Inhibition of mutagenesis and transformation by root extracts of Panax ginseng in vitro.

The root extract of Panax ginseng was investigated for its inhibitory effects on DNA synthesis, mutagenicity, and cellular transformation using V79 and NIH 3T3 cells. DNA synthesis measured by the [3H]thymidine incorporation into V79 Chinese hamster lung cells was significantly decreased by the addition of ginseng extract (0-1 microgram/ml) to the medium. However, ginseng extract was found to increase the rate of DNA excision repair synthesis in V79 cells in response to treatment with UV radiation or methyl methanesulfonate. The extract also showed decreased mutation frequency when mutagenicity was examined using V79 cells at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase locus as resistance to 6-thioguanine after exposure to methyl methanesulfonate. We also found that the components of ginseng extract continue to exert an inhibitory effect on the transformation of NIH 3T3 cells initiated by 3-methylchloanthrene, methyl methanesulfonate, and 1-methyl-3-nitro-1-nitrosoguanidine.

Chemical properties and anti-complementary activities of heteroglycans from the leaves of Panax ginseng.

Four anti-complementary neutral (GL-NIa and GL-NIb) and acidic (GL-AIa and GL-AIb) polysaccharides were purified from the leaves of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer. Only GL-NIa and GL-AIa exhibited potent anti-complementary activities at low concentrations probably through the alternative complement pathway. Glycosyl linkage analysis demonstrated that GL-NIa mainly consisted of arabinogalactan moieties, whereas GL-NIb contained large amounts of (1----4)-linked glucosyl residues. Beta-Elimination indicated that GL-AIa and GL-AIb were pectic polysaccharides consisting of a rhamnogalacturonan core with neutral side chains. GL-AIa reacted strongly with beta-glucosyl-Yariv antigen, GL-NIa reacted weakly, whereas GL-NIb and GL-AIb showed no reaction with the antigen.

Antioxidant action of certain simple phenolic compounds derived from Chinese herbs.

H2O2 and hydroxyl free radical active oxygen generation systems were utilized to define the antioxidant activities of simple phenolic compounds derived from Chinese herbs. Although the antioxidant activities of compounds differed when assessed in the two systems, all compounds tested were found to be effective at preventing red blood cell membrane lipid peroxidation, with the propyl and butyl esters of gallic acid being especially potent. No compound was able to prevent hemoglobin oxidation. All compounds but salicylic acid were found to interact dose-dependently with H2O2 and hydroxyl free radical as determined by a chemiluminescence method.

Cytotoxic acetylenes from Panax quinquefolium.

Three new cytotoxic polyacetylenes, PQ-1 (1), PQ-2 (2) and PQ-3 (3), have been isolated from Panax quinquefolium. The structures of these acetylenes were determined by analyses of their 1H-1H and 1H-13C COSY spectra. All these compounds exhibited strong cytotoxic activities against leukemia cells (L 1210) in tissue culture.

[Amino acid analysis of the main organs during different growing periods of panax ginseng C.A. Mey].

Studies on different growing periods of Panax ginseng, its ages and the variation regularities of amino acids in its main organs are reported. The test has shown that it contains seventeen amino acids. The total amount of amino acids reaches its peak point during the sprouting period (in April), next to it is the withering period (in September), flowering and fruiting periods being the lowest (in June). The amount of these acids in the main root is higher than that in the fibrous root, the lowest being in the lateral root. Five-year-old Panax ginseng features the highest amount.

Cytotoxic activity of polyacetylene compounds in Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer.

The effects of the three polyacetylene compounds, panaxynol, panaxydol and panaxytriol, on in vitro-cell growth were studied. These compounds are much different in their water-solubility. In order to increase water-solubility, solid complexes of polyacetylene compounds with alpha-cyclodextrin (CD) were prepared. Accurate concentrations of the active compounds in a culture medium were determined by gas chromatography. All of these CD-complexes inhibited the growth of various kinds of cultured cell lines in a dose-dependent fashion. The cell growth inhibitory activity of these complexes was much stronger against malignant cells than against normal cells. A continuous contact between the compounds and target cells was not necessarily required for growth inhibition. And the inhibition was cytotoxic at high concentrations and cytostatic at low concentrations. These findings indicate that these polyacetylene compounds' mode of action is more dose-dependent than time-dependent. The panaxynol, panaxydol and panaxytriol contents in red ginseng powder were 250, 297 and 320 micrograms/g, respectively.

