Background: This study has mainly focused on finding pharmacological effects of ginsenosides that can reduce the unwanted side effects of the cytotoxic anticancer drugs and are highly effective on prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, hormone-dependent breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, and brain cancer (neuroblastoma). Methods: Minor and rare ginsenosides (GS) of Rh2 which have a high absorption ability and excellent pharmacological actions were treated with the 6 different types of cancer cell lines and their anticancer activities were investigated by analyzing gene expressions associated with various cancers through qPCR and other relevant methods. Results: In cancer cells exposed to Rh2, cell viability and cell migration were reduced, and apoptosis was induced. Each cancer cell was divided into three groups according to the cell proliferation response by Rh2; 1) A group in which the cell viability decreases inversely to an increase in Rh2 treatment concentration; 2) A group in which the cell viability rapidly decreases in Rh2 treatment above a certain level of concentration; 3) A group in which the cell viability was not suppressed below 20-30% even with 100 μL of Rh2, the highest concentration used in this study. Conclusions: It was shown that Rh2 has a significant effect on inhibiting the proliferation of prostate cancer cells and hormone-dependent breast cancer cells.

This study was conducted to determine the changes in ginsenosides content according to additional UV-A, and UV-B LED irradiation before harvesting the ginseng sprouts. One-year-old ginseng seedlings (n=100) were transplanted in a tray containing a ginseng medium. The ginseng sprouts were grown for 37 days at a temperature of 20°C (24h), a humidity of 70%, and an average light intensity of 80 μmol·m-2·s-1 (photoperiod; 24h) in a container-type plant factory. Ginseng sprouts were then transferred to a custom chamber equipped with UV-A (370 nm; 12.90 W·m-2) and UV-B (300 nm; 0.31 W·m-2) LEDs and treated for 3 days. Growth parameters and ginsenoside contents in shoot and root were conducted by harvesting on days 0 (control), 1, 2, and 3 of UV treatments, respectively. The growth parameters showed non-significant differences between the control and the UV treatments (wavelengths or the number of days). Ginsenoside contents of the shoot was highly improved by 186% in UV-A treatment compared to the control in 3 days of the treatment time. The ginsenoside contents of the roots was more improved in UV-A 1-day treatment and UV-B 3-day treatment, compared to the control by 171% and 160%, respectively. As a result of this experiment, it is thought that UV LED irradiation before harvesting can produce sprout ginseng with high ginsenoside contents in a plant factory.

본 연구에서는 메주에서 분리된 C. allociferrii JNO301 을 이용한 최적 홍삼 ginsenosides의 생물전환 조건을 확인한 결과, 1.0% (v/v)의 홍삼 추출물에 탄소원으로서 2.5%(w/ v)의 galactose, 질소원으로서 1.0% (w/v)의 soytone을 첨가 하여 30oC에서 145 rpm으로 8일간 배양을 최적 생물전환 조건으로 확립하였다. C. allociferrii JNO301에 의해 홍삼 추출물에 존재하는 Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rf가 생물전환되어 F2, Rh1, Rh2, compound O, compound Mc1, compound K 등 의 minor ginsenosides의 함량이 증가되었다.

Ginsenosides are major constituents of ginseng and are known to be responsible for its pharmacological properties. This study aimed to investigate the detoxification effect of a mixture containing black red ginseng powder, red ginseng extract, Puerariae radix extract, and Hovenia dulcis extract, on SD (Sprague Dawley) rats treated with 30% ethanol. Thirty minutes before treatment, the animals were orally administered different concentrations of the mixture or water. Results revealed that the concentration of ethanol in blood serum was significantly decreased in the black red ginseng mixture treated group in a dose-dependent manner, as compared with that of the control group. The blood level of acetaldehyde increased until 1 hr after alcohol administration, but the levels rapidly decreased later. Furthermore, ADH and ALDH activities in the hepatic tissue were also increased in the black red ginseng mixture administered group, than in the control group. These results indicate that the black red ginseng mixture has the ability of decomposing alcohol by increasing the ADH and ALDH activities responsible for alcohol metabolism.

