title: Metabolic activities of ginseng and its constituents, ginsenoside rb1 and rg1, by human intestinal microflora.
abstract: To evaluate the difference in expressing pharmacological effects of ginseng by intestinal microflora between Koreans, metabolic activities of ginseng, ginsenoside Rb1 and Rg1 by 100 fecal specimens were measured. The β-glucosidase activity for p-nitrophenyl- β-D-glucopyranoside was 0 to 0.42 μmol/min/mg and its average activity (mean±SD) was 0.10±0.07 μmol/min/mg. The metabolic activities of ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg1 were 0.01 to 0.42 and 0.01 to 0.38 pmol/min/mg, respectively. Their average activities were 0.25±0.08 and 0.15±0.09 pmol/min/mg, respectively. The compound K-forming activities from ginsenoside Rb1 and ginseng extract were 0 to 0.11 and 0 to 0.02 pmol/min/mg, respectively. Their average compound K-forming activities were 0.24±0.09 pmol/min/ mg and 2.14±3.66 fmol/min/mg, respectively. These activities all were not different between males and females, or between ages. Although compound K-forming activity from the aqueous extract of ginseng was low compared to that from ginenoside Rb1, their profiles were similar to those of isolated compounds. Based on these findings, we believe that the intestinal bacterial metabolic activities of ginseng components are variable in individuals and may be used as selection markers for responders to ginseng.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Ryul
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Sung-Woon
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Se-Eun
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Nam-Jae
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Myung Joo
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Dong-Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Ginsenoside Rb1; Ginsenoside Rg1; Intestinal microflora; Metabolism; Pharmacological effect