• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.82-90
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• 2016

Most Araliaceae plant species distributed in Korea are economically important because of their high medicinal values. This study was conducted to develop barcode markers from sequence analysis of chloroplast DNA in 14 taxa of Araliaceae species grown in South Korea. Sequencing of seven chloroplast DNA regions was performed to establish the DNA barcode markers, as suggested by the Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL). From the sequence analysis of chloroplast DNA, we identified specific sequences and nucleotides that allowed us to discriminate among each other 14 Korean Araliaceae species. The sequence in the region of psbA-trnH revealed the most frequent DNA indels and substitutions of all 7 regions studied. This psbA-trnH marker alone can discriminate among all 14 species. There are no differences between Korean and Chinese Panax ginseng in all seven sequenced chloroplast DNA regions. A phylogenetic tree constructed using the seven chloroplast DNA regions revealed that Tetrapanax papyriferus should be classified as an independent clade. The Aralia and Panax genera showed a close phylogenetic relationship. Five species in the Eleutherococcus genus were more closely related to Kalopanax septemlobus than to any Panax species.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.54-63
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• 2013

Ginsenoside Rd is a primary constituent of the ginseng rhizome and has been shown to participate in the regulation of diabetes and in tumor formation. Reports also show that ginsenoside Rd exerts anti-oxidative effects by activating anti-oxidant enzymes. Treatment with ginsenoside Rd decreased nitric oxide and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) in lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-challenged RAW264.7 cells and in ICR mouse livers (5 mg/kg LPS; LPS + ginsenoside Rd [2, 10, and 50 mg/kg]). Furthermore, these decreases were associated with the down-regulations of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and of nuclear factor (NF)-${\kappa}B$ activity in vitro and in vivo. Our results indicate that ginsenoside Rd treatment decreases; 1) nitric oxide production (40% inhibition); 2) $PGE_2$ synthesis (69% to 93% inhibition); 3) NF-${\kappa}B$ activity; and 4) the NF-${\kappa}B$-regulated expressions of iNOS and COX-2. Taken together, our results suggest that the anti-inflammatory effects of ginsenoside Rd are due to the down-regulation of NF-${\kappa}B$ and the consequent expressional suppressions of iNOS and COX-2.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.192-198
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• 2018

Background: Ginseng has been used as an ergogenic agent, although evidence for its effectiveness is weak. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of a ginsenoside complex (UG0712) on changes in exercise performance. Methods: Sedentary individuals (n = 117) were randomly assigned into one of three groups: low-dose ginsenoside supplementation (100 mg/d, n = 39), high-dose ginsenoside supplementation (500 mg/d, n = 39), or a placebo group (500 mg/d, n = 39). All participants underwent a supervised 12-wk aerobic and resistance exercise training course. To assess the effects of supplementation on physical performance, maximal oxygen consumption ($VO_2max$), anaerobic threshold (AT), lactic acid, and muscle strength of the dominant knee were measured at baseline, every visit, and after the training program. Results: Both ginsenoside groups showed significant increases in $VO_2max$ and muscular strength during exercise training. There were no definite changes in AT and lactic acid levels over time. After exercise training, there were definite differences in the $VO_2max$ (28.64.9 to $33.7{\pm}4.9ml/kg/min$ in high-dose group vs. $30.4{\pm}6.7$ to $32.8{\pm}6.6ml/kg/min$ in placebo, p = 0.029) and AT ($19.3{\pm}4.2$ to $20.9{\pm}3.5ml/kg/min$ in high-dose group vs. $20.0{\pm}5.1$ to $20.0{\pm}4.9ml/kg/min$ in placebo, p = 0.038) between the high-dose ginsenoside and placebo groups. However, there was no difference in $VO_2max$ between the low-dose ginsenoside and placebo groups (p = 0.254). There were no differences in muscular strength during exercise training among the three groups. Conclusion: High-dose ginsenoside supplementation (UG0712) augmented the improvement of aerobic capacity by exercise training.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 1999

