• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.270-276
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• 2018

Background: Notoginsenoside Ft1 is a promising potential candidate for cardiovascular and cancer disease therapy owing to its positive pharmacological activities. However, the yield of Ft1 is ultralow utilizing reported methods. Herein, an acid hydrolyzing strategy was implemented in the acquirement of rare notoginsenoside Ft1. Methods: Chemical profiles were identified by ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with quadruple-time-of-flight and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF-ESI-MS). The acid hydrolyzing dynamic changes of chemical compositions and the possible transformation pathways of saponins were monitored by ultrahigh-performance LC coupled with tandem MS (UHPLC-MS/ MS). Results and conclusion: Notoginsenoside Ft1 was epimerized from notoginsenoside ST4, which was generated through cleaving the carbohydrate side chains at C-20 of notoginsenosides Fa and Fc, and vinaginsenoside R7, and further converted to other compounds via hydroxylation at C-25 or hydrolysis of the carbohydrate side chains at C-3 under the acid conditions. High temperature contributed to the hydroxylation reaction at C-25 and 25% acetic acid concentration was conducive to the preparation of notoginsenoside Ft1. C-20 epimers of notoginsenoside Ft1 and ST4 were successfully separated utilizing solvent method of acetic acid solution. The theoretical preparation yield rate of notoginsenoside Ft1 was about 1.8%, which would be beneficial to further study on its bioactivities and clinical application.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.235-241
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• 1983

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of soil moisture content and planting depth on the growth of 2-year old ginseng plant. The results obtained are summarized as follows; 1. When the ginseng seedlings were planted in soil by 4 to 5cm in depth, the length of leaflet and stem and the number of branch roots were significantly decreased but the stem diameter was increased. 2. Highly significant quadratic regressions were shown between soil moisture content and the growth of the stem, leaf and root of the ginseng plant. 3. Estimated amount of soil moisture for the maximum growth of the stem was 75% of field capacity, and that for length and width of the leaflet was about 65 to 66% of field capacity. Estimated soil moisture for the maximum growth of the root was about 56 to 58% of field capacity and that for increase in root weight was about 60 to 61% of field capacity. 4. Estimated soil moisture content for best growth of ginseng roots was 1 to 5% lower when the seedling was planted in 3cm depth compared with 2cm in depth. And when the amount of soil moisture was 31% of field capacity, the deep planting was adequate for good root growth. 5. Significant correlations were resulted between the dry weight of roots and the leaf length, the leaf width and the dry weight of stem and leaves. And also, significant correlations were obtained between the ratio of root dry weight to root fresh weight and the stem length, the leaf length, the leaf width and the dry weight of stem and leaves.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.9
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• pp.1249-1256
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• 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 Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.408-419
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• 2023

Background: Ginsenoside compound K (CK), the main active metabolite in Panax ginseng, has shown good safety and bioavailability in clinical trials and exerts neuroprotective effects in cerebral ischemic stroke. However, its potential role in the prevention of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains unclear. Our study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism of ginsenoside CK against cerebral I/R injury. Methods: We used a combination of in vitro and in vivo models, including oxygen and glucose deprivation/reperfusion induced PC12 cell model and middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion induced rat model, to mimic I/R injury. Intracellular oxygen consumption and extracellular acidification rate were analyzed by Seahorse multifunctional energy metabolism system; ATP production was detected by luciferase method. The number and size of mitochondria were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and MitoTracker probe combined with confocal laser microscopy. The potential mechanisms of ginsenoside CK on mitochondrial dynamics and bioenergy were evaluated by RNA interference, pharmacological antagonism combined with co-immunoprecipitation analysis and phenotypic analysis. Results: Ginsenoside CK pretreatment could attenuate mitochondrial translocation of DRP1, mitophagy, mitochondrial apoptosis, and neuronal bioenergy imbalance against cerebral I/R injury in both in vitro and in vivo models. Our data also confirmed that ginsenoside CK administration could reduce the binding affinity of Mul1 and Mfn2 to inhibit the ubiquitination and degradation of Mfn2, thereby elevating the protein level of Mfn2 in cerebral I/R injury. Conclusion: These data provide evidence that ginsenoside CK may be a promising therapeutic agent against cerebral I/R injury via Mul1/Mfn2 mediated mitochondrial dynamics and bioenergy.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.159-164
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• 2009

