title: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Daebul University, Yeongam 526-702, Korea.
authors.forename: Joon-Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ji-Yun
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Tae-Joon
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Sun-Hye
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Byung-Hwan
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sung-Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Jiyeon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Hyeon-Joong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chan-Woo
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Seung-Yeol
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Nah
keywords: Caenorhabditis elegans; Ginsenoside epimers; Ginsenoside metabolites; Growth; Panax ginseng