[Processing technique of American ginseng].

The article deals with a new technique for processing American ginseng cultivated in China by far-infrared and moisture absorption. The qualities of processed product as per ton-quantity (including appearance, physical properties and chemical compositions) show no difference from those of American ginseng imported from U.S.A. and Canada. The mathematical model of dry-loss weight of American ginseng during processing is given in this article.

Preparative high-performance liquid chromatography on chemically modified porous glass. Isolation of saponins from ginseng.

Preparative high-performance liquid chromatography on octadecylsilyl porous glass (pore size, 550 A) with acetonitrile-water as the mobile phase was applied for the isolation of saponins from Panax ginseng. In a single run, several milligrams of pure ginsenosides were obtained from 10 g of roots of Panax ginseng. The method was simple, rapid and convenient and should be applicable to isolation of other saponins of crude drugs.

Synthesis and absolute configurations of the cytotoxic polyacetylenes isolated from the callus of Panax ginseng.

Panaxacol (1) and dihydropanaxacol (2), cytotoxic polyacetylenes isolated from the callus of Panax ginseng, were synthesized starting from D-(-)-diethyl tartrate. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined to be 9R, 10R and the absolute configuration at C-3 of 2 was tentatively assigned as 3S by the application of the R(+)-alpha-methoxy-alpha-(trifluoro methyl)phenylacetyl (MTPA) method.

Simultaneous determination of ginsenosides and saikosaponins by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Octadecyl porous glass was used as the packing for reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. A mixture of ginsenosides and saikosaponins (saponins of ginseng and bupleurum root, respectively) were analysed with detection at 203 nm. A well resolved chromatogram of ginsenoside Rb1, Rc, Rb2 and Rd and saikosaponin a, b2 and c was obtained with acetonitrile-water (25.5:74.5) as the mobile phase. The whole separation was achieved in 20 min with a flow-rate of 1.5 ml/min. Calibration graphs for ginsenoside Rb1, Rc, Rb2 and Rd and saikosaponin a and c were linear up to 5 micrograms. Rapid and accurate simultaneous determinations of the saponins are possible by the described method.

[Cell growth inhibitory substance isolated from Panax ginseng root: panaxytriol].

A new type of cell growth inhibitory substance was isolated and purified from a powder of the root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, which has been commonly used for the treatment of various disease as a commercial medical drug by the name of Korean Red Ginseng Powder. Data from the infrared spectra, proton and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance, and high resolution mass spectra were identical with those of authentic panaxytriol. Cell growth inhibition by panaxytriol seemed to be tumor-specific. Its action was supposed to be more dose-dependent than time-dependent. In vivo antitumor efficacy of panaxytriol was tested against C57BL/6 mice transplanted with B 16 melanomas. Panaxytriol (40 mg/kg) administered intramuscularly produced significant tumor growth delays in mice (p less than 0.01).

Studies on the sesquiterpenoids of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer. IV.

A tricarbocyclic sesquiterpenoid (1), isolated from the ethereal extract of the rootlets of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, showed almost identical nuclear magnetic resonance data to those reported for senecrassidiol (2). Detailed spectral analysis of 1 led us to revise the stereochemistry of 2.

[Determination of micro amounts of zinc in medicinal herbs using the chemiluminescence quenching method].

This paper is based on the principle that the relative luminous strength of luminol-H2O2-Co2+ chemiluminescence quenching is extinguished by zinc. The contents of zinc in Flos Carthami, Radix Codonopsis Pilosulae, Radix Ginseng and Fructus Lycii were measured in optimol experimental conditions.

Antiplatelet components in Panax ginseng.

Panaxynol and ginsenosides Ro, Rg1, and Rg2 were found to be the main antiplatelet components in the diethyl ether and 1-butanol fractions, respectively, during the activity-guided fractionation of Panax ginseng, Panaxynol inhibited the aggregation, release reaction, and thromboxane formation in rabbit platelets while ginsenosides Ro, Rg1, and Rg2 suppressed the release reaction only.

