Ginsenosides are a special group of triterpenoid saponins that can be classified into two groups by the skeleton of their aglycones, namely dammarane‐ and oleanane‐type. Ginsenosides are found nearly exclusively in Panax species (ginseng) and up to now more than 150 naturally occurring ginsenosides have been isolated from roots, leaves/stems, fruits, and/or flower heads of ginseng. Ginsenosides have been the target of a lot of research as they are believed to be the main active principles behind the claims of ginsengs efficacy. The potential health effects of ginsenosides that are discussed in this chapter include anticarcinogenic, immunomodulatory, anti‐inflammatory, antiallergic, antiatherosclerotic, antihypertensive, and antidiabetic effects as well as antistress activity and effects on the central nervous system. Ginsensoides can be metabolized in the stomach (acid hydrolysis) and in the gastrointestinal tract (bacterial hydrolysis) or transformed to other ginsenosides by drying and steaming of ginseng to more bioavailable and bioactive ginsenosides. The metabolization and transformation of intact ginsenosides, which seems to play an important role for their potential health effects, are discussed. Qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques for the analysis of ginsenosides are important in relation to quality control of ginseng products and plant material and for the determination of the effects of processing of plant material as well as for the determination of the metabolism and bioavailability of ginsenosides. Analytical techniques for the analysis of ginsenosides that are described in this chapter are thin‐layer chromatography (TLC), high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with various detectors, gas chromatography (GC), colorimetry, enzyme immunoassays (EIA), capillary electrophoresis (CE), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and spectrophotometric methods.

Ginsenosides: Chemistry, biosynthesis, analysis and potential health effects

The therapeutic potential of ginseng has been studied extensively, and ginsenosides, the active components of ginseng, are shown to be involved in modulating multiple physiological activities. This article will review the structure, systemic transformation and bioavailability of ginsenosides before illustration on how these molecules exert their functions via interactions with steroidal receptors. The multiple biological actions make ginsenosides as important resources for developing new modalities. Yet, low bioavailability of ginsenoside is one of the major hurdles needs to be overcome to advance its use in clinical settings.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186%2F1749-8546-5-20.pdf

Pharmacology of ginsenosides: a literature review.

Chapter 1 Ginsenosides

Plants synthesize numerous classes of natural products that accumulate during development and are thought to function as constitutive defenses against herbivores and pathogens. However, little information is available about how the levels of such defenses are regulated. We measured the accumulation of monoterpenes, a model group of constitutive defenses, in peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.) leaves and investigated several physiological processes that could regulate their accumulation: the rate of biosynthesis, the rate of metabolic loss, and the rate of volatilization. Monoterpene accumulation was found to be restricted to leaves of 12 to 20 d of age, the period of maximal leaf expansion. The rate of monoterpene biosynthesis determined by (14)CO(2) incorporation was closely correlated with monoterpene accumulation, as determined by gas chromatographic analysis, and appeared to be the principal factor controlling the monoterpene level of peppermint leaves. No significant catabolic losses of monoterpenes were detected throughout leaf development, and monoterpene volatilization was found to occur at a very low rate, which, on a monthly basis, represented less than 1% of the total pool of stored monoterpenes. The composition of volatilized monoterpenes differed significantly from that of the total plant monoterpene pool, suggesting that these volatilized products may arise from a separate secretory system. With the demonstration that the rate of biosynthesis is the chief process that determines monoterpene accumulation in peppermint, efforts to improve production in this species can now focus on the genes, enzymes, and cell differentiation processes that regulate monoterpene biosynthesis.

http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/plantphysiol/122/1/205.full.pdf

Regulation of monoterpene accumulation in leaves of peppermint.

Isolation and analysis of ginseng: advances and challenges

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography determination of ginsenosides of Panax quinquefolium

High-performance reversed-phase liquid chromatography of naturally occurring phenolic compounds☆

A field experiment was conducted from 1989 to 1991 on a Fox loamy sand soil to study the effects of harvest date on selected agronomic, physical and chemical characteristics of peppermint (Mentha p...

Effect of harvest date on the yield and quality of the essential oil of peppermint

The influence of root age on the ginsenosides and root weight of Panax quinquefolium was investigated. Root weight, and the ginsenosides Rb1, mRb1, Re and Ro increased with the age of the root. Differences obtained for the ginsenosides Rb2, mRb2, Rc, mRc, Rd, mRd, Rg1, and gypenoside XVII with the age of the root were small. It was found that ginseng harvested after only 3 yr contained lower amounts of ginsenosides than ginseng harvested after 4 yr. Keywords: Ginseng, ginsenosides, root age, root weight

Influence of root age on the concentration of ginsenosides of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium)

A field experiment was conducted in 1980 and 1981, on Fox loamy sand, to study the influence of five successive harvest dates on the agronomic and chemical characteristics of peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) grown in Ontario. A spanish type (cv. Comet) and a valencia type (cv. McRan) were examined. Delaying harvest increased yield, sound mature kernels, seed-hull ratio, oil content and the economic return. Crude protein tended to be higher in the immature peanuts but the iodine number and oil stability showed larger differences between cultivars than among harvest dates. Cultivar differences were also apparent for the fatty acids, and more mature peanuts tended to be higher in oleic acid and lower in palmitic, behenic and lignoceric acids.Key words: Peanuts, valencia, spanish, harvest dates, yield, maturity, quality

William A. Court

Papers

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography determination of ginsenosides of Panax quinquefolium

High-performance reversed-phase liquid chromatography of naturally occurring phenolic compounds☆

Effect of harvest date on the yield and quality of the essential oil of peppermint

Influence of root age on the concentration of ginsenosides of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium)

Effect of harvest date on agronomic and chemical characteristics of ontario peanuts