Antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of Panax ginseng and Hedysarum neglectum root crop extracts / Atividade antimicrobiana e antioxidante de extratos de raízes de Panax ginseng e Hedysarum neglectum

In order to ensure the timely and uninterrupted supply of medicinal plant raw materials, the methods of cultivation of plant cell cultures, namely, the production of plant root cultures, are relevant. In this paper, the geroprotective potential of Hedysarum neglectum Ledeb and Panax ginseng C. A. Mey root cultures is studied. They were cultured under in vitro conditions by transforming the rhizome (H. neglectum) and seed seedlings (P. ginseng) with Agrobacterium rhizogenes 15834 Swiss. To identify the geroprotective potential, the antimicrobial disc-diffusion method and the antioxidant activity were analyzed by titration of KMnO4 extracts of plant root cultures. The qualitative and quantitative composition was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. In the course of the work, the presence of antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of plant root culture extracts was established. Biologically active substances contained in extracts of Hedysarum neglectum Ledeb root crops and Panax ginseng C. A. Mey are characterized by geroprotective potential, so they can act as a source of natural antioxidants in the functional nutrition of the geroprotective orientation.

Para garantir o abastecimento em tempo e ininterrupto de matérias-primas de plantas medicinais, são relevantes os métodos de cultivo de culturas de células vegetais, nomeadamente a produção de culturas de raízes vegetais. Neste trabalho, foi estudado o potencial geroprotetor de culturas de raízes de Hedysarum neglectum Ledeb e Panax ginseng C. A. Mey. Eles foram cultivados em condições in vitro pela transformação do rizoma (H. neglectum) e mudas de sementes (P. ginseng) com Agrobacterium rhizogenes 15834 Swiss. Para identificar o potencial geroprotetor, o método antimicrobiano de difusão em disco e a atividade antioxidante foram analisados por titulação de extratos de KMnO4 de raízes de plantas. A composição qualitativa e quantitativa foi analisada por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência, cromatografia em camada delgada e cromatografia gasosa com espectrometria de massa. No decorrer do trabalho, foi constatada a presença de atividade antimicrobiana e antioxidante dos extratos de raízes de plantas. Substâncias biologicamente ativas contidas em extratos de raízes de H. neglectum Ledeb e P. ginseng C. A. Mey são caracterizadas pelo potencial geroprotetor, podendo atuar como fonte de antioxidantes naturais na nutrição funcional da orientação geroprotetora.

Effects of total ginsenosides from Panax ginseng stems and leaves on gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids metabolism in acute lung injury mice / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to investigate the biological effects and underlying mechanisms of the total ginsenosides from Panax ginseng stems and leaves on lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced acute lung injury(ALI) in mice. Sixty male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, the total ginsenosides from P. ginseng stems and leaves normal administration group(61.65 mg·kg~(-1)), and low-, medium-, and high-dose total ginsenosides from P. ginseng stems and leaves groups(15.412 5, 30.825, and 61.65 mg·kg~(-1)). Mice were administered for seven continuous days before modeling. Twenty-four hours after modeling, mice were sacrificed to obtain lung tissues and calculate lung wet/dry ratio. The number of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) was detected. The levels of interleukin-1β(IL-1β), interleukin-6(IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in BALF were detected. The mRNA expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, and the levels of myeloperoxidase(MPO), glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase(SOD), and malondialdehyde(MDA) in lung tissues were determined. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was used to observe the pathological changes in lung tissues. The gut microbiota was detected by 16S rRNA sequencing, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS) was applied to detect the content of short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs) in se-rum. The results showed that the total ginsenosides from P. ginseng stems and leaves could reduce lung index, lung wet/dry ratio, and lung damage in LPS-induced ALI mice, decrease the number of inflammatory cells and levels of inflammatory factors in BALF, inhibit the mRNA expression levels of inflammatory factors and levels of MPO and MDA in lung tissues, and potentiate the activity of GSH-Px and SOD in lung tissues. Furthermore, they could also reverse the gut microbiota disorder, restore the diversity of gut microbiota, increase the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae and Muribaculaceae, decrease the relative abundance of Prevotellaceae, and enhance the content of SCFAs(acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid) in serum. This study suggested that the total ginsenosides from P. ginseng stems and leaves could improve lung edema, inflammatory response, and oxidative stress in ALI mice by regulating gut microbiota and SCFAs metabolism.

