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Planta Med 1982; 44(3): 146-149
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-971425
Research Articles

© Hippokrates Verlag Stuttgart

Degradation of Ginseng Saponins under Mild Acidic Conditions

B. H. Han1 , M. H. Park1 , Y. N. Han1 , L. K. Woo1 , U. Sankawa2 , S. Yahara3 , O. Tanaka3
  • 1Natural Product Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
  • 2Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
  • 3Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hiroshima University School of Medicine, Hiroshima, Japan
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Publication History

Publication Date:
29 March 2007 (online)

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Abstract

Ginseng saponins, ginsenosides Rg1, Re and Rb1, decomposed under mild acidic conditions to yield prosapogenins. The structures of the prosapogenins were investigated by 13C-NMR spectroscopy and Rg1-prosapogenin II was shown to be a mixture of ginsenoside Rh1, and its C-20 epimer, produced by hydrolysis followed by epimerization at C-20. Rg1-prosapogenin III, the other prosapogenin derived from ginsenoside Rg1; was a C-25,26 hydrated derivative of Rg1-prosapogenin II. Re-prosapogenin II was identified as a mixture of ginsenoside Rg2 and its C-20 epimer, and Re-prosapogenine III as a C-25,26 hydrated derivative of Re-prosapogenin II.

Key Word Index

Panax ginseng - Araliaceae - Saponin - Ginsenoside - Prosapogenin