Anti-inflammatory activity of ginsenoside Ro.

Ginsenoside Ro, an oleanane-type saponin has been screened for activity in experimental models of inflammation. Ginsenoside Ro (10, 50, and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) inhibited an increase in vascular permeability in mice induced by acetic acid and reduced an acute paw edema in rats induced by compound 48/80 or carrageenin. Ginsenoside Ro did not suppress a developing adjuvant-induced edema in arthritic rats. However, ginsenoside Ro was found to be effective in hypercoagulable state, increase of connective tissue in the artery and calcium effluence from the bone in adjuvant-induced arthritic rats.

Studies on insulin-like substances in Korean red ginseng.

Korean red ginseng powder was found to contain adenosine and an acidic substance which inhibited epinephrine-induced lipolysis and stimulated insulin-mediated lipogenesis from glucose (3, 4). In the present experiment, the chemical structure of this acidic substance is determined to be pyro-glutamic acid. Pyroglutamic acid exhibits selective modulations toward the opposite metabolic pathways in rat adipocytes; it inhibits the lipolysis but rather stimulates the lipogenesis. Based on these results, we suggest to call these substances (adenosine and pyro-glutamic acid) "selective modulators".

Further structural studies of anti-complementary acidic heteroglycans from the leaves of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer.

The three potent anti-complementary polysaccharides, GL-PI, GL-PII, and GL-PIV, isolated from the leaves of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, were subjected to base-catalysed beta-elimination in the presence of sodium borodeuteride or enzymic digestion with endo-alpha-D-(1----4)-polygalacturonase. beta-Eliminative degradation of GL-PI and GL-PII each gave neutral (IN and IIN) and acidic (IA and IIA) fractions. Each fraction N consisted of Ara, Rha, Gal, and Glc, whereas each fraction A comprised a large proportion of GalA in addition to Rha, Gal, Glc, and GLcA. Methylation analysis and g.l.c.-m.s. showed that each fraction IN and IIN contained Rha-(1----2)-Rha-ol-1-d, Rha-(1----4)-Rha-ol-1-d, Ara-(1----4)-Rha-ol-1-d, Gal-(1----4)-Rha-ol-1-d, Gal-(1----6)-Gal-ol-1-d, and GlcA-(1----4)-Rha-ol-1-d, and that IA and IIA contained Rha----Rha-ol-1-d, HexA----Rha-ol-1-d, and HexA----Rha----Rha-ol-1-d. Methylation analysis indicated that IN and IIN also contained high-molecular-weight 6-linked galactan and 4-linked glucan, and that IA and IIA consisted mainly of 2-linked Rha, 4-linked GalA, and terminal and 6-linked Gal. IIA contained more 2-linked Rha than IA. Endo-alpha-D-(1----4)-polygalacturonase-mediated digestion of GL-PIV produced a high-molecular-weight fraction (PG-1) which was rich in neutral sugars, fragments of intermediate size (PG-2), and oligosaccharides (PG-3). PG-1 contained a rhamnogalacturonan core, galactan (which mainly comprised terminal, 6-linked, and 4,6-disubstituted Gal), and 4-linked glucans. PG-2 contained (1----4)-linked alpha-galacturonan partially branched at position 2 or 3 and a rhamnogalacturonan core in addition to small proportions of Gal and Glc. PG-3 contained large proportions of oligogalacturonides.

[Effects of concentration and ratio of N, P and K on seedlings of Panax quinquefolium L].

Results of the orthogonal experiment of N, P and K are as follows: (1) The highest growth rate occurs in treatment 4 (N100ppm, P25ppm, K250ppm) and other features are also good. So this treatment can be used in hydroponics of seedling of P. quinquefolium. (2) The influences of N, P and K concentration on the contents of ginsenosides in different parts of seedling are different. The content of ginsenosides in aerial part is 14.72-16.72%, higher than 3.24-4.00% in root.

[Separation of 20(S)-ginsenoside-Rg2 and its 20(R) epimer by reversed phase low pressure column (Rp-18) chromatography].

20(S)-Ginsenoside-Rg2 and its 20(R) epimer were successfully separated using reversed-phase low pressure column (Rp-18) chromatography. The method has proved very convenient and rapid.