Effects of propiconazole on physiological and biochemical properties of Panax notoginseng and dietary risk assessment / 中国中药杂志

To study the residue and dietary risk of propiconazole in Panax notoginseng and the effects on physiological and bioche-mical properties of P. notoginseng, we conducted foliar spraying of propiconazole on P. notoginseng in pot experiments. The physiolo-gical and biochemical properties studied included leaf damage, osmoregulatory substance content, antioxidant enzyme system, non-enzymatic system, and saponin content in the main root. The results showed that at the same application concentration, the residual amount of propiconazole in each part of P. notoginseng increased with the increase in the times of application and decreased with the extension of harvest interval. After one-time application of propiconazole according to the recommended dose(132 g·hm~(-2)) for P. ginseng, the half-life was 11.37-13.67 days. After 1-2 times of application in P. notoginseng, propiconazole had a low risk of dietary intake and safety threat to the population. The propiconazole treatment at the recommended concentration and above significantly increased the malondialdehyde(MDA) content, relative conductivity, and osmoregulatory substances and caused the accumulation of reactive oxygen species in P. notoginseng leaves. The propiconazole treatment at half(66 g·hm~(-2)) of the recommended dose for P. ginseng significantly increased the activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD), peroxidase(POD), and catalase(CAT) in P. notoginseng leaves. The propiconazole treatment at 132 g·hm~(-2) above inhibited the activities of glutathione reductase(GR) and glutathione S-transferase(GST), thereby reducing glutathione(GSH) content. Proconazole treatment changed the proportion of 5 main saponins in the main root of P. notoginseng. The treatment with 66 g·hm~(-2) propiconazole promoted the accumulation of saponins, while that with 132 g·hm~(-2) and above propiconazole significantly inhibited the accumulation of saponins. In summary, using propiconazole at 132 g·hm~(-2) to prevent and treat P. notoginseng diseases will cause stress on P. notoginseng, while propiconazole treatment at 66 g·hm~(-2) will not cause stress on P. notoginseng but promote the accumulation of saponins. The effect of propiconazole on P. notoginseng diseases remains to be studied.

Sensitivity baseline establishment and resistance risk assessment of Botrytis cinerea from Panax ginseng to prochloraz / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to establish the baseline sensitivity of Botrytis cinerea from Panax ginseng to prochloraz, and ensure the fitness of prochloraz-resistant mutants and the cross-resistance of B. cinerea to prochloraz and commonly used fungicides for the prevention and control of gray mold including boscalid, pyraclostrobin, iprodione, and pyrimethanil. The sensitivity of B. cinerea from P. ginseng to fungicides was determined by the mycelial growth rate method. The prochloraz-resistant mutants were screened out through fungicide domestication and ultraviolet(UV) induction. The fitness of resistant mutants was determined through the stability of subculture, mycelial growth rate, and pathogenicity test. The cross-resistance between prochloraz and the four fungicides was determined by Person correlation analysis. The results showed that all B. cinerea strains tested were sensitive to prochloraz, and the EC_(50) value ranged from 0.004 8 to 0.062 9 μg·mL~(-1), with an average of 0.022 μg·mL~(-1). The sensitivity frequency distribution diagram showed that 89 B. cinerea strains were located within the main peak with a continuous single peak curve, and the average EC_(50) value of 0.018 μg·mL~(-1) was taken as the baseline sensitivity of B. cinerea to prochloraz. The fungicide domestication and UV induction obtained 6 resistant mutants, among which 2 strains were unstable and the other 2 strains showed decreased resistance after multiple generations of culture. Furthermore, the mycelial growth rate and spore yield of all resistant mutants were lower than those of their parents, and the pathogenicity of most mutants was lower than that of their parents. In addition, prochloraz had no obvious cross-resistance with boscalid, pyraclostrobin, iprodione, and pyrimethanil. In conclusion, prochloraz has great potential for controlling gray mold in P. ginseng, and the resistance risk of B. cinerea to prochloraz is low.

