Project description:Ginseng has been used for anti-stress agents, and its active ingredient, ginsenoside, has similar structure with estrogen. In this study, effects of red ginseng (RG) on gene expressions in immobilization (IMO) stressed mice brain was analyzed by system biology.
Project description:Ginseng is one of the well-known medicinal plants, exhibiting diverse medicinal effects. Its roots possess anticancer and anti-aging properties and are being used in the medical systems of East Asian countries. Ginseng is grown in low-light and low-temperature conditions and its growth is strongly inhibited at temperatures above 25 ℃. However, the molecular responses of ginseng to heat stress are currently poorly understood, especially at protein level. Therefore, here we utilized a shotgun proteomics approach to investigate the effect of heat stress on ginseng leaves. Total proteins were isolated from control (25 ℃) and ginseng plants exposed to 35 ℃ for 1 and 3 days and subjected to in-solution trypsin digestion. A total of 3,359 ginseng proteins were identified when searched in an in-house developed RNA-seq (PAC-BIO) database.
Project description:Obesity, as one of the major public health problems in the world, has attracted more and more attention. Rb1 is the most abundant active component of Panax ginseng and it has been reported to have benefit effects on obesity and diabetes. But the mechanisms of Rb1 in regulation of obesity are not very clear. In this study, by use of obese mice, we found that Rb1 not only reduced body weight but also decreased myostain (MSTN) expression,which plays a key role in the regulation of obesity. In vitro, we found that Rb1 treatment also decreased MSTN expression in differentiated C2C12 cells (Myoblast cells) and 3T3-L1 cells (adipocytes). Fndc5, as the downstream of MSTN, was increased after Rb1 treatment. Our results showed that Rb1 may ameliorate obesity through MSTN/Fndc5 signaling pathway. Our study provides important experimental evidences for the treatment of obesity by Rb1.after Rb1 treated.
Project description:Neuroaging is one of the most distinct signs of aging, which promotes mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and various neurodegenerative diseases. Previous studies have indicated that Panax ginseng C. A. Mey. (ginseng) root polysaccharides have positive effects against senescence and nerve damage. However, its structure and role in delaying senescence-associated neuroaging have not been comprehensively studied. Therefore, this research characterized the structural features of a ginseng root polysaccharide (GRP-E1F2) and the potential mechanism underlying its anti-neurodegeneration effect against senescence-related function and pathological damage. GRP-E1F2 is a neutral polysaccharide with 11.688 kDa molecular weight, which was isolated from the ginseng roots. In this study, NMR, HPLC, FT-IR, and methylation analyses were performed to identify the physiochemical characteristics of GRP-E1F2, which provided its repetitive unit structures. The in vivo experiments revealed that GRP-E1F2 prolonged the lifespan and mitigated senescence-related symptoms including aggregation of lipofuscin and ROS, as well as the antioxidant enzyme inactivation in aging animals (C. elegans and mice). Furthermore, tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBHP) induced senescent cells indicated that GRP-E1F2 treated has beneficial anti-aging effects. Moreover, the transgenic C. elegans expressing GFP in D-type gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-positive neurons and mice indicated that GRP-E1F2 reduced neuronal morphological abnormalities and reversed aging-induced cognitive deficits, indicating the anti-neuroaging effects of GRP-E1F2. Mechanistically, GRP-E1F2 downregulates cellular senescence in aging brains and cell models, which was indicated by senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) activity, marker protein p53, p21, phospho-histone H2A.X, and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). In addition, RNA-seq, RT-qPCR, and immunofluorescence assays revealed that GRP-E1F2 down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of prodynorphin (Pdyn) in aging models. Moreover, the p53 activator and overexpression vectors of Pdyn were employed to determine the pharmacological mechanism of GRP-E1F2 in reducing Pdyn expressions to delay neuroaging by inhibiting the cellular senescence signaling pathway. This research provides theoretical support and experimental evidence for the clinical application of ginseng root polysaccharides against senescence-associated neuroaging, promoting the modern development of traditional medicines from natural polysaccharides.
Project description:Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is the most common endocrine disrupting chemical used as a plasticizer. DEHP is associated with the development of endometrium-related diseases through the induction of inflammation. The major therapeutic approaches against endometrial cancer and endometriosis involve the suppression of inflammatory response. Korean red ginseng (KRG) is a natural product with anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic effects. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of KRG on DEHP-induced inflammatory response in endometrial cancer Ishikawa cells.
Project description:The breast cancer incidence has been increasing in China, with the earlier age of onset compared with Western countries. Traditional Chinese medicine has been provided as one of the major source of anti-cancer drugs. Ginseng is one of the most common traditional medicines in China. Ginsenosides, the saponins in the plant Panax (ginseng) are the major active components responsible for their chemopreventive effects from cancer. However, the mechanisms by which ginsenosides exert their anti-cancer effect remain elusive. By combining TMT-based quantitation with TiO2-based phosphopeptide enrichment, we performed a quantitative analysis of the changes of the phosphoproteomes in ginsenoside Rg3-treated breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. We were able to quantitate 5,140 phosphorylation sites on 2,041 phosphoproteins. Our data show that the phosphorylation status of 13 sites was changed in MDA-MB-231 cells upon Rg3 treatment. The perturbed phosphoproteins are CPSF7, EEF2, HIRIP3, MAGED2, MPRIP, MYCBP2, PAWR, PPP1R12A, RANBP2, SEPT9, TMPO, and UFL1. These proteins are involved in various biological processes, including protein synthesis, cell division, and inhibition of NF-κB signaling. Our study revealed that Rg3 exerts its anti-cancer effects through a combination of different signaling pathways.
Project description:Caffeoylquinic acids are a kind of phenolic acid, a natural component of quinine acids. A number of caffeic acids, which are widely found in plants, are connected by ester bonds. In classic Chinese medicines, including honeysuckle, Eucommia ulmoides and white flower ginseng, caffeoylquinic acids have been identified as a main effective component that exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral activities . Studies have shown that some dicaffeoylquinic acids have significant inhibitory effects on melanoma, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, breast cancer and many other tumours . The development and exploration of the pharmacodynamic effects of dicaffeoylquinic acids will become another hot topic in the development of new drugs.