• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.389-415
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• 1996

Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer(Araliaceae) has been traditionally used as an expensive and precious medicine in oriental countries for more than 5, 000 years. Ginseng saponin isolated from the root of Panax ginseng have been regarded as the main effective components responsible for the pharmacological and biological activities. Such as antiaging effects. antidiabetic effects anticancer effects. Protection against physical and chemical stress. Analgesic and antipyretic effects. Effects on the central nervous system, tranquilizing action and others. Thirty kinds of ginsenosides have been so far isolated from ginseng saponin and their chemical structures have been elucidated since 1960's. Among which protopanaxadiol type is 19 kinds. protopanaxatriol type. 10 kinds and oleanane type, one. Since ginsenosides are generally labile under acidic conditions ordinary acid hydrolysis is always accompanied by many side reactions, such as epimerization. hydroxylation and cyclization of side chain of the sapogenins Especially. it is well known that C-20 glycosyl linkage of ginsenoside was hydrolysed on heating with acetic acid to give an equilibrated mixture of 20(S) and 20(R) epimers. And also, the chemical transformations of the secondary metabolites have appeared during the steaming process to prepare red ginseng. Indicating demalonylation of malonyl ginsenosides, elimination of glycosyl residue at C-20 and isomerization of hydroxyl configuration at C-20. But these studies have not provided a comprehensive picture in explaning how these ginsenosides showed val'iotas pharmacological activities of ginseng. Though some of them have been involved in the mechanism of pharmacological actions. Recently, non-saponin components have received a great deal of attention for their antioxidant, anticancer antidiabetic, immunomodulating. anticomplementary activities and so on. To meet the demand for such wide applications, studies on the non-saponin components play an important role in providing a good evidence of pharmacological and biol ogical activities. Among the non-saponin constituents of Korean ginseng, polyacetylenes, phenols. Sesquiterpenes, alkaloids. polysaccharides oligosaccharides, oligopeptides and aminoglycosides together with ginsenosides of terrestrial part are mainly described.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.51-58
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• 2021

Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) is a well-known traditional medicine, with numerous biological functions in the body. Portulaca oleracea (P. ole) belongs to the Portulacaceae family and has bioactive potential as a traditional medicine. This study aimed to determine the anti-inflammatory effects of Korean red ginseng extract (RGE) and P. ole extract on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW 264.7 cells. The combination of RGE (50 ㎍/mL) and P. ole (6.25 ㎍/mL) extracts significantly suppressed LPS-induced nitric oxide synthesis. The expression of proinflammatory mediators, including inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, were markedly decreased by the combined treatment with RGE (50 ㎍/mL) and P. ole (6.25 ㎍/mL). Moreover, iNOS and COX-2 protein expression levels were also significantly reduced in the combined treatment compared to the LPS-stimulated group. In addition, the nuclear translocation of phosphorylated nuclear factor kappa-B was suppressed by the treatment with RGE and P. ole. Moreover, the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway was also partially inhibited by the combination treatment with RGE and P. ole. Our results demonstrate that the treatment mixture with RGE and P. ole could be used as functional food and therapeutic herbal medicine in various inflammatory diseases.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2004

The mixture of botanical antimicrobial agent-citurs product and ginseng extract mixture(BAACG) was applied to garlic stalk or pork cooked in soysauce to extend their selflife. BAACG showed a remarkable antimicrobial activity against a wide spectrum of food-borne infection microorganisms and thermal and pH stability. In comparison with scanning electron microscopic photos of microbial cells not-treated and treated with BAACG the physiological cytomembrane function of BAACG-treated microorganisms was destroyed and the dead cell numbers was increased. The quality of garlic stalk or pork cooked in soysauce was controlled by the addition of BAACG in their raw materials. BAACG-treated garlic stalk or pork cookeries showed considerably to decrease the numbers of total cell count and expressed no odor and no sticky state appeared in the control. BAACG was expected to be a preservative agent which could be applied to raw or processed food stuffs in the view of food safety.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2012