Effect of BBM gene on callus growth and ginsenoside content in Panax quinquefolius / 中国中药杂志

Baby Boom(BBM) gene is a key regulatory factor in embryonic development and regeneration, cell proliferation, callus growth, and differentiation promotion. Since the genetic transformation system of Panax quinquefolius is unstable with low efficiency and long period, this study attempted to transfer BBM gene of Zea mays to P. quinquefolius callus by gene gunship to investigate its effect on the callus growth and ginsenoside content, laying a foundation for establishing efficient genetic transformation system of P. quinquefolius. Four transgenic callus of P. quinquefolius with different transformation events were obtained by screening for glufosinate ammonium resistance and molecular identification by PCR. The growth state and growth rate of wild-type and transgenic callus were compared in the same growth period. The content of ginsenoside in transgenic callus was determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS). The results showed that transgenic callus growth rate was significantly higher than that of wild-type callus. In addition, the content of ginsenoside Rb_1, Rg_1, Ro, and Re was significantly higher than that in wild-type callus. The paper preliminarily proved the function of BBM gene in promoting growth rate and increasing ginsenoside content, which provided a scientific basis to establish a stable and efficient genetic transformation system for Panax plants in the future.

Excellent appearance of Dao-di Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma and interaction mechanism between genetic and environmental factors: a review / 中国中药杂志

Dao-di medicinal materials produced in a specific environment always present excellent appearance and high quality. Because of the unique appearance, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma is regarded as a paradigm in the research on excellent appearance. This paper systematically summarized the research progress in the genetic and environmental factors influencing the formation of the excellent appearance of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, aiming to provide reference for the quality improvement of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma and the scientific connotation of Dao-di Chinese medicinal materials. The Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma with high quality generally has a robust and long rhizome, a large angle between branch roots, and the simultaneous presence of a robust basal part of rhizome, adventitious roots, rhizome bark with circular wrinkles, and fibrous roots with pearl points. The cultivated and wild Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma have significant differences in the appearance and no significant difference in the population genetic diversity. The differences in the appearance are associated with cell wall modification, transcriptional regulation of genes involved in plant hormone transduction, DNA methylation, and miRNA regulation. The rhizosphere soil microorganisms including Fusarium and Alternaria, as well as the endophytes Trichoderma hamatum and Nectria haematococca, may be the key microorganisms affecting the growth and development of Panax ginseng. Cultivation mode, variety, and root exudates may be the main factors influencing the stability of rhizosphere microbial community. Ginsenosides may be involved in the formation of the excellent appearance. However, most of the available studies focus on the partial or single factors in the formation of Dao-di medicinal materials, ignoring the relationship within the complex ecosystems, which limits the research on the formation mechanism of Dao-di medicinal materials. In the future, the experimental models for the research involving genetic and environmental factors should be established and mutant materials should be developed to clarify the internal relationship between factors and provide scientific support for the research on Dao-di medicinal materials.

Cloning and expression analysis of U6 promoters in Panax quinquefolius / 中国中药杂志

The U6 promoter is an important element driving sgRNA transcription in the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Seven PqU6 promo-ter sequences were cloned from the gDNA of Panax quinquefolium, and the transcriptional activation ability of the seven promoters was studied. In this study, seven PqU6 promoter sequences with a length of about 1 300 bp were cloned from the adventitious roots of P. quinquefolium cultivated for 5 weeks. Bioinformatics tools were used to analyze the sequence characteristics of PqU6 promoters, and the fusion expression vectors of GUS gene driven by PqU6-P were constructed. Tobacco leaves were transformed by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated method for activity detection. The seven PqU6 promoters were truncated from the 5'-end to reach 283, 287, 279, 289, 295, 289, and 283 bp, respectively. The vectors for detection of promoter activity were constructed with GUS as a reported gene and used to transform P. quinquefolium callus and tobacco leaves. The results showed that seven PqU6 promoter sequences(PqU6-1P to PqU6-7P) were cloned from the gDNA of P. quinquefolium, with the length ranged from 1 246 bp to 1 308 bp. Sequence comparison results showed that the seven PqU6 promoter sequences and the AtU6-P promoter all had USE and TATA boxes, which are essential elements affecting the transcriptional activity of the U6 promoter. The results of GUS staining and enzyme activity test showed that all the seven PqU6 promoters had transcriptional activity. The PqU6-7P with a length of 1 269 bp had the highest transcriptional activity, 1.31 times that of the positive control P-35S. When the seven PqU6 promoters were truncated from the 5'-end(PqU6-1PA to PqU6-7PA), their transcriptional activities were different in tobacco leaves and P. quinquefolium callus. The transcriptional activity of PqU6-7PA promoter(283 bp) was 1.59 times that of AtU6-P promoter(292 bp) when the recipient material was P. quinquefolium callus. The findings provide more ideal endogenous U6 promoters for CRISPR/Cas9 technology in ginseng and other medicinal plants.