The objective of this study was to prepare bioactive ginseng yogurts containing compound K, which is transformed from ginsenosides, and to investigate the compound’s cytotoxicity against tumor cells. Milk containng ginseng was fermented by Bifidobacteria KK-l and KK-2, and their activities for transforming ginsenosides to compound K were measured. Among the tested concentrations of ginseng in the milk, compound K was effectively produced in the 3% and 6% ginseng yogurts fermented for 48 hrs. These fermented ginseng yogurts were extracted with BuOH, and their cytotoxicities against tumor cells were examined. The BuOH extract of the yogurt made from the 3% ginseng milk showed cytotooxic activity against P388 and HeLa tumor cells. However, the nonfermented ginseng milk did not exhibit cytotoxicity against these cells. Therefore, we deem that the ginseng yogurt, which contained compound K, could be developed as a potential fermented drink product.

This study was done for the determination of ginsenosides contents of Korean ginseng and ginseng products as well as the development of analytical method for ginsenosides. It is known that perfect segregation of ginsenoside Rg and Re is not easy, but in this study almost perfect segregation can be possible by the control of concentration between acetonitrile and water. Among Korean ginseng, ginseng powdered tea and red ginseng powdered tea, the highest ginsenosides content of sum of each 7 kind o ginsenoside was found in red ginseng powdered tae as 23,211μg per 1g/dw The ginsenoside content of ginseng powdered tea was lower than red ginseng powdered tea as 15,217μg per 1g/dw Total ginsenoside content in the root of ginseng was 29,268μg per 1/dw Each amount of ginsenoside contained in ginseng root was in the order of Rb1, Rg1, and Rc. It was shown that there was difference in constitutional element of ginsenosides in ginseng powdered tea and ginseng root.

Background : Panax ginseng the king of Oriental medicines, has enormous potential against many of the disease symptoms and ailments. Panax quinquefolius is an another important member of Panax family which has similar benefits and medicinal properties. Both the species contains ginsenosides a pharmacologically active component abundant in their roots. In an effort to establish the new ginseng cultivars with improved agronomical characters such as root shape, stress tolerant and higher ginsenoside contents, the reciprocal interspecific hybrids were generated Methods and Results : Four elite cultivars and two new lines of ginseng were chosen to produce interspecies reciprocal hybrids with P. quinquefolius, by pollen dusting on the emasculated flowers. Among the F1 populations, the reciprocal hybrids generated by using new line 0837 both as maternal and paternal parent showed better properties and hybrid vigor. They showed strong root phenotypes with many lateral and fine roots thus having 10% to 20% higher ginsenoside contents compared to the parental populations. Among the major ginsenosides, the pharmacologically active ginsenosides such as Re, Rb1, Rb2 and F1 were enriched and accounted for the 70% of the PPD ginsenosides in 0837/Pq and Pq/0837 crosses, displaying strong dominance. Conclusion : Thus, based on our result we could conclude that P. ginseng line 0837 is the superior variety compared to the already existing lines for performing the interspecific hybrids with promising outcome in their root quality and ginsenoside content.

Background: Hot steaming is known to be effective in improving the biological activities of plant extracts by breaking down useful compounds to low molecular weight ones. Methods and Results: This study aimed to develop an optimal extraction and steam processing method for enhancing the low molecular ginsenoside contents of the adventitious roots culture of wild mountain ginseng. The total ginsenoside was optimally extracted when 70% EtOH was used at 50℃, whereas low molecule ginsenoside such as Rg2, Rh1, Rh4 and Rk1 could be extracted using 70% EtOH at 70℃. The adventitious roots culture of wild mountain ginseng is known to contain four major ginsenosides, i.e., Rb2, Rb1, Rg1 and Rd, however new ginsenosides Rg6, Rh4, Rg3, Rk1 and Rg5 were new abundantly obtaind after steam processing method was applied. The contents of total ginsenosides were the highest when thermal steam processing was conducted at 120℃ for 120 min. Unlike ginsenosides such as Rg1, Re, Rb1, Rc, Rb2, and Rh1, which decreased after steam processing, Rg3, Rk1, and Rg5 increased after thermal processing. Steam processing significanltly reduced the content of Rb1, increased that of Rg6 by about ten times than that in the adventitious roots culture of wild mountain ginseng. Conclusions: Our study showed that the optimal extraction and steam processing method increased the content of total ginsenosides and allowed the extraction of minor ginsenosides from major ones.

