• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.107.1-107.1
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• 2003

20-O-(${\beta}$-D-Glucopyranosyl)-20(S)-protopanaxadiol (IH901), an intestinal bacterial metabolite of ginseng saponins formed from ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2 and Rc, is suggested to be a potential chemopreventive agent. Here we show that IH901 induces apoptosis in human hepatoblastoma HepG2 cells. IH901 led to an early activation of procaspase-3 (6 h posttreatment), and the activation of caspase-8 became evident only later (18 h posttreatment). Caspase activation was a necessary requirement for apoptosis because caspase inhibitors significantly inhibited cell death by IH901. (omitted)

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.334.3-334.3
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• 2002

Ginseng(the root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, Araliaceae) has been used for thousands of years as a traditional medicine in Asian countries. The main components of Ginseng are ginsenoside Rb1, Rb2 and Rc. These compounds are transformed by intestinal microflora. The main metabolite of ginsenosides was compoud K (IH-901). The transformed compound K shows an antimetastic or anticarcinogenic effect by blocking tumor invasion or preventing chromosomal aberration and tumorigenesis. Therefore. we isolated and characterzed ginseng saponin-metabolizing bacteria from human intestinal microffora. Among 200 tested intestinal bacteria. we found 78 bacteris to transform glnseng senseng saponins to compound K. These bacteria were seperated into three group: the first group highy produced ginsenside Rd (29) the second grop produced potently ginsenoside F2 (21) and the third produced compound K(28)

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.539-544
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• 1997

Anti-metastatic activities of IH901, an intestinal bacterial metabolic derivative formed from Ginseng protopanaxadiol saponins, was determined in vitro and in vivo. Under in vitro conditions, IH901 inhibited the migration of bovine aortic endothelial cells 25 times stronger than suramin and suppressed the invasion of HT1080 human fibrosarcoma cells into reconstituted basement membrane components of Matrigel 1000 times stronger than RGDS peptide. IH901 also showed inhibitory effect on type-IV collagenase secretion from HT 1080 cells and platelet aggregation. When the anti-metastatic activity of IH901 was evaluated in comparison with that of 5-FU using a spontaneous lung metastatic model of Lewis lung carcinoma, the administration of IH901 (10 mg/kg p. o.) to tumor-bearing mice led to a significant decrease in lung metastasis (43% of untreated control), which was slightly more effective than that obtained with 5-FU (56% of control). Thus, IH901 seems to exhibit its anti-metastatic activity partly through the inhibition of tumor invasion which results from the blockade of type IV collagenase secretion and also through anti-platelet and anti-angiogenic activities.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.126.1-126.1
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• 2000

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2006

Telomerase activation is detected in most cancerous cells; hence, telomerase is a highly selective target for cancer therapy, which plays an important role in the apoptotic process. We have previously reported that the ginseng saponin metabolite, Compound K (20-O-D-glucopyranosyl-20(S)-protopanaxadiol, IH901), inhibits cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the $G_1$ phase. The present study investigated the regulation of telomerase activity in Compound K treated U937 cells. Compound K treatment caused a reduction in telomerase activity and down-regulated the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene, resulting in the decreased expressions of its protein, and of the c-Myc and Spl proteins (transcription factors of hTERT). These results indicate that the anticancer activity of Compound K could be mediated by inhibition of the telomerase activity.

• 한국인삼전략화협의회:학술대회논문집
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• v.2003 no.09
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• pp.54-63
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• 2003

"Korea ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A Meyer) is an important medicinal plant. Its root has been used as an herbal medicine that provides resistance to stress and disease, and prevents exhaustion since the ancient time. Ginsenosides, glycosylated triterpene (saponin), are considered to be the main active compounds of the ginseng root. Despite of considerable commercial interests of ginsenosides, very little is known about the genes and their biochemical pathways for ginsenoside biosynthesis. This work will focus on the identification of genes involved in ginsenoside biosynthesis and the dissection of ginsenoside biosynthetic pathway using a functional genomics tool. Expression sequence tags (ESTs) provide a valuable tool to discovery the genes in secondary metabolite biosynthesis. We generated over 21,155 ginseng ESTs that is now sufficient to facilitate discovering the genes involved in ginsenoside biosynthesis such as oxidosqualene cyclase(OSC), cytochrome P450 and glycosyltransferase. With ESTs information, microarray technology will be used for the analysis of gene expression, and the identification of genes including transcription factors expressed in tissues under given experimental condition. Heterogous system such as yeast and plants will allow us to do the functional analysis. And selected ginseng hairy root which show variation in ginsenoside production will be used as a material for functional analysis of candidate gene. Functional genomics approach will successfully accelerate gene discovery, and also provide promises of metabolic engineering for the ginsenoside production."

