• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.527-537
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• 2020

Panax ginseng, a medicinal plant, has been used as a blood-nourishing tonic for thousands of years in Asia, including Korea and China. P. ginseng exhibits adaptogen activity that maintains homeostasis by restoring general biological functions and non-specifically enhancing the body's resistance to external stress. Several P. ginseng effects have been reported. Korean Red Ginseng, in particular, has been reported in both basic and clinical studies to possess diverse effects such as enhanced immunity, fatigue relief, memory, blood circulation, and anti-oxidation. Moreover, it also protects against menopausal symptoms, cancer, cardiac diseases, and neurological disorders. The active components found in most Korean Red Ginseng varieties are known to include ginsenosides, polysaccharides, peptides, alkaloids, polyacetylene, and phenolic compounds. In this review, the identity and bioactivity of the non-saponin components of Korean Red Ginseng discovered to date are evaluated and the components are classified into polysaccharide and nitrogen compounds (protein, peptide, amino acid, nucleic acid, and alkaloid), as well as fat-soluble components such as polyacetylene, phenols, essential oils, and phytosterols. The distinct bioactivity of Korean Red Ginseng was found to originate from both saponin and non-saponin components rather than from only one or two specific components. Therefore, it is important to consider saponin and non-saponin elements together.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.475-482
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• 2013

The main active components of Panax ginseng are ginsenosides. Ginsenoside Rb1 and Rg1 are accepted as marker substances for quality control worldwide. The analytical methods currently used to detect these two compounds unfairly penalize steamed and dried (red) P. ginseng preparations, because it has a lower content of those ginsenosides than white ginseng. To manufacture red ginseng products from fresh ginseng, the ginseng roots are exposed to high temperatures for many hours. This heating process converts the naturally occurring ginsenoside Rb1 and Rg1 into artifact ginsenosides such as ginsenoside Rg3, Rg5, Rh1, and Rh2, among others. This study highlights the absurdity of the current analytical practice by investigating the time-dependent changes in the crude saponin and the major natural and artifact ginsenosides contents during simmering. The results lead us to recommend (20S)- and (20R)-ginsenoside Rg3 as new reference materials to complement the current P. ginseng preparation reference materials ginsenoside Rb1 and Rg1. An attempt has also been made to establish validated qualitative and quantitative analytical procedures for these four compounds that meet International Conference of Harmonization (ICH) guidelines for specificity, linearity, range, accuracy, precision, detection limit, quantitation limit, robustness and system suitability. Based on these results, we suggest a validated analytical procedure which conforms to ICH guidelines and equally values the contents of ginsenosides in white and red ginseng preparations.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.201-207
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• 1988

Samples of red ginseng, which had been manufactured and packaged by the Korean Monopoly Corporation, were stored at ambient temperatures and humidities ($12{\sim}28^{\circ}$ and $55{\sim}68$ percent) for one to nine years to examine their overall quality stability. The proximate compositions, contents of 50% ethanol and water extracts of the samples and the TLC and HPLC patterns of ginsenosides in the samples remained almost unchanged in all cases. The lipids and fatty acids in the samples, which are otherwise susceptible to oxidation, were stable judged on the basis of the changes of the TLC and GLC patterns of the lipids and fatty acids. It was also found that polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic(C18:2) and linolenic and(C18:3) present in the samples had been very stable during the long storage periods. It, therefore, seems that the autoxidations of the lipid and fatty acids of red ginseng were prevented by antioxidative compounds which will be progressively formed in red ginseng through non-enzymatic browning reactions during manufacturing process and long-term storage.

• Journal of Ginseng Culture
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• v.6
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• pp.13-34
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• 2024

The abolishment of the red ginseng monopoly act by the Korean government in 1996 resulted in a drastic change in the Korean ginseng industry, leading to a significant increase in the market size and consumption of ginseng products. Red ginseng is most popular type, with approximately 74% of harvested fresh ginseng being processed into various red ginseng products. Since 1997, there has been a substantial increase in the cultivation of ginseng for production of red ginseng, which, in turn, has contributed to the proliferation of ginseng processing companies. To investigate the products of ginseng manufacturing businesses, we select 200 companies primarily engaged in ginseng processing or specializing solely in ginseng. Our survey on the status of ginseng industry covered 8 different categories. 1) Root ginseng: There were 66 companies involved in manufacturing red ginseng root, accounting for 33.0% of all surveyed companies. This was followed by black ginseng root with 36 companies (18.0%) and red ginseng fine roots with 22 companies (11%). 2) Red ginseng products: A total of 144 companies were involved in manufacturing red ginseng pouches, making it the most common product category. This was closely followed by 142 companies producing pure(100%) red ginseng extract concentrate. 3) Fermented red ginseng products: Companies producing fermented red ginseng extract concentrate products were the most numerous, totaling 26. Following this, companies producing fermented red ginseng stick and pouch products were next in line. 4) Ginseng products: There were 15 companies involved in the production of ginseng products, with the majority focusing on ginseng tea. 5) Black ginseng products: Companies producing black ginseng extract concentrate were the most numerous, with 31 companies, followed by 26 companies producing black ginseng extract pouches. 6) Taegeuk ginseng products: Only 5 companies were involved in the production of taegeuk ginseng products. 7) Fermented black ginseng, and 8) Ginseng berry products: These categories are manufactured by less than 5 companies each. However, the variety in ginseng berry products suggests the potential for future growth. In the 2000s, a trend emerged with the development of new processed products aimed at enhancing the functional components of red ginseng, and these products have captured the attention of consumers. However, this study primarily focuses on black ginseng, fermented red ginseng/fermented black ginseng, and ginseng berry products as they have exerted a significant influence on the overall ginseng industry.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.190-197
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• 2012