Research summary of chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Panax notoginseng and predictive analysis on its Q-markers / 中国中药杂志

Panax notoginseng contains triterpene saponins, flavonoids, amino acids, polysaccharides, volatile oil and other active components, which have the effects of promoting blood circulation, stopping bleeding, removing blood stasis, etc. This study summarized the herbal research, chemical constituents and main pharmacological activities of P. notoginseng, and based on the theory of Q-markers of traditional Chinese medicine, predicted and analyzed the Q-markers of P. notoginseng from the aspects of plant kinship, efficacy, drug properties, measurability of chemical components, etc. It was found that ginsenosides Rg_1, Re, and Rb_1 with specific content ratio, ginsenosides Rb_2, Rb_3, Rc, Rd, Rh_2, and Rg_3, notoginseng R_1, dencichine and quercetin could be used as potential Q-markers of P. notoginseng, which facilitated the formulation of quality standards reflecting the efficacy of P. notoginseng.

Authentication of Brazilian Ginseng using Bar-HRM analysis

Abstract Hebanthe eriantha (Martius) Kuntze and Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng) Pedersen are medicinal plants popularly known as "Brazilian Ginseng" due to their similarity to Panax ginseng. In Brazil, they are sold as the same herb, despite their different pharmacological and toxicological properties. The morphological identification is difficult, which facilitates their adulteration. We report the application of the Barcode DNA High-Resolution Melting (Bar-HRM) using matK gene to differentiate both species in samples sold in the Brazilian market. Using the proposed method, we could discriminate and identify both species. Bar-HRM analysis allowed discriminating and identifying both species. It allowed the identification of H. eriantha and P. glomerata in 43.6% and 56.4% of the amplified samples, respectively. Of these, only seven samples were authenticated and, in 71.4% of the cases, adulterated. We concluded that Bar-HRM has proven to be a fast alternative method to authenticate plants under the common name "Brazilian Ginseng".

Total Ginsenoside Extract from Panax ginseng Enhances Neural Stem Cell Proliferation and Neuronal Differentiation by Inactivating GSK-3β / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the effects of total ginsenosides (TG) extract from Panax ginseng on neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation and differentiation and their underlying mechanisms.@*METHODS@#The migration of NSCs after treatment with various concentrations of TG extract (50, 100, or 200 µ g/mL) were monitored. The proliferation of NSCs was examined by a combination of cell counting kit-8 and neurosphere assays. NSC differentiation mediated by TG extract was evaluated by Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining to monitor the expression of nestin and microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP2). The GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway in TG-treated NSCs was examined by Western blot assay. The NSCs with constitutively active GSK-3β mutant were made by adenovirus-mediated gene transfection, then the proliferation and differentiation of NSCs mediated by TG were further verified.@*RESULTS@#TG treatment significantly enhanced NSC migration (P<0.01 or P<0.05) and increased the proliferation of NSCs (P<0.01 or P<0.05). TG mediation also significantly upregulated MAP2 expression but downregulated nestin expression (P<0.01 or P<0.05). TG extract also significantly induced GSK-3β phosphorylation at Ser9, leading to GSK-3β inactivation and, consequently, the activation of the GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway (P<0.01 or P<0.05). In addition, constitutive activation of GSK-3β in NSCs by the transfection of GSK-3β S9A mutant was found to significantly suppress TG-mediated NSC proliferation and differentiation (P<0.01 or P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#TG promoted NSC proliferation and neuronal differentiation by inactivating GSK-3β.

