• 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.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.203-207
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• 2014

Background: There is limited understanding of the effect of dietary components on the absorption of ginsenosides and their metabolites into the blood. Methods: This study investigated the pharmacokinetics of the ginseng extract and its main constituent ginsenoside Rb1 in rats with or without pretreatment with a prebiotic fiber, NUTRIOSE, by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. When ginsenoside Rb1 was incubated with rat feces, its main metabolite was ginsenoside Rd. Results: When the intestinal microbiota of rat feces were cultured in vitro, their ginsenoside Rd-forming activities were significantly induced by NUTRIOSE. When ginsenoside Rb1 was orally administered to rats, the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the plasma drug concentratione-time curve (AUC) for the main metabolite, ginsenoside Rd, were $72.4{\pm}31.6ng/mL$ and $663.9{\pm}285.3{\mu}g{\cdot}h/mL$, respectively. When the ginseng extract (2,000 mg/kg) was orally administered, Cmax and AUC for ginsenoside Rd were $906.5{\pm}330.2ng/mL$ and $11,377.3{\pm}4,470.2{\mu}g{\cdot}h/mL$, respectively. When ginseng extract was orally administered to rats fed NUTRIOSE containing diets (2.5%, 5%, or 10%), Cmax and AUC were increased in the NUTRIOSE receiving groups in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: These findings reveal that intestinal microflora promote metabolic conversion of ginsenoside Rb1 and ginseng extract to ginsenoside Rd and promote its absorption into the blood in rats. Its conversion may be induced by prebiotic diets such as NUTRIOSE.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.226-231
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• 2008

Ginsenosides have been regarded as the principal components responsible for the pharmacological and biological activities of ginseng. Absorption of major ginsenosides from the gastrointestinal tract is extremely low, when ginseng is orally administered. In order to improve absorption and its bioavailability, conversion of major ginsenosides into more active minor ginsenoside is very much required. Here, we isolated lactic acid bacterium (Lactobacillus brevis LH8) having ${\beta}-glucosidase$ activity from Kimchi. Bioconversion ginsenoside Rd by this bacterium in different temperatures was investigated. The maximum activities of crude enzymes precipitated by ethanol were shown in $30^{\circ}C$ and then gradually decreased. In order to compare the effect of pH, the crude enzymes of L. brevis LH8 were mixed in 20mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 3.5 to pH 8.0) and reacted ginsenoside Rd. Ginsenoside Rd was almost hydrolyzed between pH 6.0 and pH 12.0, but not hydrolyzed under pH 5.0 and above pH 13.0. Ginsenoside Rd was hydrolyzed after 48 h incubation, whereas ginsenoside F2 appeared from 48 h to 72 h, and ginsenoside Rd was almost converted into compound K after 72 h.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.349-360
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• 2020

Bio-conversion manufacturing technology has been developed to produce ginsenoside Rd which is increasingly in demand as a cosmetic material due to various possibilities related to improving skin function. In order to convert ginsenoside Rb1 which is contained in red ginseng saponin (RGS) into Rd, several commercial enzymes were tested. Viscoflow MG was found to be the most efficient. In order to optimize the conversion of RGS to ginsenoside Rd by enzymatic transition was carried out using response surface methodology (RSM) based on Box-Behnken design (BBD). The main independent variables were RGS concentration, enzyme concentration, and reaction time. Conversion of ginsenoside Rd was performed under 17 conditions selected according to BBD model and optimization conditions were analyzed. The concentration of the converted ginsenoside Rd ranged from 0.3113 g/L to 0.5277 g/L, and the highest production volume was obtained under condition of reacting 2% RGS and 1.25% enzyme for 13.5 hours. Consequently, RGS concentration, enzyme concentration which is 0.05 less than p-value and among the interactions between the independent variables, the interaction between enzyme concentration and reaction time was confirmed to be the most influential.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.485-489
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• 2000

The patterns and contents of ginsenosides were examined in normal root parts and hairy root lines of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer. Ginsenoside-Rb$_1$, -Rb$_2$, -Rc, -Rd, -Re, -Rf, -Rg$_1$, -Rg$_2$ were detected in normal roots and hairy roots of ginseng. The patterns and contents of ginsenosides in that were very difference each other. The contents of total ginsenoside of hairy root (KGHR-1) was 17.42 mg/g dry wt, it's highest compared to others. Ginsenoside contents of hairy root (KGHR-1) was higher on ginsenoside-Rd, Rg$_1$, KGHR-5 was higher on ginsenoside-Rb$_1$, Rg$_1$, and KGHR-8 was higher on ginsenoside-Rd, Re than others. The contents of total ginsenosides on 6 years old ginseng cultured in the field were high in the order of main root, lateral root and fine roots, and content of ginsenosides in fine roots was 3.2 times higher than that in main root. The ratio of ginsenoside-Rg$_1$to total ginsenosides were about 3.43%, 8.68% and 14.18% respectively on fine root, lateral root and main root, it's very lower than that in hairy roots. It is suggested that specific ginsenosides can be produce in cultures of ginseng hairy roots.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.391-397
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• 2020

