• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.201-208
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• 2017

Background: Panax vietnamensis Ha et Grushv. or Vietnamese ginseng (VG) is a recently discovered ginseng species. Studies on its chemical constituents have shown that VG is remarkably rich in ginseng saponins, particularly ocotillol saponins. However, the psychopharmacological effects of VG have not been characterized. Thus, in the present study we screened the psychopharmacological activities of VG in mice. Methods: VG extract (VGE) was orally administered to mice at various dosages to evaluate its psychomotor (open-field and rota-rod tests), sedative-hypnotic (pentobarbital-induced sleeping test), anti-stress (cold swimming test), anxiolytic (elevated plus-maze test), and cognitive (Y-maze and passive-avoidance tests) effects. Results: VGE treatment increased the spontaneous locomotor activity, enhanced the endurance to stress, reduced the anxiety-like behavior, and ameliorated the scopolamine-induced memory impairments in mice. In addition, VGE treatment did not alter the motor balance and coordination of mice and did not potentiate pentobarbital-induced sleep, indicating that VGE has no sedative-hypnotic effects. The effects of VGE were comparable to those of the Korean Red Ginseng extract. Conclusion: VG, like other ginseng products, has significant and potentially useful psychopharmacological effects. This includes, but is not limited to, psychomotor stimulation, anxiolytic, antistress, and memory enhancing effects.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.187-195
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• 1993

We have examined the functional role of central dopaminergic processes on the behavioral pharmacological effects induced by psychotropics and red ginseng saponins of normal rats and compared with that of brain damaged rats. Desipramine and clomipramine produced, a significant depression of the locomotor activity in normal rats, but in brain damaged rats, they did not have any effect throughout the experimental period of 4 hours. Total saponin (50~200 mg/kg), PT (25~50 mg/kg), PD (25~50 mg/kg), $Rg_1$(12.5~25 mg/kg), $Rb_1$ (12.5~50 mg/kg) did not change, and high concentrations of PT (100 mg/kg), PD (100 mg/kg) and $Rg_1$ (50 mg/kg) showed a significant decrease in the locomotor activity of one hour after administration but total saponin (100 mg/kg), PD (25~50 mg/kg), Rgl (12.5 mg/kg), $Rb_1$ (12.5 mg/kg) markedly increased the locomotor activity of four hour after administration in normal rats. On the other hand, total saponin (50 mg/kg), PT (100 mg/kg) and PD (100 mg/kg) Produced a prominent stimulation of the locomotor activity in brain damaged rats. These results suggest that the inhibition of the locomotor activity induced by antidepressants was not affected by the sensitivity of cerebral DA system, whereas red ginseng saponin showed antifatigue effect and also the stimulation of the locomotor activity induced by red ginseng saponin was mediated by the inhibition of cerebral DA system. These psychotropic action of red ginseng saponins could be responsible for the beneficial effects on conditions of fatigue and decreased alertness.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.14-23
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• 2020

Ginseng has been used as a popular herbal medicine in East Asia for at least two millennia. However, 20(R)-ginseng saponins, one class of important rare ginsenosides, are rare in natural products. 20(R)-ginseng saponins are generally prepared by chemical epimerization and microbial transformation from 20(S)-isomers. The C20 configuration of 20(R)-ginseng saponins are usually determined by ¹³C NMR and X-ray single-crystal diffraction. 20(R)-ginseng saponins have antitumor, antioxidative, antifatigue, neuroprotective, and osteoclastogenesis inhibitory effects, among others. Owing to the chemical structure and pharmacological and stereoselective properties, 20(R)-ginseng saponins have attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. In this study, the discovery, identification, chemical epimerization, microbial transformation, pharmacological activities, and metabolism of 20(R)-ginseng saponins are summarized.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.129-137
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• 2020

