• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.593-603
• /
• 2023

Background: Korean Red Ginseng is a major source of bioactive substances such as ginsenosides. Efficacy of red ginseng extract (RGE), which contains not only saponins but also various non-saponins, has long been studied. In the water-soluble component-rich fraction of RGE (WS), a byproduct generated in the process of extracting saponins from the RGE, we identified previously unidentified molecules and confirmed their efficacy. Methods: The RGE was prepared and used to produce WS, whose components were isolated sequentially according to their water affinity. The new compounds from WS were fractionized and structurally analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Physiological applicability was evaluated by verifying the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory efficacies of these compounds in vitro. Results: High-performance liquid chromatography confirmed that the obtained WS comprised 11 phenolic acid and flavonoid substances. Among four major compounds from fractions 1-4 (F1-4) of WS, two compounds from F3 and F4 were newly identified in red ginseng. The analysis results show that these compound molecules are member of the maltol-structure-based glucopyranose series, and F1 and F4 are particularly effective for decreasing oxidative stress levels and inhibiting nitric oxide secretion, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that a few newly identified maltol derivatives, such as red ginseng-derived non-saponin in the WS, exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, making them viable candidates for application to pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and functional food materials.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
• /
• 1984.09a
• /
• pp.83-88
• /
• 1984

It is now well established that the rodenticide Vacor (N-3-pyridyl-mehtyl-N'-p-nitropheny-lurea) causes a hyperglycemia in human and rats. It is also reported that there are some components (DPG-3) in ginseng radix which cause hypoglycemic effect on alloxan diabetic mice. In the present study, attempts were made to demonstrate in Vacor-poisoned rats the hypo-glycemic activity of red ginseng component(RGC), which was extracted by Kimura's DPG-3 extraction procedure and found to be effective for lowering a hyperglycemia in alloxan-diabetic rats. Vacor in a dose of $LD_{50}$ (10mg/kg) produced a glucose intolerance with a paradoxical moderate increase in blood immunoreactive insulin and derangement in glucose metabolism of epididymal adipocytes in rats. Although RGC (20mg/kg, i.p.) did not exert any significant influence on a hyperglycemia induced by large lethal doses (25mg/kg) of Vacor ingestion, it improved the LDso Vacor-induced glucose intolerance and caused a further increase in blood insulin levels in Vacor-poisoned rats. The administration of RGC (20mg/kg, i.p.) normalized Vacor-induced depression of glucose metabolism and lipogenesis in the epididymal adipocytes with an improvement of reduced responses to insulin of adipocytes from Vacor-poisoned rats. These results suggest that some red ginsneng components contained in RGC fraction normalize the depressed peripheral glucose unitlization and insulin response and eventually lead to an improvement of abnormal glucose tolerance developed in rats poisoned with small doses of Vacor.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.43 no.11
• /
• pp.1665-1673
• /
• 2014

The objective of this study was to compare the compositions and immuno-enhancing effects of 6-year-old red ginseng powder (RGP) with those of its fractions. RGP was subjected to extraction with 100% ethanol to obtain an ethanol fraction (E) and residue 1 (R1). Then, R1 was subjected to extraction with distilled water to obtain water fraction (W) and residue 2 (R2). Chemical compositions were as follows: 4.94% acidic polysaccharides and 1.56% ginsenosides (amounts of Rg1, Re, Rf, Rg2, Rb1, Rc, Rd, and Rg3) in RGP, 0.11% acidic polysaccharides and 6.99% ginsenosides in E, 4.93% acidic polysaccharides and 0.40% ginsenosides in R1, 0.50% acidic polysaccharides and 0.30% ginsenosides in R2, and 7.46% acidic polysaccharides and 0.61% ginsenosides in W. Immuno-enhancing effects of fractions from RGP were examined based on suppression of immune responses by cyclophosphamide. In the first fraction test, the antibody response to SRBCs increased significantly in the R1-treated group, but not the E-treated group. In the second fraction test, W showed higher immuno-enhancing effect than R1 and R2. W, which contained the highest amount of acidic polysaccharides, restored numbers of T and B cells, macrophages, as well as $CD4^+$ and $CD8^+$ T cells in the spleen suppressed by cyclophosphamide. These results suggest that acidic polysaccharides from red ginseng may be more effective than saponin in enhancing immune functions and reducing immunotoxicity of cyclophosphamide.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.85-92
• /
• 2008

