• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.195-200
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• 1986

The enzyme produced by a strain of Rhizopus japonicus was able to covert selectively ginsenoside $Rb_1$ which was the most abundant ginseng saponin, into ginsenoside Rd which was known to be superior to ginsenoside $Rb_1$ pharmaceutically. This specific conversion of ginsenoside $Rb_1$ without any change of other ginsenoside patterns was confirmed by thin layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatograpy quantitatively. The amount of ginsenoside Rd was increased to 4.8 and 34.7 folds by enzymatic conversion of ginsenoside $Rb_1$ in total saponin and ginsenoside Rb group saponin, respectively. The increased amount of ginsenoside Rd corresponded to total amount of released glucose and decreased amount of ginsenoside $Rb_1$ accurately.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.267-273
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• 1982

Among 12 kinds of ginsenosides 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. In order to convert ginsenoside-Rb$_1$into ginsenoside-Rd by microbial enzyme treatment, a Rhizopus sp. was selected among various strais of molds found in rotten ginseng roots. Enzyme was prepared from the extract of wheat bran koji culture by ammonium sulfate precipitation (1.0 sat'd) and succeeding ammonium sulfate fractionation method (0.6-0.9 sat'd). For the purpose of use as substrate, saponins were purified by the several purification steps from alcohol extract of red ginseng roots. We obtained the total saponin which was composed of 36.5% of ginsenoside Rb$_1$, 12.2% of ginsenoside-Rd and other ginsenosides. For increase of ginsenoside-Rb$_1$ component ratio, we also obtained further purified ginsenoside-Rb group saponin containing 54.5% of ginsenoside-Rb$_1$, 1.1% of ginsenoside- Rd and other ginsenosides from purified the total saponin. In the enzymatic reaction system including the total saponin or the ginsenoside-Rb group saponin, we confirmed the specific conversion of ginsenoside-Rb$_1$to ginsenoside-Rd proportionally and no change of any other ginsenoside patterns by thin layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1988.08a
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• pp.63-69
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• 1988

The effect of $ginsenoside-Rb_2$ purified from ginseng was examined in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. The rats of the $ginsenoside-Rb_2-treated$ group showed a significant decrease in blood glucose level as well as a significant decrease of glucose-6-phosphatase in the liver. whereas a significants rise was observed in the activity of glucokinase. Furthermore, the rats treated with $ginsenoside-Rb_2$ showed a significant decrease of glucose and a slight increase of glycogen in the hepatic tissue. The glucose-6-phosphate level tended to increase, the pyruvate level was unchanged and the lactate level tended to decrease. There was, however. no accumulation of total lipid in hepatic tissue. The serum levels of triglyceride. non-esterified fatty acid. 3-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate were markedly decreased, showing a trend toward restoration of the normal state and inducing. an increase in lipids in the adipose tissue. Additional experiments involving long-term administration of $ginsenoside-Rb_2$ produced results suggesting that $ginsenoside-Rb_2$ may improve diabetic symptoms such as overeating, overdrinking. polyuria and glycosuria.

• 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.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.134-137
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• 2000

Spontaneous bursting activity was studied in rat thalamocortical slices using extracellular field potential recording to test the potential utilization of ginsenoside Rb$_1$ in controlling overactivated neural systems. In order to induce bursting activity, slices were perfused with Mg$\^$2+/-free artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF). Two major types of spontaneous bursting activity, simple thalamocortical burst complexes (sTBCs) and complex thalamocortical burst complexes (cTBCs), were recorded in Mg$\^$2+/ -free ACSF. Ginsenoside Rb$_1$ selectively suppressed cTBCs. Duration and occurrence rate of cTBCs were reduced by 87.3${\pm}$10.2% and 85.3${\pm}$ 14.7% in the presence of 90 ${\mu}$M ginsenoside Rb$_1$ respectively, while amplitude and intraburst frequency were slightly changed by ginsenoside Rb$_1$. In contrast, ginsenoside Rb$_1$was much less effective in reducing duration and occurrence rate of sTBCs. We also tested effects of ginsenoside Rb$_1$ on bursting activity in the presence of a GABA$\sub$A/ receptor antagonist, bicuculline methiodide (BMI). Ginsenoside Rb$_1$ had no effect in suppressing BMI-induced bursting activities. These results suggest that ginsenoside Rbi may be useful in controlling seizure-like bursting activity under pathological conditions.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.87-93
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• 2004

The effect of ginsenoside-Rb2, one of a major pharmacological component of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, on low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor expression was investigated and compared with hypocholesterolemic drug lovastatin. In HepG2 cell, exogenous cholesterol decreased LDL receptor mRNA expression, but ginsenoside-Rb2 recovered this reduction of LDL receptor mRNA up to normal expression level. Lovastatin also increased LDL receptor mRNA expression as similar as ginsenoside-Rb2 did. The reduction of sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP) transcription by exogenous cholesterol was also similarly recovered by ginsenoside-Rb2 and lovastatin addition. Compound K, a metabolite of ginsenoside-Rb2 and -Rb1 by human intestinal bacteria also increased the SREBP mRNA expression in cholesterol-enriched condition. Ginsenoside-Rb2 seems to up-regulate LDL receptor mRNA expression through the induction of de novo SREBP transcription. Therefore, increased expression of SREBP mRNA by ginsenoside-Rb2 elevated the LDL receptor mRNA expression in HepG2 cells, and these inductions possibly drop the plasma cholesterol level in hypercholesterolemia patients, in vivo, as likely in case of lovastatin.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.112-116
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• 1990

