• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2011.10a
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• pp.5-5
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• 2011

최근에 고령화 사회에 접어들면서 건강하게 활동하며 수명을 다하는 것이 중요한 연구과제가 되고 있다. 이 때문에 영양, 운동, 스트레스, 환경 등과 관련하여 암, 당뇨병, 고혈압, 비만, 동맥경화 등 생활습관병의 극복이 사회문제가 되고 있는 실정이다. 지금까지 고려인삼의 대표적인 동물실험 및 임상학적 연구결과를 종합하여 보면 성인의 난치성 만성질환에 대해서 치료제보다는 질병을 예방하고 회복촉진에 보다 큰 효과 있음을 확인할 수 있다. 이는 인삼이 식품과 의약품의 중간에 위치한 식품의약품(Nutraceutical)의 용도로 활용할 수 있음을 시사한다. 현재까지 인삼제품에 표시되는 기능성의 내용은 약 3,000여편 이상의 약리효능에 관련된 논문이 발표되었다 하더라도 "피로회복, 면역력 증진, 혈소판 응집 억제를 통한 혈액흐름에 도움이 됩니다"이며 이외의 기능성 표시는 현재로서 원칙적으로 불가한 것으로 되어 있다. 그러나 시험물질의 규격화 및 임상시험의 검토기준을 만족시키는 과학적 자료제출에 의한 개별 평가 후 표시내용의 확대가 가능하다. 고려인삼의 다양한 성분 중 ginsenoside는 주요 약효성분으로 인정을 받고 있으며 현재 품질관리의 지표성분으로 활용되고 있다. 이러한 개별 ginsenoside의 약리작용을 보면 서로 유사 또는 상반된 효과를 보여주는 성분들이 공존하고 있어 인삼의 다양한 약리효과와 일맥상통하는 것으로 보고되고 있다. 아울러, ginsenoside는 인삼의 부위 별로 현격한 차이를 보여주기 때문에 소재의 규격화는 매우 중요하다고 판단된다. 따라서, 인삼제품 개발의 가장 중요한 조건은 의약품에 가까운 기능성식품으로 세계적인 제품을 만들기 위해서는 표준화가 선행되어야 한다. 이와 같은 조건을 잘 충족시키는 제품이 스위스 "파마톤의 진사나(백삼추출물, G115)" 제품으로 생각할 수 있다. 따라서, 고려인삼의 수출시장 확대 및 세계적인 제품을 위해서는 진사나에 필적할 수 있는 새로운 홍삼의 표준화된 추출물을 도출하는 것이 무엇보다 급선무라 생각한다. 아울러 고려인삼의 특장점 발굴을 위한 표준화 된 추출분획물, 활성성분 및 효능과 연계한 새로운 고부가가치 창출제품(식품/의약품)개발에 주력해야 할 것이다.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.294-304
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• 2009

Ginsenosides are among the most well-known traditional herbal medicines frequently used for the treatment of various symptoms in South Korea. The neuroprotective effects of ginsenoside $Rg_3$ (G-$Rg_3$) on cholesterol-oxide-(CO)-induced neurotoxicity were investigated through the analyses of rat brains. The recently accumulated reports show that ginseng saponins (GTS), the major active ingredients of Panax ginseng, have protective effects against neurotoxin insults. In the present study, the neuroprotective effects of G-$Rg_3$ on CO-induced hippocampal excitotoxicity were examined in vivo. The in-vitro studies using rat cultured hippocampal neurons revealed that G-$Rg_3$ treatment significantly inhibited CO-induced hippocampal cell death. G-$Rg_3$ treatment not only significantly reduced CO-induced DNA damage but also attenuated CO-induced apoptosis. The in-vivo studies that were conducted revealed that the intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) pre-administration of G-$Rg_3$ significantly reduced i.c.v. CO-induced hippocampal damage in rats. To examine the mechanisms underlying the in-vitro and in-vivo neuroprotective effects of G-$Rg_3$ against CO-induced hippocampal excitotoxicity, the effect of G-$Rg_3$ on the CO-induced elevations of the apoptotic cells in cultured hippocampal cells was examined, and it was found that G-$Rg_3$ treatment inhibited CO-induced apoptosis. The histopathological evaluation demonstrated that G-$Rg_3$ significantly diminished the apoptosis in the hippocampus and also spared the hippocampal CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus neurons. G-$Rg_3$ also significantly improved the CO-caused behavioral impairment. G-$Rg_3$ itself had no effect, however, on the CO-induced inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase activity (data not shown). These results collectively indicate the G-$Rg_3$-induced neuroprotection against CO in rat hippocampus. With regard to the wide use of G-$Rg_3$, this agent is potentially beneficial in treating CO-induced brain injury.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.155-161
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• 2015

