• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.711-721
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• 2022

The immune system is one of the most important parts of the human body and immunomodulation is the major function of the immune system. In response to outside pathogens or high inflammation, the immune system is stimulated or suppressed. Thus, identifying effective and potent immunostimulants or immunosuppressants is critical. Ginsenosides are a type of steroid saponin derived from ginseng. Most are harmless to the body and even have tonic effects. In this review, we mainly focus on the immunostimulatory and immunosuppressive roles of two types ginsenosides: the protopanaxadiol (PPD)-type and protopanaxatriol (PPT)-type. PPT-type ginsenosides include Rg1, Rg2, Rh4, Re and notoginsenoside R1, and PPD-type ginsenosides include Rg3, Rh2, Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, compound K (CK) and PPD, which activate the immune responses. In addition, Rg1 and Rg6 belong to PPT-type ginsenosides and together with Rg3, Rb1, Rd, CK show immunosuppressive properties. Current explorations of ginsenosides in immunological areas are in the preliminary stages. Therefore, this review may provide some novel ideas to researchers who study the immunoregulatory roles of ginsenosides.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.605-614
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• 2023

Ginsenosides are bioactive components of Panax ginseng with many functions such as anti-aging, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, and anti-tumor. Ginsenosides are categorized into dammarane, oleanene, and ocotillol type tricyclic triterpenoids based on the aglycon structure. Based on the sugar moiety linked to C-3, C-20, and C-6, C-20, dammarane type was divided into protopanaxadiol (PPD) and protopanaxatriol (PPT). The effects of ginsenosides on skin disorders are noteworthy. They play antiaging roles by enhancing immune function, resisting melanin formation, inhibiting oxidation, and elevating the concentration of collagen and hyaluronic acid. Thus, ginsenosides have previously been widely used to resist skin diseases and aging. This review details the role of ginsenosides in the anti-skin aging process from mechanisms and experimental research.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.36-44
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• 1986

Fresh ginseng roots were extracted by different extraction methods to estimate the amount of extracts, and the content of common constituents and ginsenosides for comparison. The results are as follows: 1 The amount of the extract obtained by water as a solvent was about five times higher than those by ethanol or pressing process. 2. Water extraction at 70-$80^{\circ}C$ gave highest value in saponin yield, which was reduced by half by boiling, 3. The saponin yield by pressing process was shown to be about 52% of total saponin; saponins belonging to protopanaxatriol-ginsenosides being extracted better than those belonging to proto-panaxadiol-ginsenosides . 4. The contents of total sugar, reducing sugar, crude protein and total amino acids in the water extract were revealed to be higher compared to those in an ethanol extract. 5. The extract obtained by press had the highest ash content.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.383-389
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• 2019

Background: Ginseng has been used as a medicine and functional food since ancient times. It is a perennial crop, and its whose commercial valuse increases with growing period and is affected by the atmosphere and soil environment. Methods and Results: In a selected field, we measured air temperature under a shade structure and soil physicochemical properties, and determied plant and root growth as well as ginsenoside and total polyphenol content of one- to five-year-old ginsengs plants. Although air temperature above 30℃ was recored for more than 37 days, no marked growth inhibition of ginseng was detected. Among all soil physicochemical properties, except for pH, were within the allowable range the shortage increases with ginseng years. In five-year-old ginseng, the quantity is about 9.7% higher than the average weight by standard, indicating that is not affected by temperature when grown under a shade structure. Three-year-old ginseng contained the highest total ginsenoside and total polyphenol levels and exhibited the greatest DPPH radical scavenging activity. Conclusions: The total ginsenoside and protopanaxadiol/protopanaxatriol ratio were both low at five-year-old ginseng plants, which was attributed to rapid growth of the root system in five-year-oid plants. There were no significant differences in total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity between.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.296-301
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• 1998

