• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.995-1002
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• 2018

Hairy root culture of ginseng is industrially prospected because the cultivation period of ginseng is relatively long. In this study, the effect of medium concentration and sucrose concentration on hairy root culture of ginseng was evaluated. The optimization of ginseng hairy roots transformed by Agrobacterium rhizogene were performed liquid medium. The MS(Murashinge & Skoog basal medium) concentration was selected with 1/2 strength MS and the optimal sucrose concentration was determined at 2-3%(w/v). At the optimum culture condition, The yield (the ratio of weight of grown hairy root cultures to weight of fresh ginseng hairy roots) and production rate of ginseng root were 19.42 times and 5.73 g/l-day. The major ginsenosides were Rb group, Re and Rg1. The produced total ginsenoside content in the solid medium was 9.87 (mg/g) and increased 1.34 times in the liquid medium (13.23 mg/g). In solid culture, the contents of ginsenosides Rb, Re and Rg1 were 2.14, 3.65 and 1.87 mg/g, respectively. In liquid culture, the contents of ginsenosides Rb, Re and Rg1 were 3.54, 4.12 and 2.63 mg/g, respectively.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.233-239
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• 1998

A GABA synthesizing enzyme, glutamate decarboxylase, has been purified from bovine brain by several chromatographic procedures. The preparation appeared homogeneous on SDS-PAGE. The enzyme is a homodimeric protein with a molecular mass of 120 kDa. The activation of glutamate decarboxylase by ginesenosides from Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer has been studied. Preincubation of the enzyme with total ginsenoside, $Rb_2$ and Rc ginsenosides, increased glutamate decarboxylase activities in a dose-dependent manner. There was a reproducible decrease in $K_m$, in addition to a increase in $V_{max}$, in response to increasing concentrations of the Rc ginsenoside fraction. Upon addition of the ginsenoside to the enzyme, a decrease in flurorescence intensity was discernible, together with an increase in emission anisotropy. Judging from the anisotropy values, the ginsenoside is rapidly trapped by the protein matrix. Total ginsenoside was administered to rats and the rat brains were removed for the measurement of the changes of GABA shunt regulating enzyme activities. Among the GABA shunt regulating enzymes, only the glutamate decarboxylase activities were increased after ginsenoside treatment. Therefore, it is suggested that the ginsenosides may elevate the GABA level in brain by activation of glutamate decarboxylase and the enzymatic activation might be due to the conformational change induced by binding of ginsenoside to the enzyme.

• 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.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.127-134
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• 2008

This study was carried out to investigate the changes of ginsenosides composition in Korean red ginseng water extract (RGWE) after heated with high temperatures above $100^{\circ}C$. RGWEs were adjusted with pH 3.0, pH 7.0 and pH 10.0, respectively, and then heated at 100,110 and $120^{\circ}C$ for 30 minutes by using autoclave. Total ginsenosides of RGWE treated with heating showed decreasing tendency when compared with control. By TLC analysis, decreasing effect of ginsenosides in RGWE were significantly observed in the acidic condition of pH 3.0, particulary. By HPLC analysis, total ginsenoside of control showed 1.89%, while those of RGWE treated with 100, 110 and $120^{\circ}C$ showed 1.22, 1.05 and 0.97%, respectively. The ratio of protopanaxadiol (PD) to protopanaxatriol (Pr) saponins in control was 1.89, while that of PD/PT in treated RGWEs were level of 1.33 to 1.47. By the result of decreased ratio of PD/PT in RGWE, it was considered that PD type saponin such as ginsenoside$-Rb_{1}$, $-Rb_{1}$, -Rc and -Rd was more unstable than PT type saponin such as ginsenoside-Re and Rg against high temperature heating above $100^{\circ}C$.

• 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.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.246-253
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• 2021

