Archives of Pharmacal Research

The Pharmaceutical Society of Korea (대한약학회)
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Cytotoxicities of Ginseng Saponins and their Degradation Products against some Cancer Cell Lines

  • Baek, Nam-In (Korea Ginseng & Tobacco Research Institute) ;
  • Kim, Dong-Seon (Department of Biochemistry, Chungnam National University) ;
  • Lee, You-Hui (Korea Ginseng & Tobacco Research Institute) ;
  • Park, Jong-Dae (Korea Ginseng & Tobacco Research Institute) ;
  • Lee, Chun-Bae (Department of Biochemistry, Chungnam National University) ;
  • Kim, Shin-Il (Korea Ginseng & Tobacco Research Institute)
  • Published : 1995.06.01
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Abstract

In order to elucidate the cytotoxicity-structure correlation of ginseng-derived components, several prosapogenins and sapogenins were prepared from Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng) saponins by acid hydrolysis or alkaline cleveage, and their chemical structures were identified by a combination of spectral and physical methods. Some of these degradation products showed the cytotoxic activities against various cancer cell lines, A549, SK-OV-3, SK-Mel-2, P388, L1210 and K562. The significant difference in cytotoxicity between stereoisomers was not found and the activity was inversely proportional to the number of sugars linked to sapogenins. Diol-type prosapogenins and sapogenins showed higher cytotoxicity than triol-type ones.

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