Biotransformation of major ginsenosides in ginsenoside model culture by lactic acid bacteria

Abstract

BackgroundSome differences have been reported in the biotransformation of ginsenosides, probably due to the types of materials used such as ginseng, enzymes, and microorganisms. Moreover, most microorganisms used for transforming ginsenosides do not meet food-grade standards. We investigated the statistical conversion rate of major ginsenosides in ginsenosides model culture during fermentation by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to estimate possible pathways.MethodsGinsenosides standard mix was used as a model culture to facilitate clear identification of the metabolic changes. Changes in eight ginsenosides (Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, Rg1, and Rg2) during fermentation with six strains of LAB were investigated.ResultsIn most cases, the residual ginsenoside level decreased by 5.9–36.8% compared with the initial ginsenoside level. Ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Re continuously decreased during fermentation. By contrast, Rd was maintained or slightly increased after 1 d of fermentation. Rg1 and Rg2 reached their lowest values after 1–2 d of fermentation, and then began to increase gradually. The conversion of Rd, Rg1, and Rg2 into smaller deglycosylated forms was more rapid than that of Rd from Rb1, Rb2, and Rc, as well as that of Rg1 and Rg2 from Re during the first 2 d of fermentation with LAB.ConclusionGinsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Re continuously decreased, whereas ginsenosides Rd, Rg1, and Rg2 increased after 1–2 d of fermentation. This study may provide new insights into the metabolism of ginsenosides and can clarify the metabolic changes in ginsenosides biotransformed by LAB.

Pharmacokinetics and Intestinal Metabolism of Compound K in Rats and Mice

“…To understand the metabolism of compound K, we measured PPD levels in the plasma, urine, and feces samples from rats and mice. Previous studies have demonstrated that compound K is metabolized to PPD via β-glucosidase in intestinal microbacterium ( Figure 5) [1,13]. As shown in Figure 6, PPD was detected in the plasma and fecal samples from both mice and rats following intravenous injection of compound K (2 mg/kg).…”

“…The percent recovery of the parent form (compound K) in mouse feces was much higher than in rat feces (13.8% in rats vs. 28.4% in mice), while the total fecal recovery (sum of compound K and PPD) was similar for both mice and rats (60.4% in rats vs. 62.8% in mice), suggesting that the elimination process of compound K could differ between rats and mice in addition to the difference in Vd between rats and mice. Multiple previous studies have shown that the tri-or four-glycosylated PPD-type ginsenosides (major components in red ginseng; Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Rd) have been metabolized to compound K (monoglycosylated PPD-type ginsenoside) and further hydrolyzed to PPD, the final metabolite of the PPD-type ginsenosides, in the presence of lactic acid bacteria and gut microbiota [13,16]. Previous studies have reported that Bacteroides sp., Eubacterium sp., and Bifidobacterium sp.…”

Diversity of Ginsenoside Profiles Produced by Various Processing Technologies

“…Major ginsenosides (including Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, and Rg1) are naturally present in most ginseng plants, however the distribution and concentrations of the major ginsenosides differ in each Panax species. Park et al (2017) [ 25 ] reported that six major ginsenosides (Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, Re, and Rg1) were found to comprise 90% of the total ginsenoside content of P. ginseng , and Chen et al (2019) [ 24 ] used the six ginsenosides to evaluate ginsenoside abundance in P. ginseng from different regions. The major ginsenosides are also present in other ginseng species at varying concentrations.…”

Highly Selective Production of Compound K from Ginsenoside Rd by Hydrolyzing Glucose at C-3 Glycoside Using ��-Glucosidase of Bifidobacterium breve ATCC 15700

“…Moreover, the enzyme exhibits strong tolerance against high substrate concentration (up to 40 g/l ginsenoside Rd) with a molar biotransformation rate of 96% within 12 h. The good enzymatic properties and gram-scale conversion capacity of BbBgl provide an attractive method for large-scale production of rare ginsenoside CK using a single enzyme or a combination of enzymes. , and CK [14,15]. The conversion of ginsenoside Rd into deglycosylated CK may significantly enhance the biological activity because the latter can function as an active compound and shows higher absorption in the bloodstream [16].…”