In this study, we used a novel α-L-arabinopyranosidase (AbpBs) obtained from ginsenoside-converting Blastococcus saxobsidens that was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), and then applied it in the biotransformation of ginsenoside Rb₂ into Rd. The gene, termed AbpBs, consisting of 2,406 nucleotides (801 amino acid residues), and with a predicted translated protein molecular mass of 86.4 kDa, was cloned into a pGEX4T-1 vector. A BLAST search using the AbpBs amino acid sequence revealed significant homology with a family 2 glycoside hydrolase (GH2). The over-expressed recombinant AbpBs in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) catalyzed the hydrolysis of the arabinopyranose moiety attached to the C-20 position of ginsenoside Rb₂ under optimal conditions (pH 7.0 and 40℃). Kinetic parameters for α-L-arabinopyranosidase showed apparent K_m and V_max values of 0.078 ± 0.0002 μM and 1.4 ± 0.1 μmol/min/mg of protein against p-nitrophenyl-α-L-arabinopyranoside. Using a purified AbpBs (1 ㎍/ml), 0.1% of ginsenoside Rb₂ was completely converted to ginsenoside Rd within 1 h. The recombinant AbpBs could be useful for high-yield, rapid, and low-cost preparation of ginsenoside Rd from Rb₂.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.155-160
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• 2008

Ginsenosides have been regarded as the principal components, responsible for the pharmacological and biological activities of ginseng. Absorption of major ginsenosides at the gastrointestinal tract was extremely low, when ginseng taken orally. In order to improve the absorption and bioavailability, transformation of major ginsenosides into more active and valuable minor ginsenoside is much required. In this present study, We isolated a lactic acid bacteria Leuconostoc fallax LH3 from the Korean fermented food Kimchi, which have higher ${\beta}$-glucosidase activity. Using the ethanol precipitated curd enzyme of Leuconostoc fallax LH3, we investigated the biotransformation of ginsenoside Rd at different experimental condition to increase transformation. The maximum convertion was supported at 30 $^{\circ}C$ and decreased when temperatures increased. In order to optimize the effect of pH, the curd enzyme was mixed 20 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 3.5 to pH 8.0). Ginsenoside Rd was almost hydrolyzed between pH 7.0 and pH 9.0, but not hydrolyzed above pH 10.0. Ginsenoside Rd was hydrolyzed after 24 hrs incubation, but whereas the ginsenoside F2 was appeared from 36 hrs, and all ginsenoside Rd was transformed to F2 after the 60 hrs incubation. Based on this study, the curd enzyme of Leuconostoc fallax LH3 transformed the ginsenoside Rd at the 30$^{\circ}C$ and the pH optimum of 7.0 to 9.0 after the 60 hrs incubation time.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.179-184
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• 2004

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of ginseng saponins (panaxadiol, ginsenoside $Rb_1$, $Rb_2$, Rc, Rd) on jejunal crypt survival, endogenous spleen colony formation and apoptosis in jejunal crypt cells of mice irradiated with gamma-ray. ICR mice were given each saponin (i.p. 50 mg/kg of body weight) at 24 hours before irradiation. The radioprotective effects of saponins were compared with the irradiation control respectively. The jejunal crypts were protected by pretreatment with ginsenoside Rc (p<0.05) and Rd (p<0.05). The spleen colony was increased by pretreatment with panaxadiol (p<0.05) and ginsenoside Rd (p<0.05). And the frequency of radiation induced apoptosis was significantly reduced by pretreatment with panaxadiol (p<0.05), ginsenoside Rb2 (p<0.05), Rc (p<0.05) and Rd (p<0.01). These results suggest that ginsenoside Rc, Rd might have a major radioprotective effect.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.171-176
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• 2008

Column chromatographic separation of 70% EtOH extract of the roots of Korean cultivated-wild ginseng led to the isolation of ten ginsenosides (1 - 10). The isolated compounds were identified as ginsenoside $Rg_1$ (1), ginsenoside Re (2), ginsenoside Rc (3), ginsenoside $Rb_1$ (4), ginsenoside $Rb_2$ (5), ginsenoside Rd (6), ginsenoside $Rg_3$ (7), ginsenoside $F_2$ (8), ginsenoside $Rb_3$ (9), and ginsenoside $Rd_2$ (10) by physicochemical and spectroscopic methods. The compounds (1 - 10) were for the first time isolated from the roots of Korean cultivated-wild ginseng.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.344-351
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• 2011

Ginsenoside $Rb_1$ is the main component in ginsenosides. It is a protopanaxadiol-type ginsenoside that has a dammarane-type triterpenoid as an aglycone. In this study, ginsenoside $Rb_1$ was transformed into gypenoside XVII, ginsenoside Rd, ginsenoside $F_2$ and compound K by glycosidase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides DC102. The optimum time for the conversion was about 72 h at a constant pH of 6.0 to 8.0 and the optimum temperature was about $30^{\circ}C$. Under optimal conditions, ginsenoside $Rb_1$ was decomposed and converted into compound K by 72 h post-reaction (99%). The enzymatic reaction was analyzed by highperformance liquid chromatography, suggesting the transformation pathway: ginsenoside $Rb_1$ ${\rightarrow}$ gypenoside XVII and ginsenoside Rd${\rightarrow}$ginsenoside $F_2{\rightarrow}$compound K.