• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2004.12a
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• pp.7-11
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• 2004

We previously reported that ginseng inhibited NMDA receptors in cultured hippocampal neurons. Here, we further examined the detailed mechanism of ginseng-mediated inhibition using its main active ingredient, ginsenoside Rg$_3$. Co-application of ginsenoside Rg$_3$ with increasing concentrations of NMDA did not change the EC$_{50}$ of NMDA to the receptor, suggesting ginsenoside Rg$_3$ inhibits NMDA receptors without competing with the NMDA-binding site. Ginsenoside Rg$_3$-mediated inhibition also occurred in a distinctive manner from the well-characterized NMDA receptor open channel blocker, MK-801, However, ginsenoside Rg$_3$ produced its effect in a glycine concentration-dependent manner and shifted the glycine concentration-response curve to the right without changing the maximal response, suggesting the role of ginsenoside Rg$_3$ as a competitive NMDA receptor antagonist. We also demonstrated that ginsenoside Rg$_3$ significantly protected neurons against NMDA insults. Therefore, these results suggest that ginsenoside Rg$_3$ protects NMDA-induced neuronal death via a competitive interaction with the glycine-binding site of NMDA receptors in cultured hippocampal neurons.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.119-125
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• 2005

The previous reports demonstrated that ginseng saponins, active ingredient of Panax ginseng, inhibited blood vessel contraction induced by various hormones or high $K^+$. Recently, we demonstrated that 20(R)- and 20(S)-ginsenoside $Rg_3$. regulate ion channel activities with differential manners. The aim of this study was to examine whether ginsenoside $Rg_3$ isomers also show differential effects on swine coronary artery contractionresponses induced by high $K^+$, serotonin (5-HT) or acetylcholine. Treatment of 20(S)- but not 20(R)-ginsenoside $Rg_3$ caused a concentration-dependent relaxation of coronary artery contracted by 25mM KCI. 20(S)- and 20(R)-ginsenoside $Rg_3$ induced significant relaxations of coronary artery contraction induced by 5-HT $(3{\mu}M)$ in the presence of endothelium with concentration-dependent manner and, also in the absence of endothelium only 20(S)-ginsenoside $Rg_3$ induced a strong Inhibition of coronary artery contraction induced by 5-HT in a concentration-dependent manner. 20(S)-ginsenoside $Rg_3$ caused relaxation of coronary artery in the absence and presence of endothelium. In contrast, treatment of 20(S)- and 20(R)-ginsenoside $Rg_3\;(100{\mu}M)$ did not show significant inhibition of coronary artery contraction induced by acetylcholine $(0.01\;to\;30{\mu}M)$ in the presence of endothelium, whereas both isomers caused significant inhibition of coronary artery contraction induced by acetylcholine $(0.01\;to\;30{\mu}M)$ in the absence of endothelium in a concentration-dependent manner. These findings indicate that 20(S)-or 20(R)-ginsenoside $Rg_3$ exhibits differential relaxation eff3cts of swine coronary artery contractions caused by high $K^+$, acetylcholine, and 5-HT treatment and that this differential vasorelaxing effects of ginsenoside $Rg_3$ isomers also might be dependent on endothelium.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.304-313
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• 2015

Background: Ginsenoside Rg3 is a promising anticancer agent. It is usually produced by heat treatment of ginseng, in which ginsenoside Rb1 is the major ginsenoside. A kinetic study was conducted to optimize ginsenoside Rg3 production by the heat treatment of ginsenoside Rb1. Methods: Ginsenoside Rb1 was heated using an isothermal machine at $80^{\circ}C$ and $100^{\circ}C$ and analyzed using HPLC. The kinetic parameters were calculated from the experimental results. The activation energy was estimated and used to simulate the process. The optimized parameters of ginsenoside Rg3 production are suggested based on the simulation. Results: The rate constants were $0.013h^{-1}$ and $0.073h^{-1}$ for the degradation of ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg3 at $80^{\circ}C$, respectively. The corresponding rate constants at $100^{\circ}C$ were $0.045h^{-1}$ and $0.155h^{-1}$. The estimated activation energies of degradation of ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg3 were 69.2 kJ/mol and 40.9 kJ/mol, respectively. The rate constants at different temperatures were evaluated using the estimated activation energies, and the kinetic profiles of ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg3 at each temperature were simulated based on the proposed kinetic model of consecutive reaction. The optimum strategies for producing ginsenoside Rg3 from ginsenoside Rb1 are suggested based on the simulation. With increased temperature, a high concentration of ginsenoside Rg3 is formed rapidly. However, the concentration decreases quickly after the reaching the maximal concentration value. Conclusion: The optimum temperature for producing ginsenoside Rg3 should be the highest temperature technically feasible below $180^{\circ}C$, in consideration of the cooling time. The optimum reaction time for heat treatment is 30 min.

