• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.135-141
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• 2013

A rapid, sensitive and selective analytical method was developed and validated for the determination of compound K, a major intestinal bacterial metabolite of ginsenosides in human plasma. Liquid-liquid extraction was used for sample preparation and analysis, followed by liquid chromatography tandem spectrometric analysis and an electrospray-ionization interface. Compound K was analyzed on a Phenomenex Luna C18 column ($100{\times}2.00$ mm, 3 ${\mu}m$) with the mobile phase run isocratically with 10 mM ammonium acetate-methanol-acetonitrile (5:47.5:47.5, v/v/v) at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The method was validated for accuracy (relative error <12.63%), precision (coefficient of variation <9.14%), linearity, and recovery. The assay was linear over the entire range of calibration standards i.e., a concentration range of 1 ng/mL to 1,000 ng/mL ($r^2$ >0.9968). The recoveries of compound K after liquid-liquid extraction at 1, 2, 400, and 800 ng/mL were $106.00{\pm}0.08%$, $103.50{\pm}0.19%$, $111.45{\pm}5.21%$, and $89.62{\pm}34.46%$ for intra-day and $85.40{\pm}0.08%$, $94.50{\pm}0.09%$, $112.50{\pm}5.21%$, and $95.87{\pm}34.46%$ for inter-day, respectively. The lower limit of quantification of the analytical method of compound K was 1 ng/mL in human plasma. The developed method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of compound K after oral administration in ten of healthy human subjects.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.421-426
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to identify soil physical characteristics as guideline for high yield potential in ginseng cultivated field which produced 6 years root. Harvest yields of ginseng to be divided by parent rock was in order of phyllite and red shale 3.1 kg/$3.3\;m^2$ > granite and gneiss schist 3.0 kg > basalt 2.6 kg > porphyry 2.2 kg in upland and forest soil. Also, with classified by topography, it was in order of foot slope and alluvial fan 3.2 kg/$3.3\;m^2$ > valley 3.0 kg > low hill 2.9 kg > hill, lave flow and dilluvial terrace 2.8 kg in survey tilth. Class determination of soil texture, it was in order of sandy loam 3.1 kg/$3.3\;m^2$ > loam and silt loam 3.0 kg > clay loam 2.9 kg > silt clay loam 2.8 kg in survey tilth. Slope condition of farming land, in case of sloping (2~7%), it was 3.1 kg/$3.3\;m^2$ but deep sloping (15~30%) caused decreasing harvest yield. In drainage classes (excessively, well and moderately well), there was no significantly different in harvest yields. Relationship between harvest yield and soil series, Production sites as yielding 3.0 kg/$3.3\;m^2$ were seven sites, also it was contained 14 soil series. Production sites as yielding 2.5~3.0 kg/$3.3\;m^2$ were eleven sites, it was contained 16 soil series. Production sites as yielding 2.0~2.5 kg/$3.3\;m^2$ were 10 sites, it was contained 4 soil series.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.51-62
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• 1988

Bulk-type dryers which are widely used for drying special agricultural products such as tobaco leaf, red pepper, mushroom, ginseng, medicinal herb, etc, began to be distributed on a full scale since 1980 and the total number of dryers introduced to farms reached to about 36,600 units as of the end of 1986. In this study a survery was carried on the farmers cultivating special crops, dryer manufacturers and related administrative institutes and associations by means of on-the-spot investigation, mail or interview to collect data on scales and patterns of farming, utilization of bulk-type dryers, production and price streams of the special crops etc. Based on the analysis of the data surveyed predictions were made for the total demand on the bulk-type dryers and for annual demand over five-year span.

• 한국약용작물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.401-402
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• 2009

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.103-109
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• 2003

We investigated the effect of ginseng total saponin (GTS) on the regeneration process of experimentally crush injured rat sciatic nerves. The bilateral sciatic nerves of fifty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were compressed surgically with a straight hemostat for 30 seconds with 1 mm width. Twenty rats were divided into four groups to test the dose-dependent effect of GTS (0, 50, 100, or 150 mg/kg, i.p.). Saline for vehicle control group or GTS dissolved in saline was administerd for three weeks. After that period of time, the numbers of total myelinated axon and degenerated myelin in the sciatic nerves of bilateral legs were examined and analyzed using image analysis system to confirm a morphological effect of GTS. We found that the most effective concentration of GTS for the regeneration of damaged sciatic nerve was 150 mg/kg. In another set of experiment, thirty rats were divided into two groups as saline-treated vehicle group and GTS-treated group (150 mg/kg, i.p.) for three weeks. Every week we examined the numbers of total myelinated axon and degenerated myelin in the sciatic nerves of bilateral legs using image analysis system to evaluate the effect of GTS on injured nerves. We found that the regeneration of damaged sciatic nerves was facilitated in GTS-treated group compared to saline-treated group until two weeks. However, after that period of time we could not observe the significant difference between saline-treated group and GTS-treated group. These results suggest that GTS is a useful adjuvant therapy for the regeneration of the peripheral nerve injury in short period of treatment.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1984.09a
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• pp.83-88
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• 1984

