• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.405-410
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• 2010

The effect of microwave treatment on Korean ginseng was studied by measuring the changes in moisture, crude lipid, crude ash, crude protein, total dietary fiber and saponin contents, as well as changes in density, color and microstructure. Korean ginseng was treated with 100 or 200 watts of microwaves for 1 or 3 hrs, respectively, followed by drying using an oven at $60^{\circ}C$ for 96 hrs. The moisture contents decreased to 13.12~10.77% from an initial 76.26%. The amounts of lipid and ash were reduced in proportion to the time of microwave treatment and level of microwave power. The amount of protein in ginseng after microwave treatment did not significantly change. The amount of total dietary fiber increased after microwave treatment and the color of dried ginseng became dark. The amounts of ginsenoside-$Rb_1$, $Rb_2+Rb_3$, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, $Rg_1$, $Rg_2+Rh_1$ and $Rg_3$ were reduced after treatment with 100 watts of microwave radiation for 1 and 3. The amounts of ginsenoside-$Rb_1$, Rd, Re, Rf, $Rg_1$, $Rg_2+Rh_1$ and $Rg_3$ after treatment with 200 watts of microwave radiation for 1 and 3 hr also reduced. On the other hand, the amounts of ginsenoside-$Rb_2+Rb_3$ and Rc after treatment of ginseng with 200 watts of microwave radiation for 1 and 3 hrs were increased.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.8
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• pp.1194-1200
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• 2010

This study was carried out to investigate the compositional changes of ginsenosides and phenolic acids of ginseng leaf by fermentation in order to promote the utilization of ginseng leaf. The chief ginsenosides in non-fermented ginseng leaf (NFGL) were ginsenoside-Rg1 (26.0 mg/g), -Re (47.3 mg/g) and -Rd (23.9 mg/g). By fermentation, ginsenoside-Rg1, -Rb1, -Rb2, -Rb3, -Rc and -Re were decreased tremendously and new ginsenoside-Rh2, -Rh1, -Rg2 and -Rg3 appeared. Especially, ginsenoside-Rg3 (3.7 mg/g) on FGL was increased 15-fold compared to that of NFGL (0.2 mg/g). Total phenolic compound content of NFGL and FGL measured by colorimetric analysis was 350.4 and 312.5 mg%, respectively. There were 8 free and 6 ester forms of phenolic acids in NFGL. Among them, content of ferulic acid was the highest, comprised of 12.6 and 50.7 mg%, respectively. In FGL, total content of protocatechuic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and vanillic acid were increased by 28, 5 and 7.8 fold and ferulic acid was decreased greatly. Tyrosinase inhibitory activity of FGL was stronger than NFGL, while electron donating abilities of FGL were similar to NFGL.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.247-252
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• 2016

Cultivated wild ginseng is a widely used dietary supplement and medicinal herb. The aim of this study was to optimize the ginseng using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)- charged aerosol detection (CAD) for ginsenoside analysis. CAD measures the physical property of an analyte and responds to almost all non-volatile species, independent of their nature, spectral properties, or particle size. It has become widely employed in pharmaceutical analysis. The cultivated wild ginseng extracts were analyzed for compositions of ginsenosides Rb1, Rd, Rg1, Rf, Re, and Rh1. The optimal analysis condition was set up from an experiment using a gradient. Ten grams of cultivated wild ginseng were extracted with 95% EtOH 100 ml for 24 hr at 80℃. The contents of the 6six major ginsenosides in the cultivated wild ginseng extract were Rb1 (5.48±0.12 mg/g), Rd (5.33±0.14 mg/g), Rg1 (12.80± 0.05 mg/g), Rf (19.08±0.68 mg/g), Re (19.87±0.05 mg/g), and Rh1 (16.47±0.16 mg/g), respectively. HPLC showed that the protopanaxatriol group (Rg1, Rf, Re, Rh1) had more content than the protopanaxadiol group (Rb1, Rd) in cultivated wild ginseng extract. In summary, the ginsenosides were identified with HPLC-CAD analysis, and their presence and quantity imply the importance of quality control, as well as the pharmacological activity of the ginseng root.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.148-156
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• 2018

