Effects of Minor Ginsenosides, Ginsenoside Metabolites, and Ginsenoside Epimers on the Growth of Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

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 Rh1 and Rh2, ginsenoside metabolites such as compound K (CK), protopanaxadiol (PPD), and protopanaxatriol (PPT) and ginsenoside epimers such as 20(R)- and 20(S)-ginsenoside Rg3 in cholesterol-deprived medium. We found that ginsenoside Rh1 almost restored normal growth of worms in cholesterol-deprived medium in F1 generation. However, supplement of ginsenoside Rh2 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 Rg3 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.

Preparation of minor ginsenosides C-Mc, C-Y, F2, and C-K from American ginseng PPD-ginsenoside using special ginsenosidase type-I from Aspergillus niger g.848

“…The minor ginsenosides, such as F2, Compound-K (C-K), Compound-C-Mc (C-Mc), Compound-Y (C-Y), Rg3, Rg2, Rh2, Rh1, and F1, which are present at a low concentration in red ginseng and wild ginseng, can be produced by hydrolyzing the sugar moieties of major ginsenosides, including Rb1, Rb2 , Rc, Rd, Rf, Re, and Rg1 [8–10] . Many studies show that the minor ginsenosides have good pharmacological activities [11] , such as anticarcinogenic [12–14] , immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic [15] , antiatherosclerotic, antihypertensive, antiaging, and antidiabetic [16] effects as well as antistress activity and effects on the central nervous system [11,17,18] . Therefore, ginsenoside sugar chains are closely related to their biological activity, and the modification of their sugar chains may markedly change their pharmacological activity.…”

20(S)-Protopanaxadiol Phospholipid Complex: Process Optimization, Characterization, In Vitro Dissolution and Molecular Docking Studies

“…Ginseng, one of the most popular phytomedicines, has been widely used in medical practice for thousands of years in East Asia. Ginsenosides are reported to be the major pharmacologically-active components of ginseng [1,2,3,4]. 20( S )-Protopanaxadiol (PPD; Figure 1), a major aglycone of many bioactive ginsenosides that include ginsenoside Rb 1 , Rb 2 , Rb 3 , Rc, Rd, Rg 3 and Rh 2 , is the metabolite resulting from the loss of the attached glucosyl group(s) in the gastrointestinal tract through a series of deglycosylation steps [5].…”

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“…The cholesterol-like structure of G-Rh1 inspired Lee et al [72] to explore whether G-Rh1 could substitute cholesterol in the growth of Caenorhabditis elegans. These nematodes were fed in medium with cholesterol, without cholesterol, or cholesterol-deprived medium supplemented G-Rh1, and the growth rate (i.e., time for eggs to reach adults) was appraised.…”