Abstract
It was attempted in this study to investigate the effect of ginseng saponin on several glycolytic enzymes of yeast cell and the following results were obtained. The amount of $CO_2$formed during the incubation of yeast cells in medium containing saponin fraction of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer was greater than that of control cells and found that the $CO_2$ formation was greatest when the cells were grown in the medium containing 10$^{-3}$% of the saponin fraction, at which the uptake of inorganic phosphate and glucose consumption were also increased. Radioactivity study of several glycolytic intermediates of yeast cells cultured in the medium containing [U-$^{14}$C]-glucose showed that the radioactivity of fructose 6-phosphate of test cells was as much as 1.6times that of control group. On the other hand, the radioactivity of pyruvate of test cells was considerably decreased compared to control. Investigation of the effect of ginseng saponin on yeast hexokinase, phosphoglucose isomers, pyruvate kinase and perverted decarboxylase in vitro showed that the maximum activities of the above enzymes were observed when the concentration of ginseng saponin was 10-$^{-5}$% in the reaction mixture. It seemed that the ginseng saponin stimulated both glycolytic enzymes such as hexokinase, phosphoglucose isomers and perverted decarboxylase significantly.