Background: Ginseng is one of the most valuable herbal supplements. It is challenging to perform quality control of ginseng products due to the diversity of bioactive saponins in their composition. Acid or alkaline hydrolysis is often used for the structural elucidation of these saponins and sugars in their side chains. Complete transformation of the original ginsenosides into their aglycones during the hydrolysis is one of the ways to determine a total saponin group content. The main hurdle of this approach is the formation of various by-products that was reported by many authors. Methods: Separate HPLC assessment of the total protopanaxadiol, protopanaxatriol and ocotillol ginsenoside contents is a viable alternative to the determination of characteristic biomarkers of these saponin groups, such as ginsenoside Rf and pseudoginsenoside F₁₁, which are commonly used for authentication of P. ginseng Meyer and P. quinquefolius L. samples respectively. Moreover, total ginsenoside content is an ideal aggregated parameter for standardization and quality control of ginseng-based medicines, because it can be directly applied for saponin dosage calculation. Results: Different hydrolysis conditions were tested to develop accurate quantification method for the elucidation of total ginsenoside contents in herbal products. Linearity, limits of quantification, limits of detection, accuracy and precision were evaluated for the developed HPLC-MS method. Conclusion: Alkaline hydrolysis results in fewer by-products than sugar elimination in acidic conditions. An equimolar response, as a key parameter for quantification, was established for several major ginsenosides. The developed approach has shown acceptable results in the analysis of several different herbal products.

• 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.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.27-37
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• 2019

Background: The structural conversions in ginsenosides induced by steaming or heating or acidic condition could improve red ginseng bioactivities significantly. In this paper, the chemical transformations of red American ginseng from fresh Panax quinquefolium L. under steaming were investigated, and the possible mechanisms were discussed. Methods: A method with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap mass spectrometry ($HPLC-MS^n$)-equipped electrospray ionization ion source was developed for structural analysis and quantitation of ginsenosides in dried and red American ginseng. Results: In total, 59 ginsenosides of protopanaxadiol, protopanaxatriol, oleanane, and ocotillol types were identified in American ginseng before and after steaming process by matching the molecular weight and/or comparing $MS^n$ fragmentation with that of standards and/or known published compounds, and some of them were determined to be disappeared or newly generated under different steaming time and temperature. The specific fragments of each aglycone-type ginsenosides were determined as well as aglycone hydrated and dehydrated ones. The mechanisms were deduced as hydrolysis, hydration, dehydration, and isomerization of neutral and acidic ginsenosides. Furthermore, the relative peak areas of detected compounds were calculated based on peak areas ratio. Conclusion: The multicomponent assessment of American ginseng was conducted by $HPLC-MS^n$. The result is expected to provide possibility for holistic evaluation of the processing procedures of red American ginseng and a scientific basis for the usage of American ginseng in prescription.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.36-44
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• 1986

Fresh ginseng roots were extracted by different extraction methods to estimate the amount of extracts, and the content of common constituents and ginsenosides for comparison. The results are as follows: 1 The amount of the extract obtained by water as a solvent was about five times higher than those by ethanol or pressing process. 2. Water extraction at 70-$80^{\circ}C$ gave highest value in saponin yield, which was reduced by half by boiling, 3. The saponin yield by pressing process was shown to be about 52% of total saponin; saponins belonging to protopanaxatriol-ginsenosides being extracted better than those belonging to proto-panaxadiol-ginsenosides . 4. The contents of total sugar, reducing sugar, crude protein and total amino acids in the water extract were revealed to be higher compared to those in an ethanol extract. 5. The extract obtained by press had the highest ash content.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.205-213
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• 2018

Background: Since the revised Ginseng Industrial Act was passed, ginseng sprouts have become a new medicinal vegetable for which there is high consumer demand. However, the existing amount of research and data on ginseng production has not kept pace with this changed reality. Methods and Results: In this study we analyzed the changes in the amounts of ginsenosides in different parts of growing ginseng sprouts during the period from when organic seedlings were planted in nursery soil until 8 weeks of cultivation had elapsed, which was when the leaves hardened. In the leaves, ginsenoside content increased 1.62 times with the panaxadiol (PD) system and 1.31 - 1.56 times with the panaxatriol (PT) system from 7 to 56 days after transplantation. During the same period, the total ginsenoside content of the stems decreased by 0.66 - 0.91 times, and those of the roots increased until the $21^{st}$ day, and then underwent steep declines. The effect of fermented press cake extract (FPCE) and tap water (TP) on the total amount of ginsenoside per plant were similar, and could be represented with the equations $y=1.4330+0.2262x-0.0008x^2$ and $y=0.9555+0.2997x-0.0031x^2$ in which y = ginsenoside content x = amount of and on the total amounts of FPCE or TP, respectively after 26.4 days, however, the difference between ginsenoside content with FPCE and TP widened. Conclusions: These results suggested that the amounts of ginsenosides in different parts of ginseng varied with the cultivation period and nutrient supply. These findings also provide fundamental data on the distribution of ginsenosides among plant parts for 2-year-old ginseng plants in the early-growth stage.