title: Anti-inflammatory activity of AP-SF, a ginsenoside-enriched fraction, from Korean ginseng.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Korean ginseng is an ethnopharmacologically valuable herbal plant with various biological properties including anticancer, antiatherosclerosis, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities. Since there is currently no drug or therapeutic remedy derived from Korean ginseng, we developed a ginsenoside-enriched fraction (AP-SF) for prevention of various inflammatory symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  The anti-inflammatory efficacy of AP-SF was tested under in vitro inflammatory conditions including nitric oxide (NO) production and inflammatory gene expression. The molecular events of inflammatory responses were explored by immunoblot analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AP-SF led to a significant suppression of NO production compared with a conventional Korean ginseng saponin fraction, induced by both lipopolysaccharide and zymosan A. Interestingly, AP-SF strongly downregulated the mRNA levels of genes for inducible NO synthase, tumor necrosis factor-α, and cyclooxygenase) without affecting cell viability. In agreement with these observations, AP-SF blocked the nuclear translocation of c-Jun at 2 h and also reduced phosphorylation of p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and TAK-1, all of which are important for c-Jun translocation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that AP-SF inhibits activation of c-Jun-dependent inflammatory events. Thus, AP-SF may be useful as a novel anti-inflammatory remedy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang-Soo
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.affiliation: Skin Research Institute, AmorePacific R&D Center, Yongin, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Deog
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Nak Yoon
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Sungjae
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyoung Min
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Joo Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Skin Research Institute, AmorePacific R&D Center, Yongin, Korea.
authors.forename: Jun Seong
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Skin Research Institute, AmorePacific R&D Center, Yongin, Korea.
authors.forename: Ho Sik
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Rho
authors.affiliation: Skin Research Institute, AmorePacific R&D Center, Yongin, Korea.
authors.forename: Song Seok
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Youl
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Cho
keywords: AP-SF; Korean ginseng; Panax ginseng Meyer; anti-inflammatory activity; c-Jun