Biotransformation of Protopanaxadiol-Type Ginsenosides in Korean Ginseng Extract into Food-Available Compound K by an Extracellular Enzyme from <i>Aspergillus niger</i>
Eun-Bi Jeong, Se-A Kim, Kyung‐Chul Shin, Deok‐Kun Oh
Abstract
The root of Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) have been used as traditional herbs to treat diseases and maintain for thousands of years in Asian countries such as Korea, China, and Japan. Ginsenosides are the main components in ginseng for pharmacological effects. They are divided into protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides (PPTGs) and protopanaxadiol-type ginsenosides (PPDGs) according to the position and number of their hydroxyl groups. Major ginsenoside such as Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, Re, and Rg1 comprise more than 80% of the ginsenosides in wild ginseng. Minor ginsenosides such as F2, Rg3, Rh1, Rh2, and compound K are the deglycosylated from of the major ginsenosides These are known to be more bioactive than the major ginsenosides because of their improved permeability across the cell membrane in the gastrointestinal tract. Thus, major ginsenosides are needed to be transformed into minor ginsenosides by the hydrolysis of the saccharide moiety in the ginsenosides