Background: Korean ginseng is an ethnopharmacologically valuable herbal plant with various biological properties including anticancer, antiatherosclerosis, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities. Since there is currently no drug or therapeutic remedy derived from Korean ginseng, we developed a ginsenoside-enriched fraction (AP-SF) for prevention of various inflammatory symptoms. Methods: The anti-inflammatory efficacy of AP-SF was tested under in vitro inflammatory conditions including nitric oxide (NO) production and inflammatory gene expression. The molecular events of inflammatory responses were explored by immunoblot analysis. Results: AP-SF led to a significant suppression of NO production compared with a conventional Korean ginseng saponin fraction, induced by both lipopolysaccharide and zymosan A. Interestingly, AP-SF strongly downregulated the mRNA levels of genes for inducible NO synthase, tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, and cyclooxygenase) without affecting cell viability. In agreement with these observations, AP-SF blocked the nuclear translocation of c-Jun at 2 h and also reduced phosphorylation of p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and TAK-1, all of which are important for c-Jun translocation. Conclusion: Our results suggest that AP-SF inhibits activation of c-Jun-dependent inflammatory events. Thus, AP-SF may be useful as a novel anti-inflammatory remedy.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.514-523
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• 2019

We investigated the gene expression patterns and the mechanisms of action of the apoptotic response by microarray analysis of human keratinocyte HaCaT cells treated with ginsenoside Rb1, a saponin of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer. Genes related to apoptosis, the G2/M transition of the mitotic cell cycle, cell division, mitotic nuclear division, and intracellular protein transport were 2-fold up-regulated in HaCaT cells treated with the ginsenoside Rb1, whereas genes related to DNA repair, regeneration fission, and extracellular matrix organization were 2-fold down-regulated. Apoptosis signaling may be mediated by FAS and PLA2G4A, and pathway analysis indicated that STAT3 might be an upstream regulator of these genes. The activity of FAS and PLA2G4A was verified by qPCR, which showed that FAS was increased about 2-fold in HaCaT cells treated with $10{\mu}g/ml$ of ginsenoside Rb1 for 24 hr, PLA2G4A was increased about twice after 6 hours, and gene expression was increased more than 2-fold after 24 hr. Knockdown of STAT3 with siRNA decreased FAS expression and increased PLA2G4A expression but only FAS was passed from the upstream regulator STAT3. These results indicate that STAT3, which is an upstream regulator, induces apoptosis via FAS during treatment with ginsenoside Rb1.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.99-106
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• 2009

Objectives : The antidepressant effect of the subchronic administration of the methanolic extract of wild ginseng(WG) was investigated compared with that of cultivated ginseng(CG, panax ginseng) extract. Methods : To assess the antidepressant effect of the ginseng extracts, tail suspension test(TST) was executed in mice after daily administration of WG or CG extract for five consecutive days. Results : The WG extract at daily dose of 600mg/kg significantly reduced the total duration of immobility in the TST, whereas there was no significant reduction at daily dose of 300mg/kg WG and 600mg/kg CG. There were no individual differences between experimental groups in open field test (OFT) to evaluate psychostimulant effects of WG or CG extract. In the high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) analysis of the extracts, it was found that WG included four times more ginsenoside Rg1 and Re, three times more Rf, and six times more Rb1 and Rc than CG. Conclusions : It is suggested that WG extract has stronger antidepressant effect than CG extract, which means it includes more antidepressant compounds than CG.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.316-325
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• 2017

Background: Ginseng essence (GE) is a formulation comprising four medicinal and edible herbs including ginseng (Panax ginseng), American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), lotus seed (Nelumbo nucifera), and lily bulb (Lilium longiflorum). This study was aimed at investigating the hepatoprotective effect of GE against carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$)-induced liver injury in rats. Methods: We treated Wistar rats daily with low, medium, and high [0.625 g/kg body weight (bw), 1.25 g/kg bw, and 3.125 g/kg bw, respectively] doses of GE for 9 wk. After the 1st wk of treatment, rats were administered 20% $CCl_4$ (1.5 mL/kg bw) two times a week to induce liver damage until the treatment ended. Results: Serum biochemical analysis indicated that GE ameliorated the elevation of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase and albumin decline in $CCl_4$-treated rats. Moreover, $CCl_4$-induced accumulation of hepatic total cholesterol and triglyceride was inhibited. The hepatoprotective effects of GE involved enhancing the hepatic antioxidant defense system including glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase. In addition, histological analysis using hematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome staining showed that GE inhibited $CCl_4$-induced hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining of alpha-smooth muscle actin indicated that $CCl_4$-triggered activation of hepatic stellate cells was reduced. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that GE improves $CCl_4$-induced liver inflammation and fibrosis by attenuating oxidative stress. Therefore, GE could be a promising hepatoprotective herbal formulation for future development of phytotherapy.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.429-439
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• 2023