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.757-769
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• 2020

Background: Panax quinquefolius and Panax notoginseng are widely used and well known for their pharmacological effects. As main pharmacological components, saponins have different distribution patterns in the root tissues of Panax plants. Methods: In this study, the representative ginsenosides were detected and quantified by desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis to demonstrate saponin distribution in the root tissues of P. quinquefolius and P. notoginseng, and saponin metabolite profiles were analyzed by metabolomes to obtain the biomarkers of different root tissues. Finally, the transcriptome analysis was performed to demonstrate the molecular mechanisms of saponin distribution by gene profiles. Results: There was saponin distribution in the root tissues differed between P. quinquefolius and P. notoginseng. Eight-eight and 24 potential biomarkers were detected by metabolome analysis, and a total of 340 and 122 transcripts involved in saponin synthesis that were positively correlated with the saponin contents (R > 0.6, P < 0.05) in the root tissues of P. quinquefolius and P. notoginseng, respectively. Among them, GDPS1, CYP51, CYP64, and UGT11 were significantly correlated with the contents of Rg1, Re, Rc, Rb2, and Rd in P. quinquefolius. UGT255 was markedly related to the content of R1; CYP74, CYP89, CYP100, CYP103, CYP109, and UGT190 were markedly correlated with the Rd content in P. notoginseng.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.154-160
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• 2019

Background: Compound K (CK) is an active metabolite of ginseng saponin, ginsenoside Rb1, that has been shown to have ameliorative properties in various diseases. However, its role in inflammation and the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. In this report, the antiinflammatory role of CK was investigated in macrophage-like cells. Methods: The CK-mediated antiinflammatory mechanism was explored in RAW264.7 and HEK293 cells that were activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or exhibited overexpression of known activation proteins. The mRNA levels of inflammatory genes and the activation levels of target proteins were identified by quantitative and semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. Results: CK significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ and morphological changes in LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells under noncytotoxic concentrations. CK downregulated the phosphorylation of AKT1, but not AKT2, in LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells. Similarly, CK reduced the AKT1 overexpression-induced expression of aldehyde oxidase 1, interleukin-$1{\beta}$, interferon-${\beta}$, and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: Our results suggest that CK plays an antiinflammatory role during macrophage-mediated inflammatory actions by specifically targeting the AKT1-mediated signaling pathway.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.385-391
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• 2004

The purpose of the present study was to formulate the aqueous solution of $20-O-{\beta}-D-glucopyranosyl-20(S)-protopanaxadiol\;(IH-901)$, an intestinal bacterial metabolic derivative from Ginseng protopanaxadiol saponin. For this purpose, the effects of various solubilization agents such as cosolvents [ethanol, propylene glycol (PG), polyethylene glycol 300 (PEG 300), polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400), glycerin], surfactants $(Tween\;80,\;Cremophor^{\circledR}\;RH40,\;Cremophor^{\circledR}\;EL,\;Poloxamer\;407,\;Poloxamer\;188)$ and a complexation agent $[hydroxypropyl-{\beta}-cyclodextrin\;(HPBCD)]$, on the solubility of IH-90l in aqueous solution were evaluated. The solubility of IH-901 in water was under $1\;{\mu}g/ml\;at\;20^{\circ}C$. Cosolvents such as ethanol, PG, PEG 300, PEG 400 and glycerin did not enhance the solubility of IH-901 at the 0 - 40% concentration range. The solubility of IH-901 was significantly elevated by the addition of cosolvents over the 80% concentration range. On the other hand, tween 80, $Cremophor^{\circledR}\;EL,\;Cremophor^{\circledR}\;RH40$ and HPBCD showed enhanced effects on the solubility of IH-901. The enhanced effects of Poloxamer 407 or Poloxamer 188 on the IH-901 solubility were less pronounced compared with $Cremophor^{\circledR}\;EL\;or\;Cremophor^{\circledR}\;RH40$. As a results, $Cremophor^{\circledR}$ aqueous solution was selected as an optimum solvent system. The aqueous solutions containing 10% $Cremophor^{\circledR}\;EL$ and 7% $Cremophor^{\circledR}\;RH40$ were formulated as dosing solutions containing 5.0 mg/ml of IH-901 for its intravenous and oral administration, respectively. The formular showed physical stability after stored for 7 days at $4^{\circ}C$.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.685-690
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• 2005

We recently reported that the ginseng saponin metabolite, compound K (20-O-$\beta$-D-glucopyra-nosyl-20(S)-protopanaxadiol, IH901), inhibits the growth of U937 cells through caspase-dependent apoptosis pathway. In this study, we further characterized the effects of compound K on U937 cells and found that, in addition to apoptosis, compound K induced the arrest of the G1 phase. The compound K treated U937 cells showed increased p21 expression; an inhibitory protein of cyclincdk complex. The up-regulation of p21 was followed by the inactivation of cyclin D and the cdk4 protein, which act at the early $G_1$ phase, and cyclin E, which acts at the late $G_1$ phase. Furthermore, compound K induced the activation of JNK and the transcription factor AP-1, which is a downstream target of JNK. These findings suggest that the up-regulation of p21 and activation of JNK in the compound K treated cells contribute to the arrest of the $G_1$ phase.