It is now well established that the rodenticide Vacor (N-3-pyridyl-mehtyl-N'-p-nitropheny-lurea) causes a hyperglycemia in human and rats. It is also reported that there are some components (DPG-3) in ginseng radix which cause hypoglycemic effect on alloxan diabetic mice. In the present study, attempts were made to demonstrate in Vacor-poisoned rats the hypo-glycemic activity of red ginseng component(RGC), which was extracted by Kimura's DPG-3 extraction procedure and found to be effective for lowering a hyperglycemia in alloxan-diabetic rats. Vacor in a dose of $LD_{50}$ (10mg/kg) produced a glucose intolerance with a paradoxical moderate increase in blood immunoreactive insulin and derangement in glucose metabolism of epididymal adipocytes in rats. Although RGC (20mg/kg, i.p.) did not exert any significant influence on a hyperglycemia induced by large lethal doses (25mg/kg) of Vacor ingestion, it improved the LDso Vacor-induced glucose intolerance and caused a further increase in blood insulin levels in Vacor-poisoned rats. The administration of RGC (20mg/kg, i.p.) normalized Vacor-induced depression of glucose metabolism and lipogenesis in the epididymal adipocytes with an improvement of reduced responses to insulin of adipocytes from Vacor-poisoned rats. These results suggest that some red ginsneng components contained in RGC fraction normalize the depressed peripheral glucose unitlization and insulin response and eventually lead to an improvement of abnormal glucose tolerance developed in rats poisoned with small doses of Vacor.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.14
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• pp.165-172
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• 1973

The sterile phenomenon is frequently found in the inter-species hybrids of ginseng as in other plants. It is known that among the hybrids between Panax Ginseng (PG) and Panax Quinquefolium (PQ), and between Panax Ginseng and Paxax Japonicus (PI), PG${\times}$PI is fertile only very rarely, while PG ${\times}$ PQ is always sterile. Therefore, in order to clarify the relationship between this sterility phenomenon and the metabolism of free amino acids, the changes of free amino acids through the formation of the flower organs and seeds of two hybrids, PG ${\times}$ PQ and PG ${\times}$ PI were investigated by thin layer chromatography. The results are summarized as follows: 1. Distinct differences in the quantity and number of free amino acids were recognized between PG ${\times}$ PQ, PG ${\times}$ PI and their parent plants. From the hybrid PG ${\times}$ PQ, 19 kinds of ninhyrin sensitive substances were detected in all. They were (1) 17 amino acids: alanine, valine, leucine, phenylalanine, proline, hydroxy-proline, serine, threonine, tyrosine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, lysine, arginine, ${\gamma}$-amino butyric acid, ${\beta}$-alanine, cysteic acid and tryptophan, and (2) two amides: asparagine and glutamine. From the hybrid PG ${\times}$ PI, in addition to the above 19 substances, methionine and one unknown substance were detected. 2. Generally, alanine, as partie acid, glutamic acid, cysteic acid and asparagine were detected in large amounts in the two hybrids as in PG, PG and PJ but it was a noticeable fact concerning these two hybrids that the largest quantity of asparagine was found at microspore satge and pollen mature stage. 3. The decrease of cysteic acid in the two hybrids at the red ripened stage was the same as in PQ and PJ but opposite to the change in PG. The detection of methionine in PG ${\times}$ PJ was worthy of notice. 4. The change of proline was conspicuously different from that in their parent plants. It was detected as a trace of color at the micros pore stage while asparagine was detected in the greatest amount at that time. It is well known that the quantity of proline is closely related to the sterility of plant. This fact was also found true in the formation of ginseng seeds. It was reported as well that asparagine accumulated when proline decreased. 5. The deficiency of proline seemed to be closely related with the sterility of hybrids and with the degradation of pollen in anther. 6. The difference in the changes of free amino acids between the selfed lines of PG, PQ and PJ, and their hybrids seemed to be caused by the transformation of gene-action system by hybridization. On these phenomena along with proline metabolim and its physiological role in seed formation further studies are required.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.1058-1063
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• 1998