Evaluation of genetic diversity of ginseng fruit color germplasm resources: based on SSR analysis / 中国中药杂志

Illumina Xten was employed for shallow sequencing of Panax ginseng(ginseng) samples, MISA for screening of SSR loci, and Primer 3 for primer design. Polymorphic primers were screened from 180 primers. From the successfully amplified polymorphic primers, 15 primers which featured clear peak shape, good polymorphism, and ease of statistics were selected and used to evaluate the genetic diversity and germplasm resources of 36 ginseng accessions with different fruit colors from Jilin province. The results showed that red-fruit ginseng population had high genetic diversity with the average number of alleles(N_a) of 1.031 and haploid genetic diversity(h) of 0.172. The neighbor-joining cluster analysis demonstrated that the germplasms of red-fruit and yellow-fruit ginseng populations were obviously intermixed, and pick-fruit ginseng germplasms clustered into a single clade. The results of STRUCTURE analysis showed high proportion of single genotype in pick-fruit ginseng germplasm and abundant genotypes in red-fruit and yellow-fruit ginseng germplasms with obvious germplasm mixing. AMOVA revealed that genetic variation occurred mainly within populations(62.00%, P<0.001), and rarely among populations(39%, P<0.001), but homogenization was obvious among different populations. In summary, pink-fruit ginseng population may contain rare genotypes, which is the basis for breeding of high-quality high-yield, and multi-resistance varieties, genetic improvement of varieties, and sustainable development and utilization of ginseng germplasm resources.

Research progress on pesticide residues of Panacis Quinquefolii Radix / 中国中药杂志

Panacis Quinquefolii Radix is the dry root of Panax quinquefolium, which is a perennial plant of Araliaceae. The plant has a long growth cycle and serious growth barrier problem, which leads to the use of pesticides. As a result, the pesticide residues in Panacis Quinquefolii Radix are arousing great concern. This paper reviews the research findings on the investigation, detection methods, content analysis and risk assessment of pesticide residues in Panacis Quinquefolii Radix since 1993, and compares the pesticide residue limit standards of different countries and regions. The pesticide residues in Panacis Quinquefolii Radix have been changing from organochlorines with high toxicity to triazines and triazoles with low toxicity. The pesticide residues are generally low, while the pollution of pentachloronitrobenzene and other pesticides still exist. The detection method has evolved from chromatography to chromatography-mass spectrometry. There are no reports of health risks caused by pesticide residues of Panacis Quinquefolii Radix. Pesticide residue is a major factor restricting the sound development of Panacis Quinquefolii Radix industry in China. Therefore, we suggest to improve the registration of pesticides applied to the plant, popularize mature ecological planting mode and supporting technology, and strengthen the research on the risk assessment and limit standard of pesticide residue in Panacis Quinquefolii Radix.

Research progress on pesticide residues of Panax ginseng / 中国中药杂志

Panax ginseng, a perennial herb, is prone to diseases and insect pests in the growth process, which are primarily prevented and treated by pesticides. However, due to the lack of standardization in the types, frequencies, and doses of pesticides, pesticide residues have become the main exogenous pollutants of P. ginseng. To explore the risk of pesticide residues in P. ginseng, this paper summarized and analyzed the common pesticide residues in P. ginseng, detection techniques, and pesticide residue limit stan-dards based on the published literature in recent years. The results revealed that the main pesticide residues in P. ginseng were organochlorine pesticides, such as tetrachloronitrobenzene, pentachloronitrobenzene, and hexachlorobenzene, and the detection techniques were dominated by gas chromatography(GC), liquid chromatography(LC), or those combined with mass spectrometry(MS). Because of the long half-life and difficulty in degradation, organochlorine pesticides have become the main factor affecting the export of P. ginseng. It is worth mentioning that P. ginseng has been classified as food in Japan, South Korea, the European Union, and other countries, and the standards of pesticide residues and limits are stricter than those in China. The quality and safety of P. ginseng are prerequisites for the efficacy of Chinese medicine and the development of traditional Chinese medicine. The formulation of scientific and effective standards for pesticide application and limits would promote the high-quality development of the P. ginseng industry.