To investigate the effects of ginsenosides from Panax ginseng on mitogenic responses in macrophages and splenocytes from murine, we examined the effects of representative protopanaxadiol and protopanaxatriol ginsenosides ($Rb_1,\;Rb_2,\;Re\;and\;Rg_1$) on tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-(${\alpha}$) production in murine macrophage cell line (RAW264.7 cells) stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and T cell proliferation in splenocytes stimulated by concanavalin A (Con A). Among the ginsenosides tested, protopanaxadiol ginsenosides ($Rb_1\;and\;Rb_2$) significantly inhibited TNF-${\alpha}$ production in a dose-dependent manner. However, protoppanaxatriol ginsenosides (Re and $Rg_1$) showed little inhibitory activity. The molar concentrations of $Rb_1\;and\;Rb_2$ producing 50% inhibition ($IC_{50}$) of TNF-${\alpha}$ production were $55.8{\mu}g/ml\;(48.0{\mu}M)\;and\;31.8{\mu}g/ml (27.9{\mu}M)$, respectively. As a positive control, prednisolone also exhibited inhibitory activity with an $IC_{50}$ value of $21.7{\mu}M$. In T cell proliferation, $Rg_1$, was not effective but $Rb_1$ and Re or $Rb_2$ significantly increased or inhibited at high concentration, 75 and $100{\mu}g/ml$. In contrast, prednisolone showed potent inhibitory activity with an $IC_{50}$ value of 6.1nM. These results suggest that ginsenosides may take part in the mitogen-induced signaling pathway for TNF-${\alpha}$ production and T cell proliferation from macrophages and splenocytes.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.111-121
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• 2015

The root of Panax ginseng, is a Korea traditional medicine, which is used in both raw and processed forms due to their different pharmacological activities. As part of a continued chemical investigation of ginseng, the focus of this research is on the isolation and identification of compounds from Panax ginseng root by open column chromatography, medium pressure liquid chromatography, semi-preparative-high performance liquid chromatography, Fast atom bombardment mass spectrometric, and nuclear magnetic resonance. Dammarane-type triterpenoid saponins were isolated from Panax ginseng root by open column chromatography, medium pressure liquid chromatography, and semi-preparative-high performance liquid chromatography. Their structures were identified as protopanaxadiol ginsenosides [gypenoside-V (1), ginsenosides-Rb1 (2), -Rb2 (3), -Rb3 (4), -Rc (5), and -Rd (6)], protopanaxatriol ginsenosides [20(S)-notoginsenoside-R2 (7), notoginsenoside-Rt (8), 20(S)-O-glucoginsenoside-Rf (9), 6-O-[$\alpha$-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1$\rightarrow$2-$\beta$-D-glucopyranosyl]-20-O-$\beta$-D-glucopyranosyl-$3\beta$,$12\beta$, 20(S)-dihydroxy-dammar-25-en-24-one (10), majoroside-F6 (11), pseudoginsenoside-Rt3 (12), ginsenosides-Re (13), -Re5 (14), -Rf (15), -Rg1 (16), -Rg2 (17), and -Rh1 (18), and vinaginsenoside-R15 (19)], and oleanene ginsenosides [calenduloside-B (20) and ginsenoside-Ro (21)] through the interpretation of spectroscopic analysis. The configuration of the sugar linkages in each saponin was established on the basic of chemical and spectroscopic data. Among them, compounds 1, 8, 10, 11, 12, 19, and 20 were isolated for the first time from P. ginseng root.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.375-383
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• 2011