Objectives : This study was performed to efficiently make Black Panax Ginseng (BPG) and evaluate its antitumor activity. Methods : Panax ginseng was steamed at $95^{\circ}C$ for 3 h, dried and steamed again at $115^{\circ}C$ for 6 h. The main ginsenosides of BPG were $Rg_{3}$, $Rk_{1}$ and $Rg_{5}$. Results : Among the saponins in BPG, the amount of ginsenoside $Rg_{3}$ was determined by HPLC method. The 11.48 mg of ginsenoside $Rg_{3}$ was obtained from lg of dried BPG. The crude saponin fraction (CSF) of BPG was tested in vitro for its cytotoxic activities against various human cancer cell lines, such as ACHN, NCI-H23, HCT-15 and PC-3. The CSF of BPG exhibited stronger cytotoxic activity than that of red Panax ginsneng. CSF of BPG exhibited good cytotoxic activities against ACFIN, HCT-15, and PC-3 cell lines with $IC_{50}$ values of 60.3-90.8 ${\mu}g$/ml. However, CSF of BPG did not show any cytotoxic activity against NCI-H23 cell line. Conclusions : BPG produced by new manufacturing is more effective than BPG produced by existing processing in anticancer activity. And new BPG has a possibility of investigation because of high contents of Rg3, Rk1 and Rg5 that have various phisological activities.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
• /
• 1984.09a
• /
• pp.21-26
• /
• 1984

The balance between metabolic activation of xenobiotics and detoxification of their active metabolites may playa vital role in controlling mutagenic and carcinogenic processes. To assess the possible role of P. ginseng C.A. Meyer in detoxification of xenobiotics, we studied the effects of ginseng on several parameters of the monooxygenasd system, including benzo(a) pyrene monooxygenase(AHH) and benzo(a) pyrene epoxide hydratase(EH) as well as effects of ginseng on the conjugation system. Test animals receiving ginseng saponin-fraction induced epoxide hydratase activity to over $150\%$ (20mg/kg b.w.) of the control and increased glutathione transferase activity (GSH-T) up to $140\%$ (20mg/kg b.w.) of the control, whereas no significant changes were observed in the benzopyrene monooxygenase activity (AHH). Such a selective induction of the inactivation enzyme epoxide hydratase, combined with a marked elevation of the detoxifying enzyme glutathione transferase, without a concurrent induction of benzopyrene monooxygenase which is responsible for the formation of carcinogenic intermediates, demonstrates that ginseng has the potential to alter the metabolic course of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and thereby enhance detoxification. Thus, ginseng may play an important role in the prevention of tumors caused by carcinogens.

• Food Science and Preservation
• /
• v.16 no.5
• /
• pp.754-758
• /
• 2009

To develop soybean cake as a functional food material, the anti-oxidative and cytotoxic activities against human colon cancer cells of crude saponins isolated from 70% (v/v) ethanol extracts of cake were investigated. The Diaion HP-20 adsorption method was used for isolation of crude saponins, which were then eluted with 100% ethanol. The non-saponin fraction was removed by elution with $H_2O$ and 20% (v/v) ethanol. The results of thin layer chromatography (TLC) analysis confirmed that crude saponins were present in the 100% ethanol extract of soybean cake. The hydrogen-donating properties of saponins were more than 60% at a concentration of $1,000\;{\mu}g/mL$. malondialdehyde(MDA) production was $1,200\;{\mu}mol\;MDA/g$ in mouse liver homogenate treated with crude saponins at the concentration of $1,000\;{\mu}g/mL$. This value was lower than that of the control, which was $3,700\;{\mu}mol\;MDA/g$. Saponins inhibited the growth of colon cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Saponins also resulted in a decrease in the proportion of cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle, whereas the cell proportion in G2/M phase was increased with $1,000\;{\mu}g/mL$ saponins. Thus, we conclude that saponins may induce G2/M cell cycle arrest.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
• /
• 2002.10a
• /
• pp.55-65
• /
• 2002

