title: Effects of steaming on saponin compositions and antiproliferative activity of Vietnamese ginseng.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Steaming of ginseng is known to change its chemical composition and biological activity. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of different steaming time-scales on chemical constituents and antiproliferative activity of Vietnamese ginseng (VG).
  
  
  METHODS
  VG was steamed at 105°C for 2-20 h. Its saponin constituents and antiproliferative activity were studied. The similarity of chemical compositions between steamed samples at 105°C and 120°C were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most protopanaxadiol and protopanaxatriol ginsenosides lost the sugar moiety at the C-20 position with 10-14 h steaming at 105°C and changed to their less polar analogues. However, ocotillol (OCT) ginsenosides were reasonably stable to steaming process. Antiproliferative activity against A549 lung cancer cells was increased on steaming and reached its plateau after 12 h steaming.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Steaming VG at 105°C showed a similar tendency of chemical degradation to the steaming VG at 120°C except the slower rate of reaction. Its rate was about one-third of the steaming at 120°C.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Thi Hong Van
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Le
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seo Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Gwang Jin
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Ngoc Khoi
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Hill
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Minh Duc
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Nguyen
keywords: Vietnamese ginseng; antiproliferation; ginsenoside Panax vietnamensis; steaming