As a part of studies on the quality control of crude drug preparation drinks, ginseng saponins were identified by HPLC. Ginsenoside-Rb1 was determined quantitatively by HPLC. Ginsenoside MeOH/H2O(65:35:10, v/v) on Si-gel plate. Ginsenoside-Rb1 content determined by HPLC on Lichrosorbtract drinks was 57.5-70.4% compared to the content in the red ginseng extract.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.80-86
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• 2013

Korean red ginseng has been shown to possess a variety of biological activities. However, little is known about antiviral activity of ginsenosides of Korean red ginseng. Here, we investigated the protective effect by oral administration of various ginsenosides on the lethal infection of haemagglutinating virus of Japan (HVJ) in mice. In a lethal infection model in which almost all mice infected with HVJ died within 15 days, the mice were administered orally (per os) with 1 mg/mouse of dammarane-type (ginsenoside-Rb1, -Rb2, -Rd, -Re, and -Rg2) or oleanolic acid-type (ginsenoside-Ro) ginsenosides 3, 2, and 1 d before virus infection. Ginsenoside-Rb2 showed the highest protective activity, although other dammarane-type and oleanolic acid-type ginsenosides also induced a significant protection against HVJ. However, neither the consecutive administration with a lower dosage (300 ${\mu}g$/mouse) nor the single administration of ginsenoside-Rb2 (1 mg/mouse) was active. In comparison of the protective activity between ginsenoside-Rb2 and its two hydrolytic products [20(S)- and 20(R)-ginsenoside-Rg3], 20(S)-ginsenoside-Rg3, but not 20(R)-ginsenoside-Rg3, elicited a partial protection against HVJ. The protective effect of ginsenoside-Rb2 and 20(S)-ginsenoside-Rg3 on HVJ infection was confirmed by the reduction of virus titers in the lungs of HVJ-infected mice. These results suggest that ginsenoside-Rb2 is the most effective among ginsenosides from red ginseng to prevent the lethal infection of HVJ, so that this ginsenoside is a promising candidate as a mucosal immunoadjuvant to enhance antiviral activity.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.15-25
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• 1980

The investigation is concerned with the action of ginseng saponin on the contractile force in the rat heart and with the elucidation of the mechanism of the action. The effect of total ginseng saponin, ginsenoside Rb$_{1}$ of protopanaxadiol derivatives and ginsenoside Re of protopanaxatriol derivatives on the contractile force in isolated spontaneously beating normal rat heart was investigated. Total ginseng saponin was obtained from white ginseng by the method of Shibata and Namba. Ginsenoside Rb$_{1}$ and ginsenoside Re were isolated by the method of and Han, respectively. Total ginseng saponin exhibited a slight increase of the contractile force. Ginsenoside Rb$_{1}$ increased markedly the contractile force and dose dependent increase in contractile force was observed. However, ginsenoside Re did not increase the contractile force, but it prevented spontaneous decrease of the contractility of the heart. The mixture of the same dose of ginsenoside Rb$_{1}$ and Re showed a slight increase in the contractile force and its effect was similar to that obtained by total ginseng saponin. Pretreatment with propranolol abolished the positive inotropic effect of ginsenoside Rb$_{1}$ and the positive inotropic effect of ginsenoside Rb$_{1}$ was not observed in a reserpinized rat heart. Pretreatment with ginsenoside Re decreased or abolished the positive inotropic effect of epinephrine. Activities of Na+, K+ -ATPase were inhibited by ginsenoside Rb$_{1}$, total ginseng saponin and ginsenoside Re and these inhibitory effects were dose dependent. The results suggest that catecholamine release or inhibition of Na+, K+ -ATPase activities may be involved in the positive inotropic effect of gindenoside Rb$_{1}$. Ginsenoside Re counteracted the positive inotropic effect of ginsenoside Rb$_{1}$.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 2016

Background: Minor saponins or human intestinal bacterial metabolites, such as ginsenosides Rg3, F2, Rh2, and compound K, are more pharmacologically active than major saponins, such as ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, and Rc. In this work, enzymatic hydrolysis of ginsenoside Rb1 was studied using enzyme preparations from cultured mycelia of mushrooms. Methods: Mycelia of Armillaria mellea, Ganoderma lucidum, Phellinus linteus, Elfvingia applanata, and Pleurotus ostreatus were cultivated in liquid media at $25^{\circ}C$ for 2 wk. Enzyme preparations from cultured mycelia of five mushrooms were obtained by mycelia separation from cultured broth, enzyme extraction, ammonium sulfate (30-80%) precipitation, dialysis, and freeze drying, respectively. The enzyme preparations were used for enzymatic hydrolysis of ginsenoside Rb1. Results: Among the mushrooms used in this study, the enzyme preparation from cultured mycelia of A. mellea (AMMEP) was found to convert ginsenoside Rb1 into compound K with a high yield, while those from G. lucidum, P. linteus, E. applanata, and P. ostreatus produced remarkable amounts of ginsenoside Rd from ginsenoside Rb1. The enzymatic hydrolysis pathway of ginsenoside Rb1 by AMMEP was $Rb1{\rightarrow}Rd{\rightarrow}F2{\rightarrow}$ compound K. The optimum reaction conditions for compound K formation from ginsenoside Rb1 were as follows: reaction time 72-96 h, pH 4.0-4.5, and temperature $45-55^{\circ}C$. Conclusion: AMMEP can be used to produce the human intestinal bacterial metabolite, compound K, from ginsenoside Rb1 with a high yield and without food safety issues.