Korean red ginseng (KRG) has been used worldwide as a traditional medicine for the treatment of various reproductive diseases. Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons are the fundamental regulators of pulsatile release of gonadotropin required for fertility. In this study, an extract of KRG (KRGE) was applied to GnRH neurons to identify the receptors activated by KRGE. The brain slice patch clamp technique in whole cell and perforated patch was used to clarify the effect of KRGE on the membrane currents and membrane potentials of GnRH neurons. Application of KRGE (3 ${\mu}g$/${\mu}L$) under whole cell patch induced remarkable inward currents (56.17${\pm}$7.45 pA, n=25) and depolarization (12.91${\pm}$3.80 mV, n=4) in GnRH neurons under high $Cl^-$ pipette solution condition. These inward currents were not only reproducible, but also concentration dependent. In addition, inward currents and depolarization induced by KRGE persisted in the presence of the voltage gated $Na^+$ channel blocker tetrodotoxin (TTX), suggesting that the responses by KRGE were postsynaptic events. Application of KRGE under the gramicidin perforated patch induced depolarization in the presence of TTX suggesting its physiological significance on GnRH response. Further, the KRGE-induced inward currents were partially blocked by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX; non-NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist, 10 ${\mu}M$) or picrotoxin (PIC; $GABA_A$ receptor antagonist, 50 ${\mu}M$), and almost blocked by PIC and CNQX mixture. Taken together, these results suggest that KRGE contains ingredients with possible GABA and non-NMDA glutamate receptor mimetic activity, and may play an important role in the endocrine function of reproductive physiology, via activation of $GABA_A$ and non-NMDA glutamate receptors in GnRH neurons.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.11-17
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• 2007

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of LAB (Lactic acid bacteria: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Streptococcus thermophilus) on detoxication of damaged liver in carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$) and ethanol (25%)-treated rats. Rats had been daily (twice a day) pre-treated with saline (0.5 ml/kg: untreated group), $CCl_4$ (0.5 ml/kg: other groups) for 6 days. At seventh day, after treating rat with $CCl_4$ and then, mixture of LAB ($10^{11}$/0.5 ml: LAB group), saline (0.5 ml/kg: untreated group, $CCl_4$ group), and biphenyl dimethyl dicarboxylate (DDB) (50 mg/kg: DDB group) were treated orally with $CCl_4$ for 8 days. Ethanol is treated as the same manner instead of $CCl_4$. To investigate the hepatoprotective effect, rats treated with $CCl_4$ and ethanol were analyzed with serum GOT and GPT level. The GOT and GPT levels of LAB group was lower than the level of $CCl_4$ and DDB group. Especially, compared with data of $CCl_4$ group, GPT activity showed statistically significant result in the significance level of p < 0.05. The LAB group treated with ethanol also showed lower level of GOT and GPT than the other control groups treated with ethanol. The triglyceride level of serum decreased more in a group treated special materials (DDB and LAB group) than ethanol group. As well, the effect of LAB on the antifatigue has been investigated. The animals (10/group) were divided into 4 groups (untreated group, Carrier group, Red-ginseng group, LAB group). Each group was given carrier (0.9 mg/0.2 ml), red ginseng extract (200 mg/kg), and mixture of LAB ($10^{11}$/0.2 ml). Special materials were given for three weeks. After finishing treating through oral, horizontal wire test, rotarod test, and forced swimming test were performed. The time of resistance to fatigue of the group, fed with mixture of LAB, was longer than the time when mice treated with red-ginseng that the effect was already revealed. The result of this study revealed that LAB could decrease hepatocelluar injury compared with rats treated orally with $CCl_4$ and ethanol, and could also decrease fatigue.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1998.06a
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• pp.182-189
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• 1998

Administration of ginsenosides, a mixture of saponin extracted from Panax ginseng, decreased blood pressure in rat. Previous studies have shown that ginsenosides caused endothelium-dependent relaxation, which was associated with the formation of cyclic GMP, suggested that ginsenosides caused release of nitric oxide (NO) from the vascular endothelium. The aim of the present study was to characterize the endothelium-independent relaxation to ginsenosides in the isolated rat aorta. Ginsenosides caused a concentration-dependent relaxation of rat aortic rings without endothelium constricted with 25 mM KCI but affected only minimally those constricted with 60 mM KCI. Ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) was a more potent vasorelaxing agonist than total ginsenoside mixture and also the ginsenoside PPT and PPD groups. Relaxation to ginsenosides were markedly reduced by TEA, but not by glibenclamide. Rg3 significantly inhibited Cal'-induced concentration-contraction curves and the "50a2'influx in aortic rings incubated in 25 mM KCI whereas those responses were not affected in 60 mM KCI. Rg3 caused efflux of $"Rb in aortic rings that was inhibited by tetraethy- lammonium (TEA), an inhibitor of Ca"-dependent K'channels, but not by glibenclamide, an inhibitor of AfP-dependent K'channels. These findings indicate that ginsenosides may induce vasorelaxation via activation of Ca2'-dependent K'channels resulting in hyperpolarization of the vas- cular smooth muscle with subsequent inhibition of the opening of voltage-dependent Caf'channels. These effects could contribute to explain the red ginseng-associated vasodilation and the beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.695-699
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• 2009

