• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.395-403
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• 2022

In this study, we identified that the fermentation of Korean indigenous probiotics and red ginseng produced ginsenoside compound K (CK) from major ginsenosides. Based on whole genome sequencing of 19 probiotics species, β-glucosidase, α-arabinofuranosidase, β-xylosidase, and α-rhamnosidase related to bioconversion of ginsenosides are identified in the genome of 19 species, 3 species, 6 species, and 8 species, respectively. Among the 19 probiotics species, Bifidobacterium longum CBT BG7 converted from ginsenoside Rb1 to CK, and both B. breve CBT BR3 and B. lactis CBT BL3 converted ginsenoside Rb1 to Rd. The final concentration and yield of ginsenoside F2 and CK were higher in the fermentation with the nondisrupted cells than with disrupted cells. The combination of both CBT BG7 and BL3, and CBT BG7 and BR3 showed higher amounts of F2 than CBT BG7 only. CBT BG7 with adding α-amylase increased the amounts of F2. In this study, we identified that the fermentation of both Korean indigenous probiotic bacteria CBT BG7, BR3 and BL3, and red gingseng is able to produce CK, a bioactive compound that promotes health benefits.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.274-283
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• 1998

It has generally been accepted that quality of ginseng should be determined not by the content of a single component but by composition and balance of total active principles. However, there still can be an exception with a product in which a given ginsenoside is used for the treatment of a specific disease. Although ginsenosides have been regarded to be major active components of ginseng and employed as index components for the quality control, it does not consistent with the traditional concept on ginseng quality creterion; main root has been more highly appreciated than the lateral or fine root. Content of ginsenosides in the lateral or fine root is much higher than that in main root. However, the ratio of protopanaxadiol (PD) and protopanaxatriol (PT) saponins existing in various part of ginseng root is greatly different. The ratio of PD/PT saponins in main root is well balanced but the thinner the root is the higher the ratio. Thus far, a total of 34 different kinds of ginsenosides have been isolated from Korean (red) ginseng, and their pharmacological activities were elucidated partly. Interestingly, different ginsenoside shows similar or contrary effects to each other in biological systems, thus indicating the significance of absolute content of single ginsenoside as well as compositional patterns of each ginsenoside. Therefore, pharmacological activities of ginseng should be determined as a wholly concept. In these regards, standardization of ginseng material (fresh ginseng root) should be preceded to the standardization of ginseng products because ginsenoside content and non-saponin active principles such as polysaccharides and nitrogen (N)-containing compound including proteins are significantly different from part to part of the root. In other words, the main root contains less ginsenosides than other lateral or fine roots. Contents of polysaccharides and N-containing compound in main root is higher. However, the quality control of ginseng products focused on non-saponin compounds has limitation in applying to the analytical method, because of the difficult chemical analysis of these compounds. Content of ginsenosides, and ratios of PD/PT and ginsenoside Rb,/Rg, are inversely proportional to the diameter of ginseng root. Therefore, these can be served as the chemical parameters for the indirect method of evaluating from what part of the root does the material originate. Furthermore, contents of polysaccharides and N-containing compounds show inverse relationship to saponin content. Therefore, it seems that index for analytical chemistry of saponin can be applied to the indirect method of evaluating not only saponin but also non-saponin compounds of ginseng. From these viewpoints, it is strongly recommended that quality of ginseng or ginseng products be judged not only by the absolute content of given ginsenoside but also by varieties and compositional balance of ginsenosides, including contents of non-saponin active principles.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.117-123
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• 2012

This study compared the contents of low molecular ginsenoside according to fermentation process in low grade fresh ginseng. Low grade fresh ginseng was directly inoculated with a 24 h seed culture of $Bifidobacterium$ Longum B6., $Lactobacillus$ $casei$., and incubated at $36^{\circ}C$ for 72 h. $Bifidobacterium$ Longum B6 was specifically was found to show the best growth on $3,255{\times}10^6\;CFU/m{\ell}$ after 48 h of fermentation. The content of ginsenoside Rb1, Re and Rd were decreased with the fermentation but ginsenoside Rh2 and Rg2 increased after fermentation process. In the case of low molecular ginsenoside conversion yields were 56.07% of Rh2, 12.03% of Rg3 and 77.11% of Rg2, respectively. In addition, compound-K was irregular conversion yield as long as 72 h of fermentation. This results indicate that fermentation process could increase the low molecular ginsenoside in low grade fresh ginseng.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.62-62
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• 2004

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.1095-1101
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• 2016

Ginsenoside Rg1 is a natural compound with various efficacies and functions. It has beneficial effects on aging, diabetes, and immunity, as well as antioxidant and proliferative functions. However, its effect on porcine embryo development remains unknown. We investigated the effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on the in vitro development of preimplantation porcine embryos after parthenogenetic activation in high-oxygen conditions. Ginsenoside treatment did not affect cleavage or blastocyst formation rates, but did increase the total cell number and reduced the rate of apoptosis. In addition, it had no effect on the expression of four apoptosis-related genes (Bcl-2 homologous antagonist/killer, B-cell lymphoma-extra large, Caspase 3, and tumor protein p53) or two metabolism-related genes (mechanistic target of rapamycin, carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1B), but increased the expression of Glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), indicating that it may increase glucose uptake. In summary, treatment with the appropriate concentration of ginsenoside Rg1 ($20{\mu}g/mL$) can increase glucose uptake, thereby improving the quality of embryos grown in high-oxygen conditions.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.531-544
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• 2002