Background: Hot steaming is known to be effective in improving the biological activities of plant extracts by breaking down useful compounds to low molecular weight ones. Methods and Results: This study aimed to develop an optimal extraction and steam processing method for enhancing the low molecular ginsenoside contents of the adventitious roots culture of wild mountain ginseng. The total ginsenoside was optimally extracted when 70% EtOH was used at $50^{\circ}C$, whereas low molecule ginsenoside such as Rg2, Rh1, Rh4 and Rk1 could be extracted using 70% EtOH at $70^{\circ}C$. The adventitious roots culture of wild mountain ginseng is known to contain four major ginsenosides, i.e., Rb2, Rb1, Rg1 and Rd, however new ginsenosides Rg6, Rh4, Rg3, Rk1 and Rg5 were new abundantly obtaind after steam processing method was applied. The contents of total ginsenosides were the highest when thermal steam processing was conducted at $120^{\circ}C$ for 120 min. Unlike ginsenosides such as Rg1, Re, Rb1, Rc, Rb2, and Rh1, which decreased after steam processing, Rg3, Rk1, and Rg5 increased after thermal processing. Steam processing significanltly reduced the content of Rb1, increased that of Rg6 by about ten times than that in the adventitious roots culture of wild mountain ginseng. Conclusions: Our study showed that the optimal extraction and steam processing method increased the content of total ginsenosides and allowed the extraction of minor ginsenosides from major ones.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.28-33
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• 2003

Ginsenosides, major active ingredients of Panax ginseng, are known to regulate excitatory ligand-gated ion channel activity such as nicotinic acetylcholine and NMDA receptor channel activity. However, it is not known whether ginsenosides affect inhibitory ligand-gated ion channel activity. We investigated the effect of ginsenosides on human recombinant $GABA_A$ receptor (${\alpha}_1{\beta}_1{\gamma}_{2s}$) channel activity expressed in Xenopus oocytes using a two-electrode voltage-clamp technique. Among the eight individual ginsenosides examined, namely, $Rb_1$, $Rb_2$, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, $Rg_1$ and $Rg_2$, we found that Rc most potently enhanced the GABA-induced inward peak current ($I_{GABA}$). Ginsenoside Rc alone induced an inward membrane current in certain batches of oocytes expressing the $GABA_A$ receptor. The effect of ginsenoside Rc on $I_{GABA}$ was both dose-dependent and reversible. The half-stimulatory concentration ($EC_{50}$) of ginsenoside Rc was 53.2$\pm$12.3 $\mu$M. Both bicuculline, a $GABA_A$ receptor antagonist, and picrotoxin, a $GABA_A$ channel blocker, blocked the stimulatory effect of ginsenoside Rc on $I_{GABA}$. Niflumic acid (NFA) and 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS), both $CI^{-1}$ channel blockers, attenuated the effect of ginsenoside Rc on I$I_{GABA}$. This study suggests that ginsenosides regulated $GABA_A$ receptor expressed in Xenopus oocytes and implies that this regulation might be one of the pharmacological actions of Panax ginseng.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.196-201
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• 2002

This study was carried out to compare the contents of saponins and minerals component in Korean Red Ginseng (Heaven, Earth, Good grade), North Korean Red Ginseng (Heaven, Earth, Good grade), Japanese Red Ginseng (Oonju, Sinju 1, 2, 3 grade, respectively) and Chinese Red Ginseng (Seokju, Gilim, 1, 2, 3 grade, respectively). Crude saponin contents were different on according to the grade and cultivation area, and was 3.05-3.76% in Korean Red Ginseng, 2.09-3.21% in North Korean Red Ginseng, 2.82-3.71% in Chinese Seokju Red Ginseng, 2.72-3.62% in Chinese Gilim Red Ginseng, 2.11-2.44% in Japanese Oonju Red Ginseng, 2.18-2.87% in Japanese Sinju Red Ginseng, and the amount of ginsenoside-Rb1, -Re, -Rg$\_$1/ in Korean Red Ginseng were higher than those of North Korean, Chinese and Japanese Red Gingsen. The contents of mineral components were similar, but La, Na and Sn component in Korean Red Ginseng showed the higher amount than those of other Red Ginsengs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.1668-1674
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• 2016

Red ginseng, a steamed and sun-dried ginseng, is a popular health-promoting food in Korea and other Asian countries. We introduced nanofertilizer technology using gold nanoparticles in an effort to develop red ginseng with an elevated level of ginsenosides, the main active compounds of ginseng. Shoots of 6-year-old ginseng plants were fertilized three times with colloidal gold nanoparticle sprays. Red ginseng extract was prepared from the main roots. The concentrations of gold and ginsenosides were measured following gold nanoparticle treatment. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects, mouse peritoneal macrophages of male BALB/c mouse were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide plus interferon-γ in the presence of extracts from red ginseng with or without gold nanoparticle treatment. The content of ginsenosides, such as Rg1, Re, Rf, and Rb1, increased in ginseng treated with gold nanofertilizer whereas the steaming process increased only the levels of Rd and Rg3. The levels of nitric oxide, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and interleukin-6, but not tumor necrosis factor-α, were more suppressed in macrophages treated with extract from gold nanoparticle-treated red ginseng. Our results show that the use of a colloidal gold nanoparticle fertilizer improved the synthesis of ginsenosides in ginseng and enhanced the anti-inflammatory effects of red ginseng. Further research is required to elucidate the causal factors for the gold-induced change in ginsenoside synthesis and to determine the in vivo effect of gold nanoparticle-treated ginseng.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.16-26
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• 2012