Background : Ginsenosides, the main ingredient of ginseng roots can be confirmed various physiological activity such as anticancer, antioxidant, a natural ginsenosides is there a structure to be absorbed into the body does not work well absorbed through this process biologically active thus a high conversion ginsenosides. β-glucosidase enzyme is observed in several of the microorganism with an enzyme that serves to convert a ginsenoside prosper that is absorbed into the body. Methods and Results : To view a primary β-glucosidase activity, the bacteria were innoculated in esculin agar medium and the color change of the media were measured by the time and degree of changing color. In the other method, 5 mM of p-nitrophenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (pNPG) containing 25 mM phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.0) was added to 50 ul enzyme solution. Then the solution was added to 50 ul reaction for 5 min at 30°C. The amount of p-nitrophenol liberated measured at 405 nm absorbance. The experimental results showed higher β-glucosidase activity in Pediococcus pentosaceus, Leuconostoc mesenteroide, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris, and Paenibacillus polymyxa by using esculin agar medium method. Similarly in second method, β-glucosidase activity was higher in P. pentosaceus 402.32±11.43 unit/l, L. mesenteroide 353.73±14.64 unit/l, Lactobacillus sakei 198.4±15.47 unit/l Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum 164.1±8.12 unit/l. Conclusion : The result that the β-glucosidase activity was higher in P. pentosaceus, L. mesenteroide, and L. plantarum subsp. plantarum as compared to tested microbes. Therefore selected bacteria can be used in the industry of functioned foods and beverage to improve human healths.

A new extraction method-heated ultrasonic extraction was qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed for the extraction of major ginsenosides from ginseng extract; this new high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was compared with the official extraction method of Korean industrial standards and standard for health functional food. Methods and Results : Ginsenoside compounds were analyzed for 35 minutes by the new HPLC analysis method using a Halo® RP-Amide column. The new HPLC analysis method was validated by the measurement of intra-day and inter-day precision, accuracy, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantification (LOQ) of each ginsenoside. The correlation coefficients (r2) for the calibration curves of the ginsenoside compounds were over 0.9997 in terms of linearity. The heated ultrasonic extraction method using ultrasonication for 30 minutes at 50℃ yielded higher amount of ginsenosides than the extraction method of the Korean industrial standards owing to the enhancement of extraction efficiency. Conclusions : Compared to the other extraction methods, the heated ultrasonic extraction method yielded a higher amount of ginsenoside Rb1 than Rg1 index compounds for the quality evaluation of ginseng roots.

진세노사이드(인삼 사포닌)는 인삼의 대표적 약리성분 중의 하나로 생물학적 활성을 가진 배당체 화합물 이다. 이들 사포닌은 가수분해 되어 저분자화 되었을 때, 항주름 및 항산화, 항암 등에 높은 약리효능효과를 나타 낸다. 본 연구에서는 인삼 esculin 배지를 활용하여 β-glucosidase 활성을 가진 균주를 분리하였고 인삼 사포 닌 전환을 미생물을 이용하여 수행하였다. 본 균주들을 16S rRNA sequencing을 통하여 동정하여 본 결과 Stenotrophomonas rhizopilae strain GFC09로 확인되였다. 균주의 최적 활성 조건을 결정하기 위해 조효소 1 mM와 인삼사포닌 Rb1과 함께 배양한 후 생물학적 전환을 TLC, HPLC를 사용하여 확인하였다. 조효소에 의 한 인삼 사포닌 Rb1의 전환 경로는 다음과 같다. LB: RbNeobio R&D center, Gyeonggi-do 16954, Korea →Rd→FNeobio R&D center, Gyeonggi-do 16954, Korea→compound K, TSB: Rb1→Rd→ F2. 가수 분해된 생성된 물질은 NMR로 구조 동정하였다. 전환 산물의 효능 분석결과, 콜라겐 생성을 농도 의존적으로 증가시키는 것이 관찰되었다. 이에 본 연구에서는 ginsenoside F2와 compound K 함유 인삼 전환 산물의 주름 개선 소재로서 활용가능성을 확인하였다.

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 ㎎/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.