• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.161-168
• /
• 2012

The abnormal maturation and ossification of articular chondrocytes play a central role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). Inhibiting the enzymatic degradation of the extracellular matrix and maintaining the cellular phenotype are two of the major goals of interest in managing OA. Ginseng is frequently taken orally, as a crude substance, as a traditional medicine in Asian countries. Ginsenoside $Rb_1$, a major component of ginseng that contains an aglycone with a dammarane skeleton, has been reported to exhibit various biological activities, including anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects. However, a chondroprotective effect of ginsenoside $Rb_1$ related to OA has not yet been reported. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the chondroprotective effect of ginsenoside $Rb_1$ on the regulation of pro-inflammatory factors and chondrogenic genes. Cultured rat articular chondrocytes were treated with 100 ${\mu}M$ ginsenoside $Rb_1$ and/or 500 ${\mu}M$ hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) and assessed for viability, reactive oxygen species production, nitric oxide (NO) release, and chondrogenic gene expression. Ginsenoside $Rb_1$ treatment resulted in reductions in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine and NO in $H_2O_2$-treated chondrocytes. The expression levels of chondrogenic genes, such as type II collagen and SOX9, were increased in the presence of ginsenoside $Rb_1$, whereas the expression levels of inflammatory genes related to chondrocytes, such as MMP1 and MMP13, were reduced by approximately 50%. These results suggest that ginsenoside $Rb_1$ has potential for use as a therapeutic agent in OA patients.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.41 no.1
• /
• pp.23-30
• /
• 2017

Background: Ginsenoside Rg1 is a class of steroid glycoside and triterpene saponin in Panax ginseng. Many studies suggest that Rg1 suppresses adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1. However, the detail molecular mechanism of Rg1 on adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 is still not fully understood. Methods: 3T3-L1 preadipocyte was used to evaluate the effect of Rg1 on adipocyte development in the differentiation in a stage-dependent manner in vitro. Oil Red O staining and Nile red staining were conducted to measure intracellular lipid accumulation and superoxide production, respectively. We analyzed the protein expression using Western blot in vitro. The zebrafish model was used to investigate whether Rg1 suppresses the early stage of fat accumulation in vivo. Results: Rg1 decreased lipid accumulation in early-stage differentiation of 3T3-L1 compared with intermediate and later stages of adipocyte differentiation. Rg1 dramatically increased CAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) homologous protein-10 (CHOP10) and subsequently reduced the $C/EBP{\beta}$ transcriptional activity that prohibited the initiation of adipogenic marker expression as well as triglyceride synthase. Rg1 decreased the expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and glycogen synthase kinase $3{\beta}$, which are also essential for stimulating the expression of $CEBP{\beta}$. Rg1 also reduced reactive oxygen species production because of the downregulated protein level of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate hydrogen (NADPH) oxidase 4 (NOX4). While Rg1 increased the endogenous antioxidant enzymes, it also dramatically decreased the accumulation of lipid and triglyceride in high fat diet-induced obese zebrafish. Conclusion: We demonstrated that Rg1 suppresses early-stage differentiation via the activation of CHOP10 and attenuates fat accumulation in vivo. These results indicate that Rg1 might have the potential to reduce body fat accumulation in the early stage of obesity.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.289-293
• /
• 2003

Antioxidant activity and nicotine degradation activity (NDA) of 21 medicinal herbs were determined by using a 1,1-diphenol-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method and a PLC/PRF5 human liver cell line method, respectively, to develop an anti-smoking aid. The highest and lowest antioxidant activities represented by $IC_{50}$/ value were 30 $\mu$g/mL of Eugenia caryophyllus and 3,270 $\mu$g/mL of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, respectively. Antioxidant activity of Eugenia caryophyllus was equal to 38.0$\pm$1.2 mg VCEAC(vitamin C equivalent antioxidant capacity)/ g herb. The highest and lowest NDA values were 1.81 of Astrgalus membranaceus Bunge and 1.01 of Raphani seed and Lespedeza tomentosa Sieb, respectively. Eleven medicinal herbs with high antioxidant activity and/or NDA were selected to make an herbal tea. The herbal tea had high antioxidant activity (50 $\mu$g/mL $IC_{50}$/ and 22.4$\pm$1.4 mgVCEAC/g) and NDA (1.243). The medicinal herb tea could help smokers quitting smoking by degrading and exhausting nicotine accumulated in body and removing reactive oxygen species.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.35 no.1 s.136
• /
• pp.28-34
• /
• 2004

DNA damage induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) seems to play an important role in the induction of mutation and cancer. Hydrogen peroxide $(H_2O_2)$ has been shown to induce a variety of genetic alterations, probably by the generation of hydroxyl radicals via Fenton reaction. In this study, we examined the ability of medicinal herbs in the suppression of $H_2O_2$-induced mutagenesis. Human fibroblast GM00637 cells were treated with $H_2O_2$ in the presence or absence of medicinal herbs, and $H_2O_2$-induced mutant frequency was measured at the hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT) locus. Treatment of cells with various doses of $H_2O_2$ caused a significant increase of the HPRT mutant frequency. However, pretreatment of cells with several medicinal herbs reduced $H_2O_2$-induced mutant frequency. The strong antimutagenic effects were observed from the methylene chloride and ethyl acetate fractions of Selaginella tamariscina, Panax ginseng, and Angelica acutiloba; ethyl acetate fractions of Rehmania glutinosa, Leonurus sibiricus, Curcuma zedoaria and Commiphora molmol; butanol fractions of Scutellaria barbata, Tribulus terrestris, Curcuma zedoaria, Cyperus rotundus and Carthamus tinctorius, which were more than 60% inhibition of $H_2O_2$-induced mutant frequency at the HPRT locus.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
• /
• v.46 no.2
• /
• pp.95-103
• /
• 2019

