Ginsenoside Rb1 protects porcine oocytes against methylglyoxal damage thus it improves the quality of parthenogenetic activation and in vitro fertilization embryos

Abstract

Panax ginseng, a functional food, has been widely used as an edible nourishment and medicinal supplement. Ginsenoside Rb1 is a major bioactive ingredient of ginseng, which shows very specific anti‐apoptosis and anti‐oxidant activities. Methylglyoxal (MGO) is one of intermediate products of glucose metabolism, which is absorbed easily from high sugar foods or carbonated beverages. It may involve in a variety of detrimental processes in vivo. However, it has not been fully explored the effects of ginsenoside Rb1 on MGO‐induced oocytes damage. This study found that MGO‐induced DNA damage and mitochondrial dysfunction result in the failure of porcine oocytes maturation and low in vitro development capacity of parthenogenetic activation (PA) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryos. Conversely, Rb1 supplementation recovered the rate of maturation, and improved in vitro development capacity of PA and IVF embryos. Rb1 also provided porcine oocytes a lower level of reactive oxygen species production, higher level of ATP content and mitochondrial membrane potential, and stimulated pluripotency gene expression in blastocysts. The findings of this study reveal ginsenoside Rb1 protects porcine oocyte from the cytotoxicity effects of methylglyoxal and provides novel perspectives for the protection of reproduction system by functional food of ginseng.

Transcriptome Analysis of In Vitro Fertilization and Parthenogenesis Activation during Early Embryonic Development in Pigs

“…In the current study, some biological processes seem to contribute to the defective development of paternal genomes, such as defective placentation [10,11], the failure of X-inactivation in the trophectoderm [12], lack of a heterochromatin halo around nucleolar precursors [13], DNA damage and mitochondrial dysfunction [14], differences in epigenetic modifications, and so on [15]. These studies have guided the direction of parthenogenesis activation failure, but a paucity of information is available regarding dynamics of transcriptional regulation during the early embryonic development of parthenogenetic activation.…”

Ginsenosides improve reproductive capability of aged female Drosophila through mechanism dependent on ecdysteroid receptor (ECR) and steroid signaling pathway

“…Ginsenoside Rg1 has been shown to improve fertility and repair ovarian damage in a mouse with premature ovarian failure ( 11 ). Meanwhile, ginsenoside Rb1 has been shown to protect porcine oocytes from damage, thus improving parthenogenesis and embryo quality after in vitro fertilization ( 50 ). These studies are consistent with our conclusions.…”

Systematic studies on the kinetic process of 20(S)-protopanaxadiol in rats and dogs: absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion

“…It is used for treating various diseases, including cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, and cancer ( Cho et al, 2001 ; Lee et al, 2005 ; Huang et al, 2022 ). However, besides its medicinal value, ginseng also holds significant culinary value ( Luo et al, 2021 ; Lv et al, 2023 ). In daily cuisine, ginseng can be used for simmering soups, brewing teas, and making pastries.…”