Effect of hot water extract of Korean ginseng on neuroblastoma cell parthanatos / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effect of pretreatment of neuroblastoma cells with hot water extract of Korean ginseng on MNNG-induced parthanatos and its mechanism.@*METHODS@#Neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells were pretreated with 1 mg/L hot water extract of Korean ginseng before induction with 250 μmol/L MNNG for 1 h or 4 h. CCK-8 and cell flow cytometry were used to detect cell survival rate. Western blotting was used to detect the changes in poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) expression in the treated cells. Immunofluorescence assay was used to detect nuclear distribution of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), and flow cytometry was used to detect the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cells.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the blank control cells, MNNG-treated SH-SY5Y cells showed significantly decreased survival rate as the concentration of MNNG and the stimulation time increased ( < 0.05). Stimulation with MNNG also resulted in significantly increased expression of PAR protein in the cells ( < 0.05). Pretreatment of the cells with hot water extract of Korean ginseng obviously inhibited MNNG-induced cell death and significantly reduced AIF expression and nucleation in the cells ( < 0.05). MNNG stimulation significantly increased ROS level in the cells, which was decreased significantly by pretreatment of the cells with the extract ( < 0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Pretreatment with hot water extract of Korean ginseng reduces MNNG-induced parthanatos and ROS production in SH-SY5Y cells.

Root Age-Dependent Changes in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Communities Colonizing Roots of Panax ginseng

In this study, we examined arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) community structure colonizing field-cultivated ginseng roots according of different ages, such as 1- to 5-year-old plant, collected from Geumsan-gun, Korea. A total of seven AMF species namely, Funnelliformis caledonium, F. moseae, Gigaspora margarita, Paraglomus laccatum, P. occultum, Rhizophagus irregularis, and Scutellospora heterogama were identified from the roots using cloning, PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequence analysis of the large subunit region in rDNA. AMF species diversity in the ginseng roots decreased with the increase in root age because of the decreased species evenness. In addition, the community structures of AMF in the roots became more uniform. These results suggest that the age of ginseng affects mycorrhizal colonization and its community structure.

A Study on the Origins of 'Korean Ginseng' / 의사학

Generally the originating area of ginseng is known to be in Shangdang, China. The originating time, which has been estimated according to textual and archeological outcomes, is known to be the first century B.C., during the Han dynasty era. This can be referred to as the 'Chinese origin theory of ginseng'. According to such hypothesis, the Chinese only discovered ginseng 'suddenly' during this time when it should have been self-generating for thousands of years before. However, Shangdang has been one of the historic centers of China since the ancient period and specially took prominence in terms of the beginning and development of Chinese pharmaceutics, which makes this theory largely dismissable. Moreover, there were six characters that expressed '[sim]' at the early stage and were used together with each other up to the days of Ming and Qing dynasty. Also this theory did not explain clearly about the formation of ginseng character. Hence it is fairly obvious that the 'Chinese origin theory of ginseng' do not answer appropriately to the fundamental questions of the origin of ginseng. In order to approach such mystery, perspectives need to be newly shifted to the 'outer origins' of Chinese ginseng. In this case 'outer' only points to Manchuria and Korea, since these areas are the only candidates regarding the natural circumstances of ginseng growth. So, it can be inferred that ginseng has first been identified with the locals of Manchuria and Korea, and then underwent influx to China to have been used as a medicinal stuff. Following such theory, the reason why ginseng suddenly appeared in Han China was that around this period, specially during the Han commandery epoch, it had just been introduced to China as a part of Korean culture. Also the reason there are many '[sim]' characters can be said that the sound of indigenous Korean 'sim' was considered in respect to selecting similarly-articulated words. Reaching such conclusion, the formating principle of '[sim]' can be no other than borrowing-sound character. To summarize our discussion, it is still unknown when was the actual origin of ginseng but it was far earlier than two thousand years ago as was previously accepted as the origin of this medicine plant. The originating place was not Shangdang of Shansi area of China as was commonly accepted, but Manchuria and Korea. Then ginseng must have been known and utilized by the locals of these areas. This is the 'Korean origin theory of ginseng' and simultaneously an indirect examination of the origin of 'Korean ginseng.'

Effect of Ginseng on Penile Erection: A combined in vitro and in vivo study / 대한남성과학회지

PURPOSE: Korean ginseng (KG) has been used as a general tonic in oriental society. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of total saponin (TS), a major extract of KG, and non-saponin components of KG on penile erection for evaluation of the possibility of developing KG as an pharmacological agent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Strips of rabbit corpus cavernosum were mounted in organ chambers to measure isometric tension, with the treatment of TS and non-saponin components including methanol extracts, ethylacetate extract and H2O extract. We observed the relaxing effect of TS and non-saponin components, which were represented by % relaxation compared to 10-3M sodium nitroprusside-induced relaxation. In adult Sprague Dawley rats, we observed the increase of intracavernous pressure (delta ICP) and duration of tumescence (DT) by intracavernosal injection of TS. RESULTS: TS (1-4mg/cc) significantly relaxed the strips precontracted with phenylephrine (10(-5)M) in dose dependent manner (%relaxation: 5.8-36.7%). Intracavernous injections of TS (0.05mg-3.2mg/0.1cc) induced penile erection (delta ICP: 1.3-21.3mmHg, DT: 0.3-5.2min) in dose dependent manner. The cumulative additions of all non-saponin components at concentrations from 0.5mg/cc to 4mg/cc relaxed the strips in concentration-dependent manner. The maximal relaxing effect were 14.7% in methanol extract, 16.9% in H2O extract, 18.2% in ethylacetate extract. CONCLUSIONS: With the results, ginseng induces penile erection by relaxing corpus cavernosum and suggest that ginseng is not doing its action as a single component but ginseng is doing rather its action as complexes with saponin and non-saponin components.