Effects of magnesium supply level on growth, nutrient element absorption and distribution, and quality of Panax quinquefolium / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to investigate the effects of different magnesium supply levels on the growth, nutrient absorption and distribution, and quality of Panax quinquefolium, and to determine the optimum content of exchangeable magnesium in soil. Three-year-old plants of P. quinquefolium were used in this study, and eight magnesium supply gradients(CK, Mg1-Mg7) were designed for indoor pot experiment(cultivation in soil). The plant growth indexes, nutrient element content in soil and plant, and root saponin content were determined at the end of the growth period. The correlation analysis of nutrient element content in aboveground and underground parts of P. quinquefolium showed significantly negative correlations of magnesium-calcium, magnesium-potassium, and magne-sium-manganese. With the increase in magnesium supply level, the biological absorption coefficient of magnesium increased, while that of total nitrogen, potassium, iron, and manganese decreased; the biological transfer coefficient of magnesium decreased, while that of nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, iron, and manganese increased. The saponin content was analyzed by principal component analysis, which showed the comprehensive score in the order of Mg4(2.537), Mg2(1.001), Mg3(0.600), Mg1(0), Mg7(-0.765), CK(-0.825), Mg6(-0.922), and Mg5(-1.663). The partial least squares-path modeling(PLS-PM) showed that the correlation coefficients of exchangeable magnesium and pH with quality were-0.748 and-0.755, respectively, which were significant. Magnesium-calcium, magnesium-potassium, and magnesium-manganese showed antagonism in the nutritional physiology of P. quinquefolium. Excessive application of magnesium can lead to the imbalance of nutrient elements in P. quinquefolium. The content of exchangeable magnesium in soil suitable for the quality formation of P. quinquefolium was 193.34-293.34 mg·kg~(-1). In addition to exchangeable magnesium, pH was also important to the quality formation of P. quinquefolium. Therefore, exchangeable magnesium and pH could be regarded as monitoring factors for the quality formation of P. quinquefolium.

Construction of cell factories for high production of ginsenoside Rh_2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae / 中国中药杂志

Ginsenoside Rh_2 is a rare active ingredient in precious Chinese medicinal materials such as Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma, and Panacis Quinquefolii Radix. It has important pharmacological activities such as anti-cancer and improving human immunity. However, due to the extremely low content of ginsenoside Rh_2 in the source plants, the traditional way of obtaining it has limitations. This study intended to apply synthetic biological technology to develop a cell factory of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce Rh_2 by low-cost fermentation. First, we used the high protopanaxadiol(PPD)-yielding strain LPTA as the chassis strain, and inserted the Panax notoginseng enzyme gene Pn1-31, together with yeast UDP-glucose supply module genes[phosphoglucose mutase 1(PGM1), α-phosphoglucose mutase(PGM2), and uridine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase(UGP1)], into the EGH1 locus of yeast chromosome. The engineered strain LPTA-RH2 produced 17.10 mg·g~(-1) ginsenoside Rh_2. This strain had low yield of Rh_2 while accumulated much precursor PPD, which severely restricted the application of this strain. In order to further improve the production of ginsenoside Rh_2, we strengthened the UDP glucose supply module and ginsenoside Rh_2 synthesis module by engineered strain LPTA-RH2-T. The shaking flask yield of ginsenoside Rh_2 was increased to 36.26 mg·g~(-1), which accounted for 3.63% of the dry weight of yeast cells. Compared with those of the original strain LPTA-RH2, the final production and the conversion efficiency of Rh_2 increased by 112.11% and 65.14%, respectively. This study provides an important basis for further obtaining the industrial-grade cell factory for the production of ginsenoside Rh_2.

Transcriptome-wide identification and expression pattern analysis for Dof gene family in Panax ginseng from Jilin / 中国中药杂志

Dof(DNA binding with one finger), a unique class of transcription factors in plants, play an important role in seed development, tissue differentiation, and metabolic regulation. To identify the number and function of Dof gene family members in Panax ginseng, this study identified the members of Dof gene family in P. ginseng and systematically analyzed their structures, evolution, functional differentiation, expression patterns, and interactions using bioinformatics methods at the transcriptome level. At the same time, the association analysis of Dof genes from P. ginseng with key enzyme genes for ginsenoside synthesis was carried out to screen the candidate PgDof genes involved in the regulation of ginsenoside biosynthesis. The results showed that there were 54 genes belonging to the Dof gene family in P. ginseng from Jilin. All PgDof genes had Zf-Dof conserved motifs, implying that they were evolutionarily conserved and could be divided into five groups. Expression pattern analysis confirmed that the expression of PgDof gene family members in different tissues, different year-old P. ginseng, and different farm varieties varied significantly. Simultaneously, as revealed by "gene-saponin content" and "gene-gene" linkage analysis, an important candidate PgDof14-1 gene involved in the regulation of ginsenoside biosynthesis was obtained. From the established genetic transformation system of this gene in the hairy roots of P. ginseng, a positive hairy root clone was determined. This study has laid a theoretical foundation for the study of Dof gene family in P. ginseng.