As a series of study on the hygienization and long-term storage of dried red pepper and red pepper powder using gamma irradiation, water activity and fatty acid composition were monitored for stored samples. In proximate composition of dried pepper, moisture contents were 21.75 % in pericarp and 9.30% in seed, and crude fats were 7.20% (fresh wt.) in pericap and 22.50% in seed, respectively. Proximate components were stable against irradiation up to 10 kGy. Moisture contents and water activity of packaged samples in PE (0.1mm)/polycloth (whole pepper) and in nylon $15\;{\mu}m/PE\;100\;{\mu}m$ (pepper powder) were not remarkably changed during storage for 9 months under room temperature $(3{\sim}30^{\circ}C,\;RH\;50{\circ}95%,\;whole\;pepper,\;powder)$ and low temperature $(5{\sim}10^{\circ}C,\;pepper\;powder)$, respectively. Fatty acids of dried red pepper were mainly composed of linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid and linolenic acid. Particularly higher composition of unsaturated fatty acids were observed in seed $(84{\sim}85%)$ than in pericarp $(73{\sim}76%)$, and which showed negligible changes during post irradiation period for 6 months.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.267-273
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• 1982

Among 12 kinds of ginsenosides in ginseng saponin, ginsenoside-Rb$_1$was contained the most abundantly. But ginsenoside-Rd which is similar to ginsenoside-Rb$_1$in structure, was known to be superior to ginsenoside-Rb$_1$pharmaceutically. In order to convert ginsenoside-Rb$_1$into ginsenoside-Rd by microbial enzyme treatment, a Rhizopus sp. was selected among various strais of molds found in rotten ginseng roots. Enzyme was prepared from the extract of wheat bran koji culture by ammonium sulfate precipitation (1.0 sat'd) and succeeding ammonium sulfate fractionation method (0.6-0.9 sat'd). For the purpose of use as substrate, saponins were purified by the several purification steps from alcohol extract of red ginseng roots. We obtained the total saponin which was composed of 36.5% of ginsenoside Rb$_1$, 12.2% of ginsenoside-Rd and other ginsenosides. For increase of ginsenoside-Rb$_1$ component ratio, we also obtained further purified ginsenoside-Rb group saponin containing 54.5% of ginsenoside-Rb$_1$, 1.1% of ginsenoside- Rd and other ginsenosides from purified the total saponin. In the enzymatic reaction system including the total saponin or the ginsenoside-Rb group saponin, we confirmed the specific conversion of ginsenoside-Rb$_1$to ginsenoside-Rd proportionally and no change of any other ginsenoside patterns by thin layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.30-38
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• 2011

The elderly is a target group for health functional foods (HFFs). We surveyed 825 Korean elderly (71.4- years-of-age) for HFF use and significant variables for HFF use including demographic characteristics, health related variables, and nutritional beliefs. The prevalence of HFF use was 48.7%, and among all types of HFF, red ginseng products were eaten most frequently, followed by ginseng products, nutritional supplements, and mushroom products. The mean age of users of HFFs was lower than nonusers (p<.01). HFFs were eaten more frequently by subjects from families living with a spouse or unmarried children (p<.01) and those with higher levels of monthly pocket money (p<.001). HFFs were also eaten more frequently by subjects or their spouses with a higher education level (p<.001). The social activity participation ratio (p<.01) of subjects and the HFF usage ratio by the spouse (p<.001) were higher in users of HFF than in nonusers. Dietary assessment scores were not different between the two groups, and users had a more positive view concerning the potential health benefits of HFFs than did nonusers (p<.001). Most users of HFF ate HFFs "when they were healthy" (52.2%) and experienced some effect through HFF use (45.8%). Most users of HFFs received information on HFFs through their families or relatives (38.1%) and most purchased HFFs at the pharmacy or oriental medicine clinic (44.8%). HFF users preferred multivitamin- and Ca-supplements most among the vitamin and mineral supplements belonged to HFFs. The above results show that HFF use is widely spread among subjects, and that use of HFF is influenced by various factors. Thus, practical guidelines for HFF use should be provided for the elderly through elderly focused-nutrition education based upon significant variables and consumption behaviors for their HFF use of present study.