• 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.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.260-264
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• 1993

In order to determine the stability of ginseng components in this salt concentration when used to ginseng as additive ingredient of sauces or seasonings, we study on the content and charactristic of ginsenosides and changes in pH and color, ginseng tail and ginseng extract were treated with various concentration of NaCl solution. In this experiment, extract of ginseng tail were increased in pH as NaCl concentration were increased, but ginseng extract have not changed evidently. The both solution were decreased in color as the salt concentration were increased. Yield of n-butanol extract was decreased in 5% NaCl concentration, while it was increased in the above concentration, and ginseng extract was changed higher than ginseng tail. Ginsenosides content were increased in 5% NaCl concentration, both $ginsenosied-Rb_1$, $-Rb_2$, -Rc, -Rd of diol line and ginsenoside-Re of triol line and increased in above NaCl concentration. Especially ginsenoside-Re showed to sensitive response to the changes of the salt concentration.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.209-212
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• 2003

A wide variety of cancer chemotherapeutic agents have been shown to induce programmed cell death (PCD, apoptosis) in various tumor cell fines in vitro. This study was performed to know how ginsenoside Rc affect on SK-MEL-28 cell line, and how they induce the apoptosis. SK-MEL-28 cell lines were treated with various concentrations of ginsenoside Rc and cultured for various times. At cell cycle analysis, cells arrested at G2/M phase by ginsenoside Rc and apotosis percentage increased along with increasing concentration and time. TUNEL assay was performed to know whether SK-MEL-28 cell fine die as apoptosis or necrosis by ginsenoside Rc. As a result, fluorescence increased along with increasing time and concentration. Fas expressed on SK-MEL-28 cell lines membrane by ginsenoside Rc was identified using flow cytometer. Ginsenoside Rc induced apoptosis against SK-MEL-28 cell fines, and the apoptosis mechanism was identified as Fas-mediated apotosis.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.497-503
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• 2011

In order to enhance bioactive functionalities of ginseng, an acid impregnation processing was applied as a pre-treatment in producing red ginseng. Acid impregnation studies were conducted, and acids (ascorbic, malic, and citric acid) were selected. The optimal concentration of each acid was investigated in this study in terms of ginsenoside contents. The most concerned ginsenoside, $Rg_3$ was increased by ascorbic, malic, and citric acid pre-treated red ginseng up to 1 M acid concentration. In the case of ascorbic acid pre-treated red ginseng, $Rg_2$ concentration was increased depending on acid concentrations. Citric acid pre-treatment enhanced $Rg_2$, $Rg_3$, and $Rh_1+Rh_2$ formation in red ginseng. Therefore, ginsenoside patterns in red ginseng could be changed by acid impregnation pre-treatment depending on acid concentration and acid types. This research is expected to contribute to the development of the ginseng industry via new red ginseng products with selective and intensified functionality.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.451-456
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• 2013

Compound K is a major metabolite of ginsenoside Rb1, which has various pharmacological activities in vivo and in vitro. However, previous studies have focused on the pharmacokinetics of a single metabolite or the parent compound and have not described the pharmacokinetics of both compounds in humans. To investigate the pharmacokinetics of ginsenoside Rb1 and compound K, we performed an open-label, single-oral dose pharmacokinetic study using Korean Red Ginseng extract. We enrolled 10 healthy Korean male volunteers in this study. Serial blood samples were collected during 36 h after Korean Red Ginseng extract administration to determine plasma concentrations of ginsenoside Rb1 and compound K. The mean maximum plasma concentration of compound K was $8.35{\pm}3.19$ ng/mL, which was significantly higher than that of ginsenoside Rb1 ($3.94{\pm}1.97$ ng/mL). The half-life of compound K was 7 times shorter than that of ginsenoside Rb1. These results suggest that the pharmacokinetics, especially absorption, of compound K are not influenced by the pharmacokinetics of its parent compound, except the time to reach the maximum plasma concentration The delayed absorption of compound K support the evidence that the intestinal microflora play an important role in the transformation of ginsenoside Rb1 to compound K.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.375-383
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• 2023

Malic acid-catalyzed transformation has been developed to produce ginsenoside Rg3 which is increasingly in demand as a functional ingredient. The optimization of the conversion of red ginseng saponin (RGS) to ginsenoside Rg3 by acid catalyzed transformation was carried out using Box-Behnken design (BBD) based on Response Surface Analysis (RSM). The main independent variables were malic acid concentration, temperature, and reaction time. Conversion of ginsenoside Rg3 was performed according to BBD model and optimization conditions were analyzed. The concentration of the converted ginsenoside Rg3 ranged from 1.548 mg/L to 4.558 mg/L, and the highest production was obtained under the condition of reacting 1% malic acid, 50 ℃ and 9h. Consequently, The independent variables affecting the production of ginsenoside Rg3 were identified in the following order: malic acid concentration, reaction time and temperature. In addition, it was confirmed that the interaction between malic acid concentration and reaction time had a greater influence than the temperature.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.110-113
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• 2002

Studies were made to examine the various effects of jasmonic acid and benzoic acid on ginsenoside production in suspension cultures of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer. Jasmonic acid increased the ginsenoside production when it was dosed at the concentration of 50 $\mu$M or higher. The cell growth, however, was reduced with jasmonic acid. When benzoic acid was dosed simultaneously with iasmonic acid, the ginsenoside production increased 9.6 folds. It was 2.2 times higher than the result of single dose of jasmonic acid.