title: Triterpene saponins from Vietnamese ginseng (Panax vietnamensis) and their hepatocytoprotective activity.
abstract: The methanol extract of Vietnamese ginseng (Panax vietnamensis) was found to possess hepatocytoprotective effects on D-galactosamine (D-GalN)/tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced cell death in primary cultured mouse hepatocytes. Further chemical investigation of the extract afforded two new dammarane-type triterpene saponins, ginsenoside Rh(5) (1) and vina-ginsenoside R(25) (2), as well as eight known dammarane-type triterpene saponins, majonoside R(2) (3), pseudo-ginsenoside RT(4) (4), vina-ginsenosides R(1) (5), R(2) (6), and R(10) (7), ginsenosides Rg(1) (8), Rh(1) (9), and Rh(4) (10), and a known sapogenin protopanaxatriol oxide II (11). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectral analysis. In addition, by the using LC-electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS method, five known saponins, ginsenosides Rb(1), Rb(2), Rc, Rd, and Re (12--16), were also identified in the extract. Among the compounds isolated, majonoside R(2) (3), the main saponin in Vietnamese ginseng, showed strong protective activity against D-GalN/TNF-alpha-induced cell death in primary cultured mouse hepatocytes. This demonstrates that the hepatocytoprotective effect of Vietnamese ginseng is due to dammarane-type triterpene saponins that have an ocotillol-type side chain, a characteristic constituent of Vietnamese ginseng.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Natural Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
authors.forename: Q L
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: I K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Adnyana
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tezuka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagaoka
authors.forename: Q K
authors.initials: QK
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kadota
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D015394:Molecular Structure; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D012503:Saponins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D012503:Saponins; D014315:Triterpenes; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha