• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.278-282
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• 2009

The in-vitro immunomodulatory function of the activity of murine natural-killer (NK) cells induced by redginseng acidic polysaccharide (RGAP) was examined. RGAP induced the significant enhancement of NK cell activity against the Yac-1 tumor cells. The treatment of splenocytes cultured with RGAP for 16 h resulted in a significant increase in NK activity at the E:T ratio of 100:1, and in a 239 and 250% increase at 10 and $100{\mu}g$/ml, respectively. We also demonstrate that RGAP treatment increased the production of interferon (IFN)-$\gamma$ (17-125%) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ (15-100%), suggesting that the increase in NK cell cytotoxicity could be due to the enhancement of the NK cell production of both cytokines. In addition, RGAP had a stimulating effect on lymphocyte proliferation in the presence of mitogens. Overall, these results suggest that RGAP has an immunopotentiating effect on NK cells, which can support the development of clinical studies on RGAP.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2004.12a
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• pp.59-60
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• 2004

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2006

In the browning reaction of Korean ginseng, it appears that enzymatic and non-enzymatic browning reaction occurred In initial stage of steaming fresh ginseng at low temperature, and then non-enzymatic browning reaction followed in the drying period after steaming. Browning reaction of red ginseng occurred between $60{\sim}90$ min of steaming at $100^{\circ}C$, and browning pigments of red ginseng were mostly water soluble substances. The structural characteristics of water soluble browning reaction products(WS-BRPs) isolated from Korean red ginseng were showed the presence of hydroxyl, amide carbonyl and aliphatic methane groups. From sugar analysis it was identified that L and S-1, melanoidins isolated from red ginseng, contained two kinds of sugars, glucose and xylose, and the other melanoidin S-2 contained the previous and fructose. In order to find out pertinent methods for the acceleration of browning during ginseng processing, various treatment were made on fresh ginseng with sugars, amino acids and inorganic nitrogenous compounds and the extent of browning was measured. Among sugar tested, maltose resulted in the greatest acceleration of browning followed in decreasing order by glucose and lactose, whereas pentoses, fructose, sucrose and raffinose had negligible effect. A marked browning occurred in ginseng treated with basic amino acids, while the extent of browning was not greatly increased when ginseng was treated with aliphatic amino acids, hydroxyl amino acids, or acidic amino acids. The brown color intensity gradually increased with an increase of glucose concentration far up to 0.5M. L, S-1, and S-2 were found to have an ability to donate hydrogen to DPPH, and also they had anti-oxidative activity in the experiments of hydrogen peroxide scavenging, inhibitory activity in the formation of MDA from linoleic acid, auto oxidation of ok-brain homogenates, lipid peroxidation by the enzymatic and non-enzymatic system in liver microsome fraction, and mitochondrial fraction etc. The amounts of acidic polysaccharide(AP) in red ginseng were higher than those of wild and cultured Panax quinquefolius, Panax notoginseng as well as white ginseng (Panax ginseng). In white ginseng, the AP amount is no difference in root ages or sizes, also, the AP amount of ginseng body was similar to that of rhizome, but was higher than that of leaf and epidermis. Addition of red ginseng acidic polysaccharide(RGAP) increased production of nitric oxide(NO) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-$\alpha$ in the rodent macrophage cultures, and treatment of RGAP in vivo stimulated tumoricidal activities of natural killer (NK) cells.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.274.2-275
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• 2001

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.83-88
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• 2006

In this study we examined the potential for the synergistic augmentation of the activity of inflammatory mouse peritoneal macrophages by stimulation with RGAP combined with IFN-$\gamma$. The moderate augmentative effect induced by preincubation with RGAP was observed in the production of IL-1, IL-6 and NO but not TNF-$\alpha$. In addition, IFN-$\gamma$ had a low activating effect. Following preincubation with both RGAP A and IFN-$\gamma$, a marked enhancement of secretory activity and tumoricidal activity was noted in mouse peritoneal macrophages. Treatment of peritoneal macrophage with combination increased the generation of IL-1, IL-6, TNF-$\alpha$ and NO, whereas the production of reactive oxygen species were not altered. These results demonstrate the synergistic effects on macrophage function of RGAP in combination with IFN-$\gamma$ and suggest that the ability of IFN-$\gamma$ to prime macrophages to produce secretory molecules in response to RGAP may have implications for immunotherapy with this combination.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.145-151
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• 2011

Backgrounds: Multidisciplinary approaches including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are currently being performed to target various cancers in Western Medicine. However, some cancers still remain difficult to battle, which has long attracted many scientists for the discovery of new agents to fight cancers. Ginseng is one of the herbs used in Oriental Medicine including Korea, China and Japan. We have further investigated ginseng for its anticancer effect. Objective: This is a comprehensive review summary of anticancer effect of ginseng and ginsenoids as a possible agent for future cancer treatment. Methods: Data were retrieved from two web sites; www.pubmed.com and www.riss.kr, and authorized texts concerning anticancer effects of ginseng. From collected data, information on anticancer effect of ginseng was thoroughly sorted, restructured, then assessed. Results: Panax Ginseng C.A. Meyer belongs to Araliaceae Panax family, a perennial prairie plant with its root known as Ginseng Radix. Ginseng induces anticancer effect through cell cycle arrest, acceleration of apoptosis, anti-angiogenesis, and suppression of metastasis. Anticancer effect of ginseng may be due to single compound or multi-compound actions. Many studies report involvement of immune mechanisms of cytokines, Natural Killer (NK) cells, macrophages and some antibodies in enhancing anticancer effect of ginseng. In near future, possibility of applying these mechanisms into clinical trials is convinced. There were some important findings on saponin in ginsenoids in reviewing for this article; First, eradication of metastatic tumors were influenced by macrophage activation. Second, suppression of malignant melanoma cell metastasis to lung were induced by macrophage and NK cell activation in spleen with red ginseng acidic polysaccharide (RGAP). Third, final metabolites of M1, M4 had exerted anticancer effect of ginseng. Conclusion: Unknown anticancer mechanisms of ginseng have been studied for many years up until now. Ginseng is comprised of multiple bio-chemical compounds that create complex pharmaceutical interactions. Therefore, for its proper usage and safe prescription, studies on different types of ginseng and patients' susceptibility to ginseng according to their constitution and stages of the disease should be further pursued. More efforts are needed to understand the anticancer mechanisms of ginseng as well.