UV irradiation causes skin-aging involving coarse wrinkles, thickening, dyspigmentation, and rough skin surface. This study was carried out to develop health & functional food by using Korean red ginsneg and Fagopyrum esculentum extract mixture (RGFE) for prevention of skin wrinkles. The RGFE-treated group showed the more effective collagenase inhibition rate than the red ginseng (RG)-treated group. To investigate photo protective effects of RGFE on UV-induced damaged skin, SKH hairless male mice were orally administerd RGFE and regional treatment and irradiated with UV for up to 8 weeks. In RGFE-treated group, better skin, and less wrinkle formation were observed compared with UV group. Epidermal thickness of hairless mouse was significantly decreased in RGFE, RG, and Fagopyrum esculentum (FE) groups compared with UV group. These results demonstrate RGFE have photo-protective effects on UV-damaged hairless mouse skin.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.181-187
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• 2006

Protopanaxadiol (PPD) is a mixture of protopanaxadiol type saponins with a dammarane skeleton, from Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer; Araliaceae). Korean ginseng is well-known herb to treat almost all kinds of diseases in Oriental medicine. This herb was particularly prescribed for treatment various inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, and diabetes mellitus, for centuries. To understand the efficacy of ginseng against inflammatory diseases, we aimed to show anti-inflammatory activities of the PPD in murine macrophage cell line, RAW264.7 cells using nitric oxide (NO) production assay and the expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$), interleukin-$1{\beta}$ (IL-$1{\beta}$), and IL-6, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1). We found that PPD saponin significantly blocked LPS ($1{\mu}g/ml$)-induced NO production in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, PPD abrogated the expressions of LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-$1{\beta}$ and MCP-1. Moreover, cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, a critical enzyme to produce prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), was significantly inhibited by PPD in LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells. Taken together, these results suggested that anti-inflammatory efficacy of Korean red ginseng on inflammatory diseases is, at least, due to the NO inhibitory activity and the inhibition of the expressional level of inflammatory cytokines and/or mediators.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.300-307
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• 2010

This study examined the effects of the dietary inclusion of various concentrations of red ginseng byproduct (RB) and a mixture containing red ginseng byproduct, garlic extract, yeast and filler (CR) on the growth, body composition, serum chemistry, and lysozyme activity of juvenile olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). Juvenile fish (n= 630) weighing 5.0 g were randomly distributed into 21 180 L flow-through tanks (30 fish/tank). Seven experimental diets were prepared in triplicate: a control diet without additive, and diets containing 0.5, 1 and 2% concentrations of RB (RB-0.5, RB-1, RB-2) and CR (CR-0.5, CR-1, CR-2) at the expense of wheat flour. After an 8-week feeding trial, serum chemistry and lysozyme activity of fish were measured. Mean weight gain was significantly higher in fish fed the control diet than in fish fed the RB and CR diets. The dietary inclusion of RB and CR reduced feed utilization. Mean serum glucose and triglyceride (TG) levels were higher in fish fed the control diet than in fish fed the other diets. Mean glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) levels of fish fed the control and RB-2 diets were higher than those of fish fed the RB-0.5, RB-1, CR-1, and CR-2 diets. Mean lysozyme activity levels of fish fed the RB-0.5 and RB-1 diets were higher than those of fish fed the control and CR diets. The results of this study indicate that red ginseng byproduct may be utilized as an immunostimulant rather than as a growth promoter for juvenile olive flounder. Dietary inclusion of 0.5% red ginseng byproduct effectively improved serum glucose, GPT, TG, and lysozyme activity of the fish in this study.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.485-491
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• 2013

Rhodiola spp. and red ginseng have been used for food and medicinal applications in disease chemoprevention in many Asian countries. Increased oxidative stress by reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been proposed to be a major cause of muscle fatigue. The present study was designed to investigate the protective effects of a fermented hot-water extract mixture from Rhodiola sachalinensis and red ginseng (MFR) on cell damage and the antioxidant enzyme system in $H_2O_2$-induced oxidative stress in skeletal muscle cells. C2C12 myoblasts were treated with various concentrations of NFR (non-fermented Rhodiola sachalinensis extract), FR (fermented hot-water extract from Rhodiola sachalinensis) and MFR for up to 5 days after the standard induction of differentiation, followed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. MFR treatment dose-dependently protected oxidative damage of C2C12 cells. The treatment with MFR also enhanced mRNA expressions of MyoD, Cu/Zn SOD, Mn-SOD and GPX up to 16%. These results indicate that MFR exerts an anti-oxidative effect through a mechanism (s) that may involve the up-regulation of antioxidant enzymes, which may be important for the cellular redox environment in muscle cells.