Ginseng is one of the most widely used herbal medicines and is reported to have a wide range of therapeutic and pharmacological applications. Ginseng may also be potentially valuable in treating cardiovascular diseases. Research concerning cardiovascular disease is focusing on purified individual ginsenoside constituents of ginseng to reveal specific mechanisms instead of using whole ginseng extracts. The most commonly studied ginsenosides are $Rb_1$, $Rg_1$, $Rg_3$, $Rh_1$, Re, and Rd. The molecular mechanisms and medical applications of ginsenosides in the treatment of cardiovascular disease have attracted much attention and been the subject of numerous publications. Here, we review the current literature on the myriad pharmacological functions and the potential benefits of ginseng in this area. In vitro investigations using cell cultures and in vivo animal models have indicated ginseng's potential cardiovascular benefits through diverse mechanisms that include antioxidation, modifying vasomotor function, reducing platelet adhesion, influencing ion channels, altering autonomic neurotransmitters release, and improving lipid profiles. Some 40 ginsenosides have been identified. Each may have different effects in pharmacology and mechanisms due to their different chemical structures. This review also summarizes results of relevant clinical trials regarding the cardiovascular effects of ginseng, particularly in the management of hypertension and improving cardiovascular function.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 1996

A hairy root clone of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, HRB-15 was cultured iu various conditions with 3 L bubble type bioreactor to enhance both growth and ginsenoside production. The hairy roots were more rapidly grown under the dark condition than under the light condition. However, total amount of ginsenoside of hairy roots cultured under the light for 30 days increased 2 folds as compared with the dark condition and was 1.10% based on 6 ginsenosides. Especially, ginsenoside-Re was significantly increased and some ginsenosides except for ginsenoside-Re was slightly reduced. Also, the growth of hairy roots decreased about 30% as compared with the dark condition. In contrast, addition of sodium acetate led to decreased production of ginsenoside and growth of hairy roots under light condition. The influence of potassium dihydrogenphosphate concentration was examined in MS medium and a 1.25 mM concentration was found to be the most appropriate for growth and ginsenoside production under light condition. Two-step process of hairy roots culture with yeast elicitation or without ammonia in culture medium was developed to enhance growth and giusenoside synthesis. $50\;\mu\textrm{g}$ of yeast elicitor per g of fresh weight showed a synergistic effect on the ginsenoside synthesis of hairy roots on 20 days after culture. At that time, the content of total ginsenoside was 1.15%, while the growth of hairy roots decreased 21 % as compared with the dark condition. In addition, when elimination of ammonia on 20 days after culture, the content of total ginsenoside was 1.26% with significant increment of ginsenoside-Rd (0.27%) in addition to ginsenoside-Re and the growth of hairy roots decreased 10% as compared with the dark condition. In this system, we have demonstrated a unique two-step process of hairy root cultures to maximize biomass and secondary metabolites. It has found possibility to enhance ginsenosides production by growing hairy roots in this method.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.65 no.3
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• pp.129-142
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• 2022

Ginseng sprouts, which can be eaten from leaves to roots, has the advantage of not having to use pesticides without being affected by the season by using smart farms. The optimal cultivation timing of sprout ginseng was checked and the nutritional content and antioxidant activity were compared and analyzed. The values of total fatty acids and total minerals were no significant changes during the growth periods. The contents of total amino acids were slightly decreased to 45 days and after increased to 65 days. When the growth period was 65 days, arginine had the highest content of 3309.11 mg/100 g. The total phenolic contents were high at 3.73 GAE mg/g on the 45 days, and the total flavonoid contents were also the highest at 9.04 RE mg/g on the 45 days. The contents of total ginsenoside was not noticeable for the growth periods (29.83 on 25 days→32.77 on 45 days→26.02 mg/g on 65 days). The ginsenoside Rg2 (0.62 mg/g), Re (8.69 mg/g), Rb1 (4.75 mg/g) and Rd (3.47 mg/g) had highest contents on 45 days during growth. The values of phenolic acids and flavonols were gradually increased to 45 days (338.6 and 1277.14 ㎍/g) and then decreased to 65 days. The major compounds of phenolic acids and flavonols were confirmed to benzoic acid (99.03-142.33 ㎍/g) and epigallocatechin (416.03-554.64 ㎍/g), respectively. The values of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (44.27%), 2,4,6-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphnoic acid) diammonium salt (75.16%), and hydroxyl (63.29%) radical scavenging activities and ferric reducing/antioxidant power (1.573) showed the highest activity on the 45 days as well as results of total phenolic and total flavonoid contents.