title: Dammarane-type saponins from the flower buds of Panax ginseng and their intracellular radical scavenging capacity.
abstract: Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) has been extensively used as a functional food for thousands of years. This study with the aim to evaluate the potential of P. ginseng flower components as a functional food with medicinal properties resulted in the identification of three new dammarane-type saponins, named floralginsenosides Ka-Kc (1-3), along with seventeen known ones (4-20). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic methods, and their antioxidant activities were evaluated by the intracellular ROS radical scavenging DCF-DA assay. Among them, floralginsenoside Ka (1) displayed potent scavenging activity with the inhibition value of 64% at 10 microM; and ginsenoside Rb(1) (13), floralginsenoside Kc (3), floralginsenoside Kb (2), vinaginsenoside R(9) (11), majoroside F(1) (12), ginsenoside I (17), and ginsenoside II (18) showed moderate scavenging capacity with the inhibition rate of 28, 33, 35, 35, 35, 38, and 38% at 10 microM, respectively. These results warrant further studies concerning the potential of saponin extracts of P. ginseng flowers for functional foods.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305-764, Korea.
authors.forename: Nguyen Huu
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Tung
authors.forename: Gyu Yong
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Nguyen Xuan
authors.initials: NX
authors.lastname: Nhiem
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Bui Huu
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.forename: Long Guo
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Chae-Moon
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Jin Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Hyun
authors.forename: Chun Jung
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hee Kyoung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Young Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D035264:Flowers / Q000737:chemistry; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D042541:Intracellular Space / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012503:Saponins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D012503:Saponins