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of the Ultrasonication-Assisted (UA) extraction on the functionality of the herbaceous biennial plant maca (Lepidium meyenii). The specific objectives include comparison of the antioxidant activities among various maca extracts, determination of the macamide B content of the extracts, and in vitro evaluation of maca on cell viability and creatine kinase (CK) activity. The antioxidant activities of the water, ethanol, and UA extracts were compared by determining the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activities, and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of the extracts. The macamide B content of maca extracts were analyzed by HPLC. The effects of the extracts on muscle cell viability and creatine kinase activity were also determined using C2C12 myoblasts. UA extraction significantly increased the total phenolic content (2.90 GAE ㎍/mg, p < 0.05), without affecting the flavonoid content. DPPH radical scavenging activity did not exhibit any statistical difference among the extracts. The ethanol and UA extracts exhibited significantly higher FRAP than the water extract (p < 0.05). The macamide B content of ethanol and UA extracts were 0.087 and 0.083 ㎍/mg, respectively. The water and UA extracts exhibited higher C2C12 muscle cell viability than the ethanol extract, and both extracts resulted in a significantly lower CK level than the H₂O₂-treated control group. This research suggests that the maca extract can protect muscle cells and serve as an antifatigue agent under oxidative stress conditions.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.543-549
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• 2022

Background: In physical activity or labor, the human body is in a state of high intensity stress, and all parts or physiological functions of the body respond positively to maintain or balance the need for movement. The human body has many physiological changes in the process of movement, and fatigue is the external manifestation of various complex changes inside the human body. Fatigue is also a physiological mechanism of self-protection after the body reaches a certain level of activity, which can prevent the occurrence of life-threatening excessive functional failure. The generation of fatigue is a very complex process, and its mechanism has not been concluded yet. Therefore, it is an important work to search and screen the effective components of natural plants that have anti-fatigue effect and to explore their mechanism. Methods: This was a 8-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. A total of 110 subjects who passed physical examination were included according to the scheme design, and randomly divided into a test group which was given KRG and a placebo control group. The calculation is carried out according to the standard of sub-high-intensity exercise test. Results: There was no adverse effect on safety index of subjects after taking red ginseng capsule. After KRG treatment, subjective strength grade is significant lower than placebo treatment. Blood lactic acid content is significantly get lower after trial in KRG group, and significant lower than placebo group. Creatine phosphokinase(CK) content is significantly get lower after trial in KRG group, and significant lower than placebo group. Conclusion: According to the criterion in the test scheme, the result shows that KRG is helpful on relieving physical fatigue.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2023.04a
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• pp.16-16
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• 2023

Metabolomics is the study of global metabolite profiles in a system (cell, tissue, or organism) under a given set of conditions. Metabolomics has its roots in early metabolite profiling studies but is now a rapidly expanding area of scientific research in its own right. In this study, the applications of metabolomics in natural product studies are explored. Ginseng is a well-known herbal medicine and has various pharmacological effects, which include antiaging, anticancer, antifatigue, memory enhancing, immunomodulatory, and stress reducing effects. Metabolomic analysis of organic acids has not been performed for evaluation whether ginseng has been cultivated using conventional or environmental-friendly farming methods. In this study, profiling analysis was conducted for organic acids (OAs) in ginseng roots produced using conventional or environmentfriendly farming methods at five locations in each of five regions. In OA profiles, lactic acid was the most abundant OA in all regions, with the exception for environmentally friendly farmed ginseng in two of the five regions, in which glycolic acid was most abundant OA. OA profiles in all regions showed isocitric acid levels were increased by environment-friendly cultivation, which suggests metabolic differences associated from farming method, and that isocitric acid might be a useful discriminatory biomarker of environmental-friendly and conventional cultivation. The results of the present study suggest metabolomic studies of OAs in ginseng roots might be useful for monitoring whether ginseng has been cultivated using conventional or environmentally friendly farming methods.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.97-106
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• 2007

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the short-term effects of Ginseng Radix Alba extract solution on muscle fatigue and concentration of blood components especially in glucose and lactate dehydrogenase of the rats. Methods: The 4~6-week-old ICR rats are used in the study, and we administered the extract solution of Ginseng Radix Alba concentration of 1, 10, 100mg/0.3ml to each rats and water to another rats(control group) once a day for each 30 and 60 days. After 30 and 60 days. we measured the persistent time of swimming exercise test and the results of grip strength test. And we also examined the plasma concentration of glucose, and lactate dehydrogenase. Results: In swimming exercise test, the swimming time of the 1, 10, 100mg/0.3ml groups for 30 days and the 100mg/0.3ml group for 60 days significantly increased than control group. and we found that as the concentration increased, the swimming time was also increased for 30 and 60 days experiment. And in grip strength test, the grip strength of the 1, 10, 100mg/0.3ml groups for 30 days and the 10mg/0.3ml group for 60 days significantly increased than control group. and we found that as the concentration increased, the grip strength was also increased for 30 days experiment. Plasma concentration of lactate dehydrogenase was significantly increased in the 10mg/0.3ml group for 60 days than control group. And there was no significant differences between the control and the treatment group in the plasma concentration of glucose. Conclusion: This study show that Ginseng Radix Alba can increase the muscle strength and antifatigue effect.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.169-175
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• 2006

A unicellular algae, Chlorella vulgaris(CV), was used as a biological response modifier. The effect of CV on forced swimming test and blood biochemical parameters related to fatigue was investigated. Blood urea nitrogen(BUN); creatine kinase(CK); lactic dehydrogenase(LDH); glucose(Glc); total protein(TP); and albumin were determined. CV was orally administered to mice in the range of 0.05 to 0.15 g/kg/day. A forced swimming test results on 3 and 7 day after administration of CV, showed that immobility time was decreased in the CV-administered group(0.15 g/kg). In addition, the contents of BUN in the blood serum were decreased in CV-fed group. The contents of CK and LDH were tended to decrease, but not statistically significant. The plasma Glc level was increased in CV-fed groups(0.05 and 0.1 g/kg) compared to control group. It had no effect on the elevation of TP and albumin level. The results indicate that CV could improve physical stamina.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.219-227
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• 2009

The antifatigue and endurance promoting properties of two Korean medicinal herb extracts and molasses with various mineral components were studied by evaluating forced-swimming capacity and biochemical parameters in ICR mice. The treatment groups were orally administered mineral beverages which were contained 6% sugar with the mixture of Maesil (Prunus mume fruit) extracts, Omija (Schisandra chinensis fruit) extracts and molasses for 4 weeks. The exercised forced-swimming tests were conducted after 28 days of beverage supplementation. The swimming times to exhaustion were longer 1.5${\sim}$2 times in group 6 and group 10 than control goup (Control: 93.2${\pm}$10.4 sec; Beverage 6; 190.8${\pm}$25.6 sec, Beverage 10; 173.6${\pm}$21.8 sec; p<0.05). Moreover, the activity of hexokinase (Control: 5.23${\pm}$0.38 ${\mu}mol$l/g tissue; Beverage 6: 5.99${\pm}$0.18 ${\mu}mol$/g tissue, Beverage 10: 6.13${\pm}$0.25 ${\mu}mol$/g tissue, p<0.05) and citrate synthase (control: 42.9${\pm}$1.87 ${\mu}mol$/g tissue; Beverage 6: 56.8${\pm}$3.98 ${\mu}mol$/g tissue, Beverage 10; 59.5${\pm}$3.09 ${\mu}mol$/g tissue, p<0.05) were also significantly higher than those of control group. Even if the treatment groups had long swimming than control group, there is no significant difference in the glycogen contents of gastrocnemus muscle or liver between the control group and each treatment group. This demonstrated an improvement in endurance. These results suggest that reported herbal beverage is very effective to combat fatigue, improve endurance and increase overall physical activity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.728-736
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to improve and strengthen the function of eel extract prepared with 5 brix eel extract (EE), 5 brix eel and plant mix (black garlic, ginseng, black jujube) 0.35 ml extracts prepared and treated with the extract (EIM-1), and 0.7 ml (EIM-2) divided group. The extracts were administered to rats for five weeks during running training, and the lipid profiles and antioxidant enzyme activities were tested. The lipid content in liver and serum were lower than the normal group difference was not significant between groups. Serum total cholesterol was lower in the experimental group than the control group the mixed extract significantly lower level. HDL-cholesterol levels in the eel extract and eel mixed extract significantly increased by feeding the EIM-1 is 2.0 times, EIM-2 is increased by 2.3 times. Liver glycogen content in the experimental group performed the exercise group compared with the normal control group was significantly lower than in EIM is significantly higher than the control group. The TBARS content in the liver and serum was significantly higher than the normal group was lower than the control group. GOT and GPT were significantly decreased compared to the control group. Hepatic catalase activity was significantly increased in the EIM-1 group, and SOD and GSH-px activities were increased in the EIM-1 and EIM-2 groups. Supplementation with the eel and plant mix extract increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Thus, intake of the eel and plant mix extract could improve the antioxidant status and combat different types of oxidative stress.