Research progress on saponins, biological activities of saponins, and quality control of Panax quinquefolium / 中国中药杂志

Panax quinquefolium, as a common precious medicinal plant, has complex chemical components and unique pharmacological activities, which can play a healthcare role in the human body. With the deepening of research, the application of P. quinquefolium has become increasingly extensive. This paper summarized the research progress of the saponins isolated and identified from diffe-rent parts of P. quinquefolium, the structural classification and pharmacological activities of the saponins, and the quality control of Panacis Quinquefolii Radix. Further, this paper put forward the urgent problems to be solved in the development of P. quinquefolium. It is hoped to lay a foundation for the further study and provide reference for the research direction of P. quinquefolium.

Metabolomics analysis reveals the renal protective effect of Panax ginseng C. A. Mey in type 1 diabetic rats / 中国天然药物

The dry root and rhizome of Panax ginseng C. A. Mey has garnered much interest owing to its medicinal properties against diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. In this study, an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS)-based metabolomics approach was used to illustrate the therapeutic mechanisms of ginseng extract on the serum and urinary metabolic profiles in streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) rats. Pharmacological and renal parameters in response to the administration of ginseng were also evaluated. In total, 16 serum endogenous metabolites and 14 urine endogenous metabolites, including pyruvic acid, indoleacetic acid, and phenylacetylglycine, were identified as potential biomarkers for diabetes. Pathway enrichment and network analysis revealed that the biomarkers modulated by ginseng were primarily involved in phenylalanine and pyruvate metabolism, as well as in arginine biosynthesis. Moreover, the levels of several renal injury-related biomarkers in T1DM rats were significantly restored following treatment with ginseng. The administration of the extract helped maintain tissue structure integrity and ameliorated renal injury. The findings suggest that the regulatory effect of ginseng extract on T1DM involves metabolic management of diabetic rats, which subsequently attenuates T1DM-induced early renal dysfunction.

Current Status and Research Trends of Panax Between 1900-2019: A Bibliometric Analysis / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the current status and further development of Panax genus and 6 important individual species including P. notoginseng, P. quinquefolium, P. vietnamensis, P. japonicus, P. stipuleanatus and P. zingiberensis.@*METHODS@#The bibliometric analysis was based on the Web of Science core database platform from Thomson Reuters. Totally, 7,574 records of scientific research of Panax species published from 1900-2019 were analyzed. The statistical and visualization analysis was performed by CiteSpace and HistCite software.@*RESULTS@#The academic research of Panax species increase promptly. Plant science is the main research field while research and experimental medicine and agricultural engineering will be the further development tendency. Particularly, the discrimination research of P. notoginseng will be the research tendency among Panax species, especially diversity research. In addition, P. vietnamensis deserves more attention in the genus Panax.@*CONCLUSION@#This research provides a reference for further research of the genus and individual species.

Suppressive activity of RGX-365 on HMGB1-mediated septic responses

Abstract RGX-365 is the main fraction of black ginseng conmprising protopanaxatriol (PPT)-type rare ginsenosides (ginsenosides Rg4, Rg6, Rh4, Rh1, and Rg2). No studies on the antiseptic activity of RGX-365 have been reported. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is recognized as a late mediator of sepsis, and the inhibition of HMGB1 release and recovery of vascular barrier integrity have emerged as attractive therapeutic strategies for the management of sepsis. In this study, we examined the effects of RGX-365 on HMGB1-mediated septic responses and survival rate in a mouse sepsis model. RGX-365 was administered to the mice after HMGB1 challenge. The antiseptic activity of RGX-365 was assessed based on the production of HMGB1, measurement of permeability, and septic mouse mortality using a cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis mouse model and HMGB1-activated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). We found that RGX-365 significantly reduced HMGB1 release from LPS- activated HUVECs and CLP-induced release of HMGB1 in mice. RGX-365 also restored HMGB1-mediated vascular disruption and inhibited hyperpermeability in the mice. In addition, treatment with RGX-365 reduced sepsis-related mortality in vivo. Our results suggest that RGX- 365 reduces HMGB1 release and septic mortality in vivo, indicating that it is useful in the treatment of sepsis.