Background: The incidence and clinical importance of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged. However, effective therapeutic strategies for NAFLD have yet to be found. Panax ginseng (P. ginseng) is a traditional herb in Eastern Asia with therapeutic effects in many chronic disorders. However, the precise effects of ginseng extract on NAFLD are currently unknown. In present study, the therapeutic effects of Rg3-enriched red ginseng extract (Rg3-RGE) on the progression of NAFLD were explored. Methods: Twelve-week-old C57BL/6 male mice were fed a chow or western diet supplemented with high sugar water solution with or without Rg3-RGE. Histopathology, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, serum biochemistry, western blot analysis, and quantitative RT-PCR were used for in vivo experiment. Conditionally immortalized human glomerular endothelial cell (CiGEnC) and primary liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) were used for in vitro experiments. Results: Eight weeks of Rg3-RGE treatment significantly attenuated the inflammatory lesions of NAFLD. Furthermore, Rg3-RGE inhibited the inflammatory infiltrate in liver parenchyma and the expression of adhesive molecules to LSECs. Moreover, the Rg3-RGE exhibited similar patterns on the in vitro assays. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that Rg3-RGE treatment ameliorates NAFLD progression by inhibiting chemotaxis activities in LSECs.

• 한국약용작물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.195-196
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• 2009

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 2010

Thirty-four strains of Lactobacillus species were isolated from soil and eight of these isolates (M1-4 and P1-4) were capable of growing on red ginseng agar. The M1 and P2 strains were determined to be L. plantarum and other strains (M2, M3, M4, P1, P3 and P4) were determined to be L. brevis. Fermentation of red ginseng extract (RGE) with strains M1, M2, P2 and P4 resulted in a low level of total carbohydrate content (174.3, 170.0, 158.8 and 164.8 mg/mL, respectively). RGE fermented by M3 showed a higher level of uronic acid than the control. The polyphenol levels in RGE fermented by M1, P1 and P2 (964.9, 941.7 and $965.3\;{\mu}g/mL$, respectively) were higher than the control ($936.8\;{\mu}g/mL$). Total saponin contents in fermented RGE (except M1) were higher than the control. RGE fermented by M2 and M3 had the highest levels of total ginsenosides (31.7 and 32.7 mg/mL, respectively). The levels of the ginsenoside Rg3 increased from 2.6 mg/mL (control) to 3.0 mg/mL (M2) or 3.1 mg/mL (M3). RGE fermented by M2 and M3 also had the highest levels of Rg5+Rk1 (7.7 and 8.3 mg/mL, respectively). Metabolite contents of ginsenoside (sum of CK, Rh1, Rg5, Rk1, Rg3 and Rg2) of M2 (13.0 mg/mL) and M3 (13.9 mg/mL) were also at a high level among the fermented RGE. Protopanaxadiol and protopanaxatriol content of ginsenoside of M2 (10.9 and 5.4 mg/mL, respectively) and M3 (11.0 and 5.7 mg/mL, respectively) were at higher levels than other fermented RGE.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.60-68
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• 2011

The chemical and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity changes of ginsenoside $Rb_1$-glycine and ginsenoside $Rg_1$-glycine mixtures by Maillard reaction were investigated to identify the role of Maillard reaction in the increased antioxidant activity of ginseng by heat-processing. The DPPH radical scavenging activity of $Rg_1$-glycine mixture was more strongly increased by heat-processing than that of $Rb_1$-glycine mixture. From the analyses of ginsenosides, $Rb_1$ was gradually changed into 20(S)-$Rg_3$, 20(R)-$Rg_3$, $Rk_1$ and $Rg_5$ by heat-processing. $Rg_1$ was gradually changed into 20(S)-$Rh_1$, 20(R)-$Rh_1$, $Rk_3$ and $Rh_4$ by heat-processing. However, the generation of these less-polar ginsenosides was not related to the increased DPPH radical scavenging activity of $Rb_1$-glycine and $Rg_1$-glycine mixtures because their DPPH radical scavenging activities were already significantly increased when dried at $50^{\circ}C$, which temperature induce no structural changes of ginsenosides. In the comparison of browning compound levels of $Rg_1$-glycine and $Rb_1$-glycine mixtures, the extents of Maillard reaction were positively correlated with their increased free radical scavenging activities. Based on the chemical and DPPH radical scavenging activity changes of $Rg_1$-glycine and $Rb_1$-glycine mixtures by heat-processing, we clearly identified that the increased free radical scavenging activity of ginsenoside is mediated by the Maillard reaction between sugar moiety of ginsenoside and amino acid.