Ginseng has been used as a key constituent in traditional medicine prescriptions for centuries. Other than its well-known anti-stress and adaptogenic properties, ginseng has also been shown to be very effective in treating age-related deterioration in metabolic and memory functions. Although it is generally believed that the saponin (GS) fraction of the ginseng root accounts for the bioactivity of ginseng, a direct demonstration on which ginsenoside does what is still generally lacking. In the past decade, our laboratory has endeavored to identify the active GS components involved in energy metabolism, memory, and anti-neurotoxicity. To examine the ergogenic effects of GS in enhancing aerobic capacity, rats were subjected to either severe cold ($40^{\circ}C$ under helium-oxygen, two hours) or exercise workload $(70\%\;VO_{2}max,$ to exhaustion). Acute systemic injection (i.p.) of ginseng GS (5-20 mg/kg) significantly elevated both the total and maximum heat production in rats and improved their cold tolerance. However, pretreating the animal with the optimal dose (10 mg/kg) of GS devoid of $Rg_1\;and\;Rb_1$ failed to elicit any beneficial effects in improving cold tolerance. This indicates that either $Rb_1\;and/or\;Rg_1$ may be essential in exemplifying the thermogenic effect of GS. Further studies showed that only pretreating the animals with $Rb_1(2.5-5\;mg/kg),\;but\;not\;Rg_l,$ resulted in an increase in thermogenesis and cold tolerance. In contrast to the acute effect of GS on cold tolerance, enhancement of exercise performance in rats was only observed after chronic treatment (4 days). Further, we were able to demonstrate that both $Rb_1\;and\;Rg_1$ are effective in enhancing aerobic endurance by exercise. To illustrate the beneficial effects of GS in learning and memory, a passive avoidance paradigm (shock prod) was used. Our results indicated that the scopolamineinduced amnesia can be significantly reversed by chronically treating (4 days) the rats with either $Rb_1\;or\;Rg_1$ (1.25 - 2.5 mg/kg). To further examine its underlying mechanisms, the effects of various GS on ${\beta}-amyloid-modulated$ acetylcholine (ACh) release from the hippocampal slices were examined. It was found that inclusion of $Rb_1$ (0.1 ${\mu}M$), but not $Rg_1$, can attenuate ${\beta}-amyloid-suppressed$ ACh release from the hippocampal slices. Our results demonstrated that $Rb_1\;and\;Rg_1$ are the key components involved in various beneficial effects of GS but they may elicit their effects through different mechanisms.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.35 no.9
• /
• pp.1245-1250
• /
• 2006

This study was carried out to develop the method of preparing lecithin-fortified ginseng extract. Firstly, soybean lecithin was mixed with soybean oil (LCS) in varying ratio (2.5%, 5%, 10% and 20%). Then, one part volume of LCS was mixed with three parts volume of ginseng extract with 10% solid matter content and the mixture was vortexed vigorously. Finally, the mixture was spinned at the speed of 3,000 rpm for 30 minutes to separate oil and aqueous ginseng extract layer (AG). AG was then subjected to qualitative and quantitative analysis of phospholipids and ginsenosides. Fatty acid composition and crude fat content before and after LCS was determined. Stability of lecithin in ginseng extract was determined by analyzing phospholipid content in the one third upper and lower layer of the concentrated AG in Falcon tubes while storing the LCS treated concentrated AG in 4, 25 and 40oC for 6 months. Ratio of lecithin transferred to AG increased with the increase in lecithin content of soybean oil. There was no significant change in fatty acid composition and crude fat content, and ginsenoside content in the ginseng extract before and after LCS treatment. TLC and HPLC pattern of saponin fraction before and after treating the ginseng extract with LCS demonstrated no observable difference. There was no change in lecithin content in the upper and lower one third layer of ginseng extract in the tubes after storing the concentrated AG in 4, 25 and $40^{\circ}C$ for 6 months. Ginsenosides HPLC pattern was not changed when stored the LCS-treated ginseng extract in those conditions for six months, indicating satisfiable stability of the LCS-treated concentrated ginseng extract. From these results, it can be concluded that treatment of the ginseng extract with lecithin containing soybean oil is a labor effective method with satisfiable stability to fortify lecithins to ginseng extract.