Ginsenoside Rgl inhibited neutral human ceramidase by 71% of controls, while sphingomyelinase was not inhibited. These results suggest that ginsenoside Rgl show the protection against cell death via the modulation of ceramide metabolism, and ceramide may be a promising therapeutic target for human diseases related to cell death.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.285-291
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• 2016

Background: Ginsenosides have been shown to exert beneficial pharmacological effects on the central nervous, cardiovascular, and endocrine systems. We sought to determine whether total ginsenosides (TG) inhibit monocrotaline (MCT)-induced pulmonary hypertension and to elucidate the underlying mechanism. Methods: MCT-intoxicated rats were treated with gradient doses of TG, with or without $N^G$-nitro-$\small{L}$-arginine methyl ester. The levels of molecules involving the regulation of nitric oxide and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways were determined. Results: TG ameliorated MCT-induced pulmonary hypertension in a dose-dependent manner, as assessed by the right ventricular systolic pressure, the right ventricular hypertrophy index, and pulmonary arterial remodeling. Furthermore, TG increased the levels of pulmonary nitric oxide, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and cyclic guanosine monophosphate. Lastly, TG increased mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 expression and promoted the dephosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1/2, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase 1/2. Conclusion: TG attenuates MCT-induced pulmonary hypertension, which may involve in part the regulation of nitric oxide and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.26-39
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• 2009

Objectives: Pulse energy values recorded with an add-pres sure-type pulse apparatus were correlated with Sasang constitutional syndromes in order to match pulse energy values with Sasang prescriptions. Methods: The pulse energy values were measured with Daeyo Pulse Apparatus at the Gwan pulse point of both wrists. Prescriptions were divided into two major categories of interior syndromes or exterior syndromes, and categorized according to major component herbs specific to each of the four Sasang constitutions, and the relationship between the pulse energy and each groups divided by their prescription was studied. Results: About 10% of all people had nonmal pulse energy values. 10% had values over normal range, and $70\sim80%$ had lower values than normal. The normal range of pulse energy was regarded as being between 450 and 700. Conclusions: 1. For patients of the Soeum constitution, prescriptions without Panax ginseng is suitable for patients with high pulse energy, and prescriptions containing Panax ginseng are suitable for patients who have lower pulse energy. 2. All prescriptions for the Soyang constitution containing Rehmannia radix preparata or Comus officinalis are suitable for patients who have lower pulse energy, and prescriptions containing Rehmannia radix or Gypsum fibrosum are applicable to patients with pulse energy values higher than normal. 3. Most prescriptions for the Taeum constitution containing Semen coicis or Semen castaneae are suitable for patients with lower pulse energy, and prescriptions containing Radix puerariae or Radix et rhizoma rhei can be prescribed for patients who have lower pulse energy levels. 4. The Taeyang constitutional prescription Ogapijangcuck-tang is suitable for patients who have higher pulse energy levels and Mihudeungsikjang-tang is better for patients with lower than normal pulse values. As described above, the pulse energy level of each patient can be matched with a specific Sasang constitutional prescription. If this relationship is taken into consideration with other conventional symptoms, it can be helpful in diagnosis, improving efficacy of treatment, and be used as objective evidence.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.311-315
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• 2012

A novel ${\beta}$-proteobacterium, designated BXN5-$27^T$, was isolated from soil of a ginseng field of Baekdu Mountain in China, and was characterized using a polyphasic approach. The strain was Gram-staining-negative, aerobic, motile, non-spore-forming, and rod shaped. Strain BXN5-$27^T$ exhibited ${\beta}$-glucosidase activity that was responsible for its ability to transform ginsenoside $Rb_1$ (one of the dominant active components of ginseng) to compound Rd. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that this strain belonged to the family Comamonadaceae; it was most closely related to Ramlibacter henchirensis $TMB834^T$ and Ramlibacter tataouinensis$TTB310^T$ (96.4% and 96.3% similarity, respectively). The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 68.1%. The major menaquinone was Q-8. The major fatty acids were $C_{16:0}$, summed feature 4 (comprising $C_{16:1}$ ${\omega}7c$ and/or iso-$C_{15:0}$ 2OH), and $C_{17:0}$ cyclo. Genomic and chemotaxonomic data supported the affiliation of strain BXN5-$27^T$ to the genus Ramlibacter. However, physiological and biochemical tests differentiated it phenotypically from the other established species of Ramlibacter. Therefore, the isolate represents a novel species, for which the name Ramlibacter ginsenosidimutans sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain being BXN5-$27^T$ (=DSM $23480^T$ = LMG $24525^T$ = KCTC $22276^T$).