Cytotoxic Effect of X-irradiation of Mouse Tumor Cells in the Presence of Korean Ginseng Extract / 대한방사선종양학회지

PURPOSE: We already reported the results that aqueous extract of Korean ginseng roots showed a marked cytotoxicity. In this study, we investigated whether combined ginseng product with X-irradiation increase the cytotoxicity of tumor cells than X-irradiation or not. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty gram of Korean ginseng powder mixed with 1 L of distilled water was extracted with reflux flask under condition of 100 degrees C for 5 hrs. This aquaous ginseng extract was filtered, centrifuged and then was freezed under condition of -90degrees C for 16-18 hrs. The freezing extract was dried with freeze drier, and then diluted. X-irradiation was given to tumor cells by 6 MeV linear accelerator. The cytotoxicity of ginseng in vitro was evaluated from its ability to reduce the clonogenecity of fibrosarcoma (FSa II) cells. In X-irradiation alone group, each 2, 4, 6 and 8 Gy was given to tumor cells. In X-irradiation with ginseng group, 0.2 mg/mL of ginseng extract was exposed to tumor cells for 1 hour before X-irradiation. RESULTS: The yield for 50 g of ginseng extract which was treated with freezing drier was 3.13 g (6.3%). Cytotoxicity in vitro was measured as survival fraction which was judged from the curve, at ginseng concentration of 0.001, 0.01, 0.1 and 1 mg/mL were 0.89+/-0.04, 0.86+/-0.06, 0.73+/-0.01 and 0.09+/-0.02, respectively. Survival fraction at X-irradiation alone of 2, 4, 6 and 8 Gy were 0.81+/-0.07, 0.42+/-0.08, 0.15+/-0.02, 0.03+/-0.01, respectively. But, survival fraction in combined group of X-irradiation and ginseng (0.2mg/mL) at each same radiation dose were 0.28+/-0.01, 0.18+/-0.03, 0.08+/-0.02, 0.006+/-0.002, respectively ( p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The yield for ginseng extract which was treated with freezing drier was 6.3%. Cytotoxicity of Fsa II in combined ginseng with X-irradiation group was increased than that of X-irradition alone group, and its enhancing effect seemed to be added.

Effect of Total Saponin in Proximal Urethra of the Rabbit

No abstract available in English.

Effect of Total Saponin on Penile Erection: A Combined in Vitro and in Vivo Study / 대한비뇨기과학회지

Korean ginseng (KG) has been used as a general tonic in oriental society The present study was undertaken to elucidate the pharmacologic action and therapeutic effect of KG in penile erection. We observed the effect of total saponin (TS), a major extract of KG, on relaxation of rabbit cavernous smooth muscle as well as rat penile erection, which were compared those of various vasoactive drugs including sodium nitroprusside (SNP), S-nitro-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), L-ethoxycarbonyl-3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1), PGE1, zaprinast. TS (1~4mg/cc) significantly relaxed endothelium-intact, rabbit cavernous strips precont.acted with phenylephrine (10(-6)M) in dose dependent manner (% relaxation: 5.8+/-2.1-36.7+/-5.8%). No significant difference was found in relaxation of deendothelialized cavernous tissue. In comparison of it's relaxing effect with other vasoactive drugs, TS (4mg/cc) was more potent than SIN-1 (10(-3)M), and less potent than SNP (10(-3)M) and SNAP (10(-3)M). Intracavernous injections of TS (0.05mg~3.2mg/0.1cc) induced penile erection (increase of intracavernous pressure: 1.34-21.32mmHg, duration of tumescence: 0.29-5.16 min) in dose dependent manner. In addition, TS did not cause any significant change of systemic blood pressure. In comparison of maximal effect of TS (3.2mg/0.1cc) with other drugs (10(-3)M-10(-4)M), the order of sequence were SNP>SNAP>PGE1>TS>SIN-1>zaprinast. These results indicate that total saponin induces penile erection by relaxing corpus cavernosum, probably in endothelial independent manner. Clinical application of KG require further researches to identify the effective subfraction of total saponin.

Basic Study on the Effect of Korean Ginseng upon Fracture Healing of the Bone / 대한정형외과학회잡지

This study was planned by the necessities of basic information about the effects of Korean Ginseng upon fracture healing and biomechanical properties of bone. Three hundred white mice were used for this study, and we could have tested the biomechanical properties in one hundred and nintyfour. The bones of the white mice were evaluated by testing gross stability, radiological appearance, and biomechanical properties. It appears that Korean Ginseng has an excellent effect upon early phase of fracture healing of the bone. The summary of this study are as follows: 1. With near maximal dose, Korean Ginseng showed very excellent effect upon early phase of the fracture healing. 2. There was no apparent effect on remodeling phase of the fracture healing with Korean Ginseng of near maximal dose. 3. Korean Ginseng appeared to have no effect on fracture healing with minimal dose. 4. Upon biomechanical properties of the bone, Korean Ginseng was seemed to be effective with near maximal dose. But, there was no definite evidence for that.