Ginseng, a perennial plant belonging to the genus Panax of Araliaceae, is well known for its medicinal properties that help alleviate pathological symptoms, promote health, and prevent potential diseases. Among the active ingredients of ginseng are saponins, most of which are glycosides of triterpenoid aglycones. So far, numerous saponins have been reported as components of Panax ginseng, also known as Korean ginseng. Herein, we summarize available information about 113 saponins related to Panax ginseng; more than 80 of them are isolated from raw or processed ginseng, and the others are acid/base hydrolysates, semi-synthetic saponins, or metabolites.

Minor ginsenosides, low content in ginseng, have higher pharmacological activities. To obtain minor ginsenosides, the biotransformation of American ginseng PPD-ginsenoside was studied using special ginsenosidase type-I from Aspegillus niger g.848. The methods of DEAE-cellulose and PAGE were used in enzyme purification, TLC and HPLC were used in enzyme hydrolysis and kinetics; crude enzyme was used in minor ginsenoside preparation from PPD-ginsenoside; the products were separated with silica-gel-column, and recognised by HPLC and NMR.

Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) is a perennial herb prone to various root diseases with Phytophthora cactorum as one of the most dreaded disease causing foliar blight and root rot. Although chemical pesticides are available for disease control, attention has been shifted to viable, eco-friendly and cost-effective biological means like plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for control of diseases.

Ginseng total saponin (GTS) has been shown to possess various ginsenosides. These ginsenosides is widely used for treating cardiovascular diseases in Asian communities. The aim of this study was to study the effects of GTS on cardiac injury after the global ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) in isolated guinea pig hearts.

Ginseng has long been used as a functional food or therapeutic supplement and it is empirically known to be safe and non-toxic. During the past decades or so, a number of in vitro and in vivo experiments, as well as human studies have been conducted to prove the safety of various types of ginseng samples and their components.

Ginsenoside Rb1 (G-Rb1), the major active constituent of ginseng, improves insulin sensitivity and exerts anti-diabetic effects. We tested whether the insulin-sensitizing and anti-diabetic effects of G-Rb1 results from a reduction in ectopic fat accumulation, mediated by inhibition of lipolysis in adipocytes.

Anti-allergic effect of 20(S)-protopanaxatriol (PPT), an intestinal metabolite of ginseng saponins was investigated in the guinea pig lung mast cells (GPMCs) and mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) activated by specific antigen/antibody reaction. Methods: Increasing concentrations of PPT were pretreated 5 min before antigen stimulation, and various inflammatory mediator releases and their relevant cellular signaling events were measured in those cells.

Fermentation technology is widely used to alter the effective components of ginseng. This study was carried out to analyze the characteristics and antioxidant activity of ginseng seeds fermented by Bacillus, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus strains.

Gut microflora play a crucial role in the biotransformation of ginsenosides to compound K (CK), which may affect the pharmacological effects of ginseng. Prebiotics, such as NUTRIOSE® could enhance the formation and consequent absorption of CK through modulation of gut microbial metabolic activities. In this study, the effect of a prebiotic fiber (NUTRIOSE®) on the pharmacokinetics of ginsenoside CK, a bioactive metabolite of ginsenosides, and its mechanism of action were investigated.

Ginsenoside Rd (GSRd), one of the most abundant ingredients of Panax ginseng, protects the heart by multiple mechanisms including the inhibition of Ca2+ influx. We intended to explore the effects of GSRd on L-type Ca2+ current (ICa,L) and define the mechanism of the suppression of ICa,L by GSRd.