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.455-462
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• 2018

Background: Ginsenoside Rh2 has been known to enhance the activity of immune cells, as well as to inhibit the growth of tumor cells. Although the repertoire of genes regulated by Rh2 is well-known in many cancer cells, the epigenetic regulation has yet to be determined, especially for comprehensive approaches to detect methylation changes. Methods: The effect of Rh2 on genome-wide DNA methylation changes in breast cancer cells was examined by treating cultured MCF-7 with Rh2. Pyrosequencing analysis was carried out to measure the methylation level of a global methylation marker, LINE1. Genome-wide methylation analysis was carried out to identify epigenetically regulated genes and to elucidate the most prominent signaling pathway affected by Rh2. Apoptosis and proliferation were monitored to examine the cellular effect of Rh2. Results: LINE1 showed induction of hypomethylation at specific CpGs by 1.6-9.1% (p < 0.05). Genome-wide methylation analysis identified the "cell-mediated immune response"-related pathway as the top network. Cell proliferation of MCF-7 was retarded by Rh2 in a dose-dependent manner. Hypermethylated genes such as CASP1, INSL5, and OR52A1 showed downregulation in the Rh2-treated MCF-7, while hypomethylated genes such as CLINT1, ST3GAL4, and C1orf198 showed upregulation. Notably, a higher survival rate was associated with lower expression of INSL5 and OR52A1 in breast cancer patients, while with higher expression of CLINT1. Conclusion: The results indicate that Rh2 induces epigenetic methylation changes in genes involved in immune response and tumorigenesis, thereby contributing to enhanced immunogenicity and inhibiting the growth of cancer cells.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.8-8
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• 2007

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.44-49
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• 2020

Background: Salting-out extraction (SOE) had been developed as a special branch of aqueous two-phase system recently. So far as we know, few reports involved in extracting ginsenosides with SOE because of the lower recovery caused by the unique solubility and surface activity of ginsenosides. A new SOE method for rapid pretreatment of ginsenosides from the enzymatic hydrolysates of Panax quinquefolium was established in this article. Methods: The SOE system comprising ethanol and sodium carbonate was selected to extract ginsenosides from the enzymatic hydrolysates of Panax quinquefolium, and HPLC was applied to analyze the ginsenosides. Results: The optimized extraction conditions were as follows: the aqueous two-phase extraction system comprising ethanol, sodium carbonate, ethanol concentration of 41.51%, and the mass percent of sodium carbonate of 7.9% in the extraction system under the experimental condition. Extraction time had minor influence on extraction efficiency of ginsenosides. The results also showed that the extraction efficiencies of three ginsenosides were all more than 90.0% only in a single step. Conclusion: The proposed method had been successfully applied to determine ginsenosides in enzymatic hydrolysate and demonstrated as a powerful technique for separating and purifying ginsenosides in complex samples.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.726-733
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• 2021

Background: Panax notoginseng is a highly valued medicinal herb used widely in China and many Asian countries. Its root and rhizome have long been used for the treatment of cardiovascular and hematological diseases. Imaging the spatial distributions and dynamics of metabolites in heterogeneous plant tissues is significant for characterizing the metabolic networks of Panax notoginseng, and this will also provide a highly informative approach to understand the complex molecular changes in the processing of Panax notoginseng. Methods: Here, a high-sensitive MALDI-MS imaging method was developed and adopted to visualize the spatial distributions and spatiotemporal changes of metabolites in different botanical parts of Panax notoginseng. Results: A wide spectrum of metabolites including notoginsenosides, ginsenosides, amino acids, dencichine, gluconic acid, and low-molecular-weight organic acids were imaged in Panax notoginseng rhizome and root tissues for the first time. Moreover, the spatiotemporal alterations of metabolites during the steaming of Panax notoginseng root were also characterized in this study. And, a series of metabolites such as dencichine, arginine and glutamine that changed with the steaming of Panax notoginseng were successfully screened out and imaged. Conclusion: These spatially-resolved metabolite data not only enhance our understanding of the Panax notoginseng metabolic networks, but also provide direct evidence that a serious of metabolic alterations occurred during the steaming of Panax notoginseng.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.475-481
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• 2019

Background: The ginsenoside Rg1 has been shown to exert various pharmacological activities with health benefits. Previously, we have reported that Rg1 promoted myogenic differentiation and myotube growth in C2C12 myoblasts. In this study, the in vivo effect of Rg1 on fiber-type composition and oxidative metabolism in skeletal muscle was examined. Methods: To examine the effect of Rg1 on skeletal muscle, 3-month-old mice were treated with Rg1 for 5 weeks. To assess muscle strength, grip strength tests were performed, and the lower hind limb muscles were harvested, followed by various detailed analysis, such as histological staining, immunoblotting, immunostaining, and real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. In addition, to verify the in vivo data, primary myoblasts isolated from mice were treated with Rg1, and the Rg1 effect on myotube growth was examined by immunoblotting and immunostaining analysis. Results: Rg1 treatment increased the expression of myosin heavy chain isoforms characteristic for both oxidative and glycolytic muscle fibers; increased myofiber sizes were accompanied by enhanced muscle strength. Rg1 treatment also enhanced oxidative muscle metabolism with elevated oxidative phosphorylation proteins. Furthermore, Rg1-treated muscles exhibited increased levels of anabolic S6 kinase signaling. Conclusion: Rg1 improves muscle functionality via enhancing muscle gene expression and oxidative muscle metabolism in mice.