Large-scale cultures of plant cell, tissue, and organ have been achieved by using BTBB. When different sized BTBBs (5 L, 20 L, 100 L, 300 L, and 500 L) were tested for the culture of yew cells (Taxus cuspidata Sieb. et Zucc.), cell growth increment reached to 94.5% in SCV after 24 days of culture with 30% of inoculation cell density. However, there were some variations in the production of taxol and its derivatives among the BTBBs of different size. Approximate 4 ㎎/l of taxol and 84 ㎎/l of total taxanes were obtained by using a 500L BTBB after 6 weeks of culture. With a 20L BTBB, about 20,000 cuttings of virus-free potatoes (cv. Dejima) could be obtained by inoculating 128 explants and maintaining 8 weeks under 16 hr light illumination. The frequency of ex vitro rooting of the cuttings revealed as more than 99% under 30% shade. By incorporating two-stage culture process consisting of multiple bulblet formation in solid medium and bulblet development in liquid medium, mass propagation of lily through bioreactor seemed to be possible. In the case of 'Marcopolo', the growth of mini-bulblets in BTBB was nearly 10 folds faster than that of the solid medium. Time course study revealed that maximum MAR yield of ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) in a 5 L and 20 L BTBB after 8 weeks of culture was 500 g and 2.2 ㎏, respectively. By cutting the MAR once and/or twice during the culture, the yield of root biomass could be increased more than 50% in fresh weight at the time of harvest. With initial inoculum of 500 g of sliced MAR in a 500 L BTBB, 74.8 ㎏ of adventitious root mass was obtained after 8 weeks of culture. The average content of total ginseng saponin obtained from small-scale and/or pilotscale BTBBs was approximately 1% per gram dry weight. Based on our results, we suggest that large-scale cultures of plant cell, tissue, and organ using BTBB system should be quite a feasible approach when compared with conventional method of tissue culture.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 2018

Background: Recently, we identified a novel ginseng-derived lysophosphatidic acid receptor ligand, called gintonin. We showed that gintonin induces $[Ca^{2+}]i$ transient-mediated morphological changes, proliferation, and migration in cells expressing lysophosphatidic acid receptors and that oral administration of gintonin exhibits anti-Alzheimer disease effects in model mice. However, little is known about the intestinal absorption of gintonin. The aim of this study was to investigate gintonin absorption using two model systems. Methods: Gintonin membrane permeation was examined using a parallel artificial membrane permeation assay, and gintonin absorption was evaluated in a mouse everted intestinal sac model. Results: The parallel artificial membrane permeation assay showed that gintonin could permeate an artificial membrane in a dose-dependent manner. In the everted sac model, gintonin absorption increased with incubation time (from 0 min to 60 min), followed by a decrease in absorption. Gintonin absorption into everted sacs was also dose dependent, with a nonlinear correlation between gintonin absorption and concentration at 0.1-3 mg/mL and saturation at 3-5 mg/mL. Gintonin absorption was inhibited by the Rho kinase inhibitor Y-27632 and the sodiumeglucose transporter inhibitor phloridzin. Moreover, lipid extraction with methanol also attenuated gintonin absorption, suggesting the importance of the lipid portion of gintonin in absorption. This result shows that gintonin might be absorbed through passive diffusion, paracellular, and active transport pathways. Conclusion: The present study shows that gintonin could be absorbed in the intestine through transcellular and paracellular diffusion, and active transport. In addition, the lipid component of gintonin might play a key role in its intestinal absorption.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.23 no.3 s.55
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• pp.190-197
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• 1999

In this study, the molecular mechanism of the growth inhibitory effect of panaxynol was investigated in a human malignant melanoma cell line, SK-MEL-l. In the cell cycle analysis, panaxynol arrested cell cycle progression of SK-MEL-I at the G1 phase. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that panaxynol increased $p21^{WAF1}$ and decreased cdc2 expression. Protein levels of pl6, p27, E2F-1, Rb, and p53 were not changed. Thus, the changes in expression levels of $p21^{WAF1}$ and cdc2 apparently mediate the cell cycle arrest caused by panaxynol. In addition, cycloheximide (CHX) partially reversed the growth inhibition by panaxynol, which suggested that new protein synthesis was required. On the other hand, LLnL, a proteasome inhibitor, increased antiproliferative effect of panaxynol. This may be due to stabilization of the protein(s) responsible for the growth inhibition such as $p21^{WAF1}$. In summary, these results demonstrate that panaxynol inhibits proliferation of SK-MEL-I by inducing cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase and the inhibitory effect is mediated by the increased level of $p21^{WAF1}$ as well as decreased cdc2 expression.

• 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.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.246-253
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• 2010

Ginsenoside $Rg_3$ ($Rg_3$), one of the active ingredients in Panax ginseng, attenuates NMDA receptor-mediated currents in vitro and antagonizes NMDA receptors through a glycine modulatory site in rat cultured hippocampal neurons. In the present study, we examined the neuroprotective effects of $Rg_3$ on 24-hydroxycholesterol (24-OH-chol)-induced cytotoxicity in vitro. The results showed that $Rg_3$ treatment significantly and dose-dependently inhibited 24-OH-chol-induced cell death in rat cultured cortical neurons, with an $IC_{50}$ value of $28.7{\pm}7.5\;{\mu}m$. Furthermore, the $Rg_3$ treatment not only significantly reduced DNA damage, but also dose-dependently attenuated 24-OH-chol-induced caspase-3 activity. To study the mechanisms underlying the in vitro neuroprotective effects of $Rg_3$ against 25-OH-chol-induced cytotoxicity, we also examined the effect of $Rg_3$ on intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ elevations in cultured neurons and found that $Rg_3$ treatment dose-dependently inhibited increases in intracellular $Ca^{2+}$, with an $IC_{50}$ value of $40.37{\pm}12.88\;{\mu}m$. Additionally, $Rg_3$ treatment dose-dependently inhibited apoptosis with an $IC_{50}$ of $47.3{\pm}14.2\;{\mu}m$. Finally, after confirming the protective effect of $Rg_3$ using a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling assay, we found that $Rg_3$ is an active component in ginseng-mediated neuroprotection. These results collectively indicate that $Rg_3$-induced neuroprotection against 24-OH-chol in rat cortical neurons might be achieved via inhibition of a 24-OH-chol-mediated $Ca^{2+}$ channel. This is the first report to employ cortical neurons to study the neuroprotective effects of $Rg_3$ against 24-OH-chol. In conclusion, $Rg_3$ was effective for protecting cells against 24-OH-chol-induced cytotoxicity in rat cortical neurons. This protective ability makes $Rg_3$ a promising agent in pathologies implicating neurodegeneration such as apoptosis or neuronal cell death.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.202-206
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• 2003

This study was conducted to compare the growth status of aerial parts, photosynthesis and microclimate between fixing light transmittance (Control) and changing light transmittance (C.L.T.) during ginseng growing seasons. Control showed 8％ light transmittance rate during growing seasons. But C.L.T. showed 18％ light transmittance rate during early (April-June) and late growth stage (September-October) and 6％ light transmittance rate middle growth stage(July-August). Air temperature, leaking water rate and soil water content of C.L.T. was higher than those of control during early and late growth stage. But Air temperature, leaking water rate and soil water content of C.L.T was lower than those of control during middle growth stage C.L.T. exhibited superiority in survival ratio, stem diameter, stem length, L.A.I. and stem angle compared to control. Chlorophyll content of C.L.T. was lower than that of control but S.L.W., stomatal opening and photosynthetic rates of C.L.T. was higher than those of control. Also Alternaria blight disease and defoliation of C.L.T. was lower than those of control.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.296-302
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• 1999

This experiment was conducted to study the effect of $CO_2$(0, 2, 500, 5, 000, 10, 000ppm) enrichment by enabling ventilation on micropropagation of multi-shoot and on the saponin contents in vitro in Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer). Embryo was cultured in Murashige and Skoog medium added 3mg/ l of Indolbutyric acid, Benzyladenin and Gibberellic acid $(GA_3)$, respectively. $CO_2$, enrichment had little effects on the number of adventitious buds and shoots originated from adventitious buds. The ratio of differentiated shoots to adventitious buds were about 50% in $CO_2$, enrichment treatment. The shoots originated from adventitious bud showed more rapid growth and had larger leaf area than the shoots originated from the leaf primordia did. The number of shoot primordia was the highest in 2, 500ppm of $CO_2$ enrichment treatment. On the contrary, 10,000ppm of $CO_2$, enrichment made smaller the number of shoot primordia and ratio of shoots to shoot primordia. The range of shoots differentiated was from shoot primordia were 15. 4 to 23. 9. The rate of dry weight of cultured shoots showed lowest (7. 5%) in control and highest (8. 59%) in 2, 500ppm of $CO_2$, enrichment. Rate of in vitro flower in control was 7.6% and that in 2500ppm of $CO_2$ was about twice (15.7-16.3%) as much as in control. Flower number per a embryo cultured was about 1.2-1.3. In the multi-shoots with callus enriched by 2, 500ppm of $CO_2$, the contents of crude saponin and ginsenosides in multi-shoots alone were higher than in multi-shoots with callus. The characteristics of ginsenosides in multi-shoots were especially the higher content of ginsenoside Rd, Re, and $Rg_1$.