This study investigated the effect of traditional medicinal plants on the quality characteristics of Samgyetang breast meat and broth. The traditional medicinal plants used in this study were roots of Panax ginseng, Codonopsis lanceolata, Platycodon grandiflorum, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Adenophora triphylla, and Allium hookeri. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in the moisture, protein, ash content, water holding capacity, and cooking loss of Samgyetang meat with the addition of traditional medicinal plants. The color values (lightness, redness, and yellowness) of Samgyetang meat and broth were significantly different (P<0.05); the 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and shear force of Samgyetang meat were significantly different (P<0.05); and the pH, turbidity, and viscosity of Samgyetang broth were also significantly different (P<0.05) with the addition of traditional medicinal plants. In the overall acceptability of Samgyetang meat, the addition of S. miltiorrhiza showed the highest score compared to that of other treatments (P<0.05). Thus, the addition of traditional medicinal plants in the production of Samgyetang were found to affect the lipid rancidity beneficially with plant species when compared to Samgyetang with Panax ginseng. In conclusion, with the development of Samgyetang using S. miltiorrhiza, it will be possible to develop products with superior quality characteristics in antioxidant, shear force, and overall acceptability.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.45 no.9
• /
• pp.1249-1256
• /
• 2016

Black ginseng (BG) obtained by a 9-fold steaming process of Panax ginseng has been reported to have anti-oxidative, anti-obesity, and anti-diabetes effects. The current study evaluated the protective effect of BG by steaming time in an HCl/ethanol-induced acute gastritis model. BG was divided into four samples according to steaming-drying processing (Gin1, Gin3, Gin6, and BG). High performance liquid chromatography analysis, free radical scavenging activity, and total phenol and flavonoid contents were examined in ginseng and four BG samples. Compared with ginseng, BG showed a stronger radical scavenging effect and higher contents of total phenol and flavonoids. To evaluate the anti-gastritic effect of BG, mice were distributed into five groups: normal mice (N), acute gastritic mice with distilled water (CON), acute gastritic mice with 100 mg/kg of ginseng (Gin0), acute gastritic mice with 100 mg/kg of BG (BG), and acute gastritic mice with 10 mg/kg of sucralfate (SC). After 1 hour of pre-treatment with water, extracts (Gin0 and BG), or drug (SC), experimental groups except for N were orally administered 0.5 mL of 150 mM HCl/60% ethanol (v/v) mixture. Blood was collected 1 hour later from the heart, and gastric tissue was harvested. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were measured in serum, and related protein expression was examined by Western blot assay. In HCl/ethanol-induced acute gastritic mice, treatment with ginseng or BG improved mucosal damage in the histological evaluation. The serum ROS level significantly decreased in the BG-treated group compared with the CON group. Furthermore, expression of inflammatory cytokines significantly decreased in the BG-treated group compared with the CON group. Based on these results, antioxidant and anti-gastritic activities of ginseng were enhanced by streaming-drying processing, in part due to an increase in biological active compounds.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.521-547
• /
• 2018

To provide fundamental information to areas that lack data on the plant resources and the ecosystem, this study conducted a survey on the vascular plants in Mt. Jigisan in Hongseonggun. The vascular plants identified during the six-round field surveys were a total of 443 taxa: 96 families, 286 genera, 391 species, 7 subspecies, 40 varieties, 3 forms, and 2 hybrids. On floristic regional of Korea, Mt. Jigisan is deciduous broad-leaved and conifer-mixed forest which is south province of Korean peninsula. 4 taxa of Korean endemic plants such as Populus ${\times}$ tomentiglandulosa, Forsytsythia koreana, Forsytsythia ovate, and Iris rossii var. latifolia were collected. The vascular plants on the red list according to IUCN evaluation basis were found to be 6 taxa: Vulnerable (VU) species of Forsytsythia ovata, Least Conern (LC) species of Chionanthus retusus, Pseudoraphis ukishiba, and Cymbidium goeringii, and Not Evaluate (NE) species of Panax ginseng, and Fimbristylis verrucifera. The floristic regional indicator plants were found 27 taxa: 2 taxa of grade V, 3 taxa of grade IV, 6 taxa of grade III, 4 taxa of grade II, and 12 taxa of grade I. The specific distribution plants were found 27 taxa: 4 taxa of northern part of plants, 12 taxa of southern part of plants, 10 taxa of isolation distribution of plants, and 1 taxon of recently reported Viola betonicifolia var. albescens. The invasive alien plants were identified as 67 taxa. The naturalized index (NI) was 15.12%, and urbanization index (UI) was 20.9%, respectively.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.24 no.6
• /
• pp.950-955
• /
• 2010

In this study, we prepared CheonJeongKiBo-Dan(7 oriental medicinal plants, 7OMP: Astragalus Membranaceus root, Panax Ginseng root, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (licorice) root, Schizandra Chinensis fruit, Polygonatum Odoratum, Rehmannia Glutinosa root, Paeonia Albiflora root) by extracting them in one reactor and studied its efficacies on skin. UV irradiation has been suggested as a major cause of photoaging in skin. In order to investigate protective effects against UV-B induced cellular damage, 7OMP was extracted with 70% ethanol and dissolved in DMSO. The protective effect was detected by MTT assay, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, phosphorylation of ATR and p53 in human dermal fibroblast cell system after UV-B irradiation. 7OMP reduced UV-B-induced cellular damage in HDFs cells, and inhibited ROS generation. UV-B-induced toxicity accompanying ROS production and the resultant DNA damage are responsible for activation of ATR, p53 and Bad. In this study, 7OMP hampered phosphorylations of ATR and p53 in human dermal fibroblasts. Therefore, 7OMP may be protective against UV-induced skin photoaging.