The difference of ginsenosides content according to placement of ginseng planting (line) under shading net in 5-year-old ginseng roots were examined. The total saponin ($Rb_1$, $Rb_2$, Rc, Rd, Re, and $Rg_1$) contents were 15.01 mg/g and 21.79 mg/g in the main roots, 35.93 mg/g and 43.32 mg/g in the lateral roots, 87.85 mg/g and 105.51 mg/g in the fine roots for the front $1st{\sim}2nd$ lines in Yunpoong and Landrace variety (purple-stem variant), respectively. In the middle $3rd{\sim}5th$ lines the total saponin contents were 18.73 mg/g and 23.19 mg/g in the main roots, 44.92 mg/g and 43.50 mg/g in the lateral roots, 92.97 mg/g and 110.70 mg/g in the fine roots in Yunpoong and Landrace variety, respectively. In the rear $6th{\sim}7th$ lines the total saponin contents were 21.88 mg/g and 26.68 mg/g in the main roots, 38.41 mg/g and 44.89 mg/g in the lateral roots, 101.03 mg/g and 107.06 mg/g in the fine roots in Yunpoong and Landrace variety, respectively. The differences in total and individual ginsenosides content in the main, lateral and fine roots among the lines were not significant but total ginsenosides contents in the main roots were different in case of Yunpoong variety. The ratios of protopanaxadiol (PD) type saponin to protopanaxatriol (PT) type saponin in roots were lower in the front lines compared to the middle and rear lines and the ratios were significantly different among the parts of roots.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.63-67
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• 1976

The purpose of the present study was to see the Panax Ginseng has any influence upon the acquisition of the conditioned avoidance response(CAR) in rats. Sixty male rats of Holtsman strain were used. The animal weighed between 20 and 300 gm at the beginning of the experiment. Training of avoidance conditioning was done in a two-way shuttle box which was separated into two compartments by a guilotine door. The conditioned stimulus (CS) was a light beam and the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) was an electric shock. The shock was presented 10 sec. after onset of the CS and continued until the subject crossed to the opposite safety compartment within 20 sec. after onset of UCS. Each S was received 30 trials a day (one session) for 6 consecutive sessions. The number of CR which avoided successfully without having shock and the number of fecal balls during the conditioning were served as an index of learning performance and emotionality. The results obtained as follows. All doses of Ginseng saponin treated animals showed more CR than control, but did not differ significantly from control. Ginseng saponin treated animals with the doses of $50{\sim}100\;mg/kg$ defecated the fecal balls significantly less frequent than the placebo control during CAR.

• 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.21 no.2
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• pp.118-123
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• 2013

This study was carried out to select optimal shade materials among four-layered polyethylene (PE) net (FLPN), aluminium-coated PE sheet (APSS), and blue PE sheet (BPSS) in condition of paddy field cultivated 6-year-old ginseng. The order of light-penetrated ratio and air temperature by shade materials was BPSS > APSS > FLPN. Light-penetrated ratio of BPSS before two fold shade was more 3 times and 2 times than that of FLPN and APSS, respectively. Air temperature of BPSS was also higher $1.6^{\circ}C$ and $1.4^{\circ}C$ than that of FLPN and APSS, respectively. BPSS showed good cultural environment because all of light-penetrated ratio and air temperature were become higher in spring and fall season but lower in summer season by additional shade with two-layered PE net. Survived-leaf ratio was highest in BPSS and lowest in FLPN causing a little water leak on a rainy day. Rusty-root ratio was also highest in FLPN because soil moisture content was increased by water leak. The order of root yield was BPSS > APSS > FLPN, and the cause of highest yield in BPSS was higher light-penetrated ratio during spring and fall season, higher survived-leaf ratio, and lower rusty-root ratio than that of APSS and FLPN. BPSS showed highest total ginsenoside content because of high light-penetrated ratio, blue light effect, and the difference in dry matter partitioning ratio such as low taproot ratio, and high lateral root ratio.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.70-74
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• 2015

An LED plant factory farm is an alternative way to grow crops regardless of weather, season, and blight in such times of climate change. In recent years, it is a currently active and vibrant research field. The industry, which ranges from leaf vegetables to high value products, is expanding. This study was conducted to test tthe response of LED (Light-emitting diode) irradiation on the growth characteristics and ginsenoside levels indoors, in order to find out suitable light conditions. Ginseng seedling was transplanted from a styrofoam pot ($L{\times}W{\times}D$:$495{\times}315{\times}215mm$, inside diameter) into a closed plant production system in four blue LED (BL) and red LED (RL) different ratios of 1:1, 1;2, 1:3, 1:4 in a temperature range of $20{\sim}25^{\circ}C$, relative humidity of between 55 and 65%, and a 12-hour photoperiod. The LED irradiation shows the highest levels were found at 1:1 of BL and RL ratio at $61.21{\mu}mol\;s^{-l}m^{-2}$, 1:2 ratio $68.55{\mu}mol\;s^{-l}m^{-2}$, 1:3 ratio $63.85{\mu}mol\;s^{-l}m^{-2}$ and 1:4 ratio $62.41{\mu}mol\;s^{-l}m^{-2}$ from highest to lowest respectively. After analyzing from shoot and root 2 yers old ginseng plant which were cultivated under 1:3 irradiation of BL and RL ratio, it generally showed a positive effect under a 1:3 ratio of BL and RL.