Ginseng is the best known and most popular herbal medicine used worldwide. Ameliorating effects of ginseng were observed on the models of scopolamine-induced, aged or hippocampal lesioned learning and memory deficits. Further beneficial effects of ginseng were observed on neuronal cell death associated with ischemia or glutamate toxicity. In spite of these beneficial effects of ginseng on the CNS, little scientific evidence shows at the cellular level. In the present study, we have employed cultures of rat hippocampal neurons and examined the direct modulation of ginseng on NMDA receptor-induced changes in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ and -gated currents using fura-2-based digital imaging and perforated whole-cell patch-clamp techniques, respectively. We found that ginseng total saponins inhibited NMDA-induced but less effectively glutamate-induced increase in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ Ginseng total saponins also modulated $Ca^{2+}$ transients evoked by depolarization with 50 mM KCI along with its own effects on $[Ca^{2+}]_i$. Among ginsenosides tested, ginsenoside $Rg_3$ was found to be the most potent component for ginseng actions on NMDA receptors. Furthermore, we examined the inhibitory effects ofbiotransformants of ginsenosides on NMDA receptor using purified stereoisomers of ginsenosides. 20(S)-ginsenoside $Rg_3$ and its metabolite, 20(S)-ginsenoside $Rh_3$, produced the strongest inhibition while 20(S)-ginsenoside $Rh_1$ and Compound K produced the moderate inhibition on NMDA-induced increase in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$. The data obtained suggest that the inhibition of NMDA receptors by ginseng, in particular by 20(S)-ginsenoside $Rg_3$ and its metabolite, 20(S)-ginsenoside $Rh_2$, could be one of mechanisms for ginsengmediated neuroprotective actions.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.370-376
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• 2008

Ginsenoside Rp1 (G-Rp1) is a ginseng saponin derivative with chemopreventive and anti-cancer activities. In this study, we examined the regulatory activity of G-Rp1 on the functional activation of macrophages. G-Rp1 remarkably inhibited TNF-$\alpha$ production, LPS-induced cell cytotoxicity, NO production, ROS generation, and phagocytic uptake from lipopolysacchride (LPS)-activated RAW264.7 cells. According to structural feature study using several G-Rp1 analogs, two carbohydrates (glucose-glucose) at R1 position were observedto be highly effective, compared to other structural derivatives. Although the inhibitory activities of G-Rp1 on macrophage functions were not remarkable, several points that G-Rp1 was known to be safe, and that this compound was orally effective, suggest that G-Rp1 may be beneficial in treating macrophage-mediated immunological diseases.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.334-343
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• 2021

Background: Gut microbiota mainly function in the biotransformation of primary ginsenosides into bioactive metabolites. Herein, we investigated the effects of three prebiotic fibers by targeting gut microbiota on the metabolism of ginsenoside Rb1 in vivo. Methods: Sprague Dawley rats were administered with ginsenoside Rb1 after a two-week prebiotic intervention of fructooligosaccharide, galactooligosaccharide, and fibersol-2, respectively. Pharmacokinetic analysis of ginsenoside Rb1 and its metabolites was performed, whilst the microbial composition and metabolic function of gut microbiota were examined by 16S rRNA gene amplicon and metagenomic shotgun sequencing. Results: The results showed that peak plasma concentration and area under concentration time curve of ginsenoside Rb1 and its intermediate metabolites, ginsenoside Rd, F2, and compound K (CK), in the prebiotic intervention groups were increased at various degrees compared with those in the control group. Gut microbiota dramatically responded to the prebiotic treatment at both taxonomical and functional levels. The abundance of Prevotella, which possesses potential function to hydrolyze ginsenoside Rb1 into CK, was significantly elevated in the three prebiotic groups (P < 0.05). The gut metagenomic analysis also revealed the functional gene enrichment for terpenoid/polyketide metabolism, glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, propanoate metabolism, etc. Conclusion: These findings imply that prebiotics may selectively promote the proliferation of certain bacterial stains with glycoside hydrolysis capacity, thereby, subsequently improving the biotransformation and bioavailability of primary ginsenosides in vivo.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.406-413
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• 2015

Background : This study was carried out to investigate the changes to fatty acid, mineral, and ginsenosides contents in ginseng seed when they were stratified for different length of time and to determine whether variety had any effects on the changes. The aim was to improve the ginseng seed stratification process. Methods and Results : The ginseng varieties used were Geumpoong, Chunpoong, Yunpoong, and K-1. Stratifying periods treated on ginseng seed were 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 days. The main fatty acids of ginseng seed were oleic acid (C18 : 1, n9c) with a content of 78.40 - 79.20% followed by linoleic acid (C18 : 2, n6c). The main mineral in the seeds was potassium (K), at 1208.2 -1337.6 mg/100 g. The main ginsenosides in ginseng seed were ginsenoside Re and Rb1. Increasing the length of the stratification periods led to increases in oleic acid content (60 - 80 days), however after this the content declined. In contrast, linoleic acid content fell as the stratification period increased. K, P, Mg, Ca and Na content rose as the stratification period increased. The ginsenoside Re content of Chunpoong and K-1 cultivar seeds also rose as the stratification period increased which meant that total ginsenoside content increased. However, ginsenoside Re content rose in Geumpoong and Yunpoong seeds, but total ginsenoside content decreased as the stratification period increased. Conclusions : Some beneficial compound in ginseng seed rose as the stratification period increased. Therefore, ginseng seed stratification could improve the food value of ginseng.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.10-10
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• 2007