Ginseng has a long history of use for health enhancement, and there is some evidence from animal studies that it has a beneficial effect on cognitive performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Korean red ginseng on cognitive performance in humans. A total of 15 healthy young males with no psychiatric or cognitive problems were selected based on an interview with a board-certified psychiatrist. The subjects were randomly assigned to receive a daily dose of 4,500 mg red ginseng or placebo for a 2-week trial. There were 8 subjects in the red ginseng group and 7 subjects in the placebo group. All of the subjects were analyzed with the Vienna test system and a P300 event-related potential (ERP) test. There were no significant differences in the Vienna test system scores between the red ginseng group and the placebo group. In the event-related potential test, the C3 latency of the red ginseng group tended to decrease during the study period (p=0.005). After 2 wk, significant decreases were observed in the P300 latencies at Cz (p=0.008), C3 (p=0.005), C4 (p=0.002), and C mean (p=0.003) in the red ginseng group. Our results suggest that the decreased latency in ERP is associated with improved cognitive function. Further studies with a higher dosage of ginseng, a larger sample size, and a longer follow-up period are necessary to confirm the clinical efficacy of Korean red ginseng.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.127-130
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• 1993

Lipophilic Fraction (LF) from Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer strongly inhibited human platelet aggregations induced by thrombin. When platelets were prelabeled with 5-hydroxy[G-$^3$H]-tryptamine (serotonin) and then stimulated by thrombin, LF inhibited the release of serotonin in a dose-dependent manner. From this result, we suggest that LF have antiplatelet and antimigraine functions by inhibiting the release of serotonin.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.347-352
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• 2017

Background: Panax ginseng (PG) has a long history of use in Asian medicine because of its multiple pharmacological activities. It has been considered that PG in a type of white ginseng may induce undesirable thermogenic effects, but not in a type of red ginseng. However, there is a lack of evidence about the correlation between ginsenoside and thermogenesis. Methods: We investigated the effects of PG with different ginsenoside compositions on body temperature, blood pressure, and thermogenesis-related factors in rats. Results: With increasing steaming time (0 h, 3 h, 6 h, and 9 h), the production of protopanaxadiol ginsenosides increased, whereas protopanaxatriol ginsenosides decreased in white ginseng. In both short- and long-term studies, administration of four ginseng extracts prepared at different steaming times did not induce significant changes in body temperature (skin, tail, and rectum) and blood pressure of rats compared to saline control. In addition, there were no significant differences in the molecular markers related to thermogenesis (p > 0.05), mRNA expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-$1{\alpha}$ and uncoupling protein 1 in brown adipose tissue, as well as the serum levels of interleukin-6, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and nitrite among the treatment groups. Conclusion: These observations indicate that the potential undesirable effects of PG on body temperature could not be explained by the difference in ginsenoside composition.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.205-210
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• 2012

For quality control of components in Korean red ginseng powder and extract, a new method for simultaneous quantification of 12 ginsenosides ($Rg_1$, Re, Rf, $Rh_1$, $Rg_2$[S], $Rg_2$[R], $Rb_1$, Rc, $Rb_2$, Rd, $Rg_3$[S], and $Rg_3$[R]) was studied. Compared to the official method for quantification of marker substances (ginsenosides $Rg_1$ and $Rb_1$), the proposed methods were guaranteed by in-house method validation. Several criteria such as linearity, specificity, precision and accuracy were evaluated. For red ginseng powder, recovery (averaging 95% to 105%) was calculated, and analysis of variance was carried out to estimate the relative standard deviation (0.20% to 2.12%). For red ginseng extract, the average recovery rate was 90% to 99% and the relative standard deviation was 0.39% to 2.40%. These results indicate that the proposed method could be used in the laboratory for determination of 12 ginsenosides in red ginseng powder and extract. In addition, this method was found to be suitable for quality control of ginseng products and potentially offer time and cost benefits.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.1197-1202
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• 2008

Present study investigated the effects of the 70% ethanol extracts of tissue-cultured mountain ginseng (TCMG), Korean red ginseng (KRG), and Panax ginseng (PG) on agonist-induced platelet aggregation and activation in human whole blood. The $IC_{50}$ values for TCMG, KRG, and PG were 1.159, 3.695, and 4.978mg/mL for collagen-induced aggregation, 0.820, 2.030, and 4.743mg/mL for arachidonic acid-induced aggregation, and 1.070, 2.617, and 2.954 mg/mL for ADP-induced aggregation, respectively. Also, this study assessed the effects of the most active extract, TCMG, on markers of platelet activation by determining receptor expression on platelet membranes in healthy subjects, including expression of GPIIb/IIIa-like (PAC-1) and P-selectin (CD62), by flow cytometry. A significant decrease in PAC-l expression (p=0.018) was observed in the presence of TCMG. These results show that TCMG has potent anti-platelet activity.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.71-75
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• 1989

A new polyyne, panaxyne, was isolated from the Korean red ginseng. The structure was determined as tetradeca-13-ene-1, 3-diyne-6, 7-diol by comparison of spectral data. The $ED_{50}\;value$ of panaxyne as cytotoxicity against L1210 cell was $11.0\;{\mu}g/ml$. The lower cytotoxic activity of the substance relative to other ginseng polyynes is presumably due to lack of the essential structural part of hept-1-en-4, 6-diyne-3-ol.