In the previous report, we have demonstrated that ginsenoside Rc, one of major ginsenosides, is a major component for the restoration for normal growth of worms in cholesterol-deprived medium. In the present study, we further investigated the roles of minor ginsenosides, such as ginsenoside $Rh_1$ and $Rh_2$, ginsenoside metabolites such as compound K (CK), protopanaxadiol (PPD), and protopanaxatriol (PPT) and ginsenoside epimers such as 20(R)- and 20(S)-ginsenoside $Rg_3$ in cholesterol-deprived medium. We found that ginsenoside $Rh_1$ almost restored normal growth of worms in cholesterol-deprived medium in F1 generation. However, supplement of ginsenoside $Rh_2$ caused a suppression of worm growths in cholesterol-deprived medium. In addition, CK and PPD also slightly restored normal growth of worms in cholesterol-deprived medium but PPT not. In experiments using ginsenoside epimers, supplement of 20(S)- but not 20(R)-ginsenoside $Rg_3$ in cholesterol-deprived medium also almost restored worm growth. These results indicate that the absence or presence of carbohydrate component at backbone of ginsenoside, the number of carbohydrate attached at carbon-3, and the position of hydroxyl group at carbon-20 of ginsenoside might plays important roles in restoration of worm growth in cholesterol-deprived medium.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.7-11
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• 1985

In order to investigate the biological activity of ginseng saponins, the effects of ginseng saponins on the reaction catalyzed by bacterial a-amylase were studied and the results obtained were summerized as follows. Bacterial ${\alpha}$-amylase activity was increased by the addition of protopanaxadiol (diol), protopanaxatriol (triol) and total saponin. Preincubation of ${\alpha}$-amylase with diol saponin at $40^{\circ}C$ for 3 min increased ${\alpha}$-amylase activity to the degree of 120%. In the protective effect on the heat denaturation of the enzyme, triol saponin protected the heat denaturation for 5 min at $60^{\circ}C$, but diol saponin accelerated the heat denaturation. The hydrolyzates of diol and triol saponin increased the enzyme activity more than the intact diol and triol saponin. In the catalysis system of bacterial ${\alpha}$-amylase, the addition of diol and triol saponin reduced the substrate inhibition in the presence of high concentration of the substrate.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.211-217
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• 1982

Ginsenosides in epidermis·cortex(EC) and xylem-pith(XP) of main body of Panax ginseng(var. atropurpureacaulo) root were investigated in relation to dark purple area on stem. Pattern of ginsenosides, ratio of protopanaxatriol(PT) to diol(PD) and total ginsenoside content were significantly different between EC ana XP, and not related with stem color. The increasing trend of total ginsenosides with decreasing in purple area on stem needs to be tested with greater sample size. The order of ginsenoside content was $Rb_1>Rg_1>Re>Rc>Rg_2>Rb_2>Rf>Rd$ for EC, $Rg_1>Rb_1>Rg_2>Re>Rb_2>Rc>Rf>Rd$ for XP. PT/PD was 1.08 for EC,1.95 for XP. Since total ginsenoside content was 3 times higher in EC than in XP and weight of two parts was almost same, the content of ginsenosides of main body mostly depends on those of EC.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.123-132
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• 2018

Ginseng has gained its popularity as an adaptogen since ancient days because of its triterpenoid saponins, known as ginsenosides. These triterpenoid saponins are unique and classified as protopanaxatriol and protopanaxadiol saponins based on their glycosylation patterns. They play many protective roles in humans and are under intense research as various groups continue to study their efficacy at the molecular level in various disorders. Ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg1 are the most abundant ginsenosides present in ginseng roots, and they confer the pharmacological properties of the plant, whereas ginsenoside Rg3 is abundantly present in Korean Red Ginseng preparation, which is highly known for its anticancer effects. These ginsenosides have a unique mode of action in modulating various signaling cascades and networks in different tissues. Their effect depends on the bioavailability and the physiological status of the cell. Mostly they amplify the response by stimulating phosphotidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway, caspase-3/caspase-9-mediated apoptotic pathway, adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells signaling. Furthermore, they trigger receptors such as estrogen receptor, glucocorticoid receptor, and N-methyl-$\text\tiny{D}$-aspartate receptor. This review critically evaluates the signaling pathways attenuated by ginsenosides Rb1, Rg1, and Rg3 in various tissues with emphasis on cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders.