Ginseng has been traditionally used for several millennia in Asian countries including Korea, China, and Japan, not only as a nourishing and tonifying agent but also as a therapeutic agent for a variety of diseases. In recent years, the various effects of red ginseng including immunity improvement, fatigue relief, memory improvement, blood circulation improvement, anti-oxidation, mitigation of menopausal women’s symptoms, and anti-cancer have been reported in clinical as well as basic research. Around the world, there is a trend of the rising consumption of health functional foods on the level of disease prevention along with increased interest in maintaining health because of population aging and the awareness of lifestyle diseases and chronic diseases.
The Standardized Korean Red Ginseng Extract and Its Ingredient Ginsenoside Rg3 Inhibit Manifestation of Breast Cancer Stem Cell-like Properties through Modulation of Self-renewal Signaling
The ginsenoside Rg3, one of active components of red ginseng, has chemopreventive and anti-cancer potential. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) retain self-renewal properties which account for cancer recurrence and resistance to anti-cancer therapy. In our present study, we investigated whether Rg3 as well as the standardized Korean red ginseng extract (RGE) could modulate the manifestation of breast cancer stem-like features through regulation of self-renewal activity.
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Ginsenoside Rb1 increases macrophage phagocytosis through p38 mitogen activated protein kinase/Akt pathway
Ginsenoside Rb1, a triterpene saponin, is derived from the Panax ginseng root and has potent anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, we determined if Rb1 can increase macrophage phagocytosis, and elucidated the underlying mechanisms.
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Computational and experimental characterization of estrogenic activities of 20(S, R)-protopanaxadiol and 20(S, R)-protopanaxatriol
As the main metabolites of ginsenosides, 20(S, R)-protopanaxadiol (PPD(S, R)) and 20(S, R)-protopanaxatriol (PPT(S, R)) are the structural basis response to a series of pharmacological effects of their parent components. Although the estrogenicity of several ginsenosides has been confirmed, however, the underlying mechanisms of their estrogenic effects are still largely unclear. In this work, PPD(S, R) and PPT(S, R) were assessed for their ability to bind and activate human estrogen receptor α (hERα) by a combination of in vitro and in silico analysis.
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Ginsenoside Rg1 augments oxidative metabolism and anabolic response of skeletal muscle in mice
The ginsenoside Rg1 has been shown to exert various pharmacological activities with health benefits. Previously, we have reported that Rg1 promoted myogenic differentiation and myotube growth in C2C12 myoblasts. In this study, the in vivo effect of Rg1 on fiber type composition and oxidative metabolism in skeletal muscle was examined.
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Impact of NR1I2, ABC Transporters Genetic Polymorphisms on the Pharmacokinetics of Ginsenoside Compound K in Healthy Chinese Volunteers
Ginsenoside compound K (CK) is a promising drug candidate for rheumatoid arthritis. This study examined the impact of polymorphisms in NR1I2, ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter genes on the pharmacokinetics of CK in healthy Chinese subjects.
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Ameliorative effects of ginseng and ginsenosides on rheumatic diseases
Inflammation is a host-defensive innate immune response to protect the body from pathogenic agents and danger signals induced by cellular changes. Although inflammation is a host-defense mechanism, chronic inflammation is considered a major risk factor for the development of a variety of inflammatory autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatic diseases. Rheumatic diseases are systemic inflammatory and degenerative diseases that primarily affect connective tissues and are characterized by severe chronic inflammation and degeneration of connective tissues.
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Nonsaponin fraction of Korean Red Ginseng attenuates cytokine production via inhibition of TLR4 expression
Ginsenosides of Korean Red Ginseng extracts (RGE) and its saponin components suppress secretion of inflammasome-mediating cytokines, whereas the nonsaponin fraction (NS) of RGE oppositely stimulates cytokine secretion. Although direct exposure of NS to macrophages in mice induces cytokine production, oral administration of NS has not been studied in inflammasome-related disease in animal models.
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Endophytic Trichoderma citrinoviride isolated from mountain-cultivated ginseng (Panax ginseng) has great potential as a biocontrol agent against ginseng pathogens
Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) is an invaluable medicinal plant containing various bioactive metabolites (e.g. ginsenosides). Due to its long cultivation period, ginseng is vulnerable to various biotic constraints. Biological control using endophytes is an important alternative to chemical control.
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Identification of 20(S)-protopanaxadiol metabolites in human plasma and urine using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole time-of-flight
20(S)-Protopanaxadiol (PPD), the aglycone part of 20(S)-protopanaxadiol ginsenosides, possesses antidepressant activity among many other pharmacological activities. It is currently undergoing clinical trial in China as an antidepressant.
