Ginseng cells

Recently, pilot bioreactors as large as 20 kl have been constructed in the research laboratories of Japan Tobacco and Salt Co. and in those of Nitto Denko Co. Solid culture methods were used in large scale pilot experiments for the production of tobacco cells, and liquid culture methods were used in the production of Panax ginseng cells. An outstanding example of cell suspension culture in a pilot scale bioreactor (750 1) was the production of shikonins by Mitui Petrochemical Industries. In all these examples, various technologies have been used to improve the productivity of the metabolites. 

Kwon, S.Y., et ah. Transgenic ginseng cell lines that produce high levels of a human lac-toferrin. Planta Med, 2003 69(11) 1005-1008. 

Wu, J., Lin, L., and Chau, F. 2001. Ultrasound-assisted extraction of ginseng saponins from ginseng roots and cultured ginseng cells. Ultrason. Sonochem. 8 347-352. 

Ginsenan S-IIA, a polysaccharide fraction from the roots of P. ginseng is a potent inducer of IL-8 production by human monocytes and THP-1 cells, and this induction is accompanied by increased IL-8 mRNA expression. The polysaccharide appears from the structural feature to be a mixture of arabino-galactan type I and type II, based on the presence of 1,3-, 1,6-, 1,3,6-, 1,4-, and 1,4,6-galactose units as well as terminal arabinose and 1,5-, 1,3,5-, and 1,2,5-linked units. It also contains 1,4,6-linked glucose units that together with the 1,2,5-linked arabinose units are different from the units found in other ginseng polysaccharides and may thus be of importance for the activity [64]. 

Plant cell suspensions offer the potential to produce valuable phytochemicals, traditionally extracted from the naturally grown whole plant, under controlled and reproducible conditions. To date, commercial processes involving these systems have been limited to just a handful of applications, including the much-cited shikonin [1] and ginseng [2,3]. 

Ginseng extracts have also been shown to modulate the immune responsiveness of human leukocytes in vitro. For example, extracts from P. ginseng were reported to increase NK cell function and ADCC in PBMC from both healthy and immunocompromised individuals [18]. In addition, similar extracts and their degradation products displayed anti-complement activity [46]. In contrast to the mouse data described above, a standardized ginseng extract (Gerimax) by itself (no inflammatory stimulus) induced the production of IL-12 (but not IL-10) by PBMC from healthy test subjects [47],... 

See, D.M. et al., In vitro effects of echinacea and ginseng on natural killer and antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity in healthy subjects and chronic fatigue syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients, Immunopharmacology, 35, 229, 1997. 

Kim, K.H. et al., Acidic polysaccharide from Panax ginseng, ginsan, induces Thl cell and macrophage cytokines and generates LAK cells in synergy with rIL-2, Planta Med, 64, 110, 1998. 

Takei, M. et al., Dendritic cells maturation promoted by Ml and M4, end products of steroidal ginseng saponins metabolized in digestive tracts, drive a potent Th 1 polarization, Biochem Pharmacol, 68,441, 2004. 

Yun, Y.S. et al., Effect of red ginseng on natural killer cell activity in mice with lung adenoma induced by urethan and benzo(a)pyrene, Cancer Detect Prev Suppl, 1, 301, 1987. 

Finally, it has been shown that maturation of DCs is promoted by metabolized ginsenosides such as compound K. Takei et al (2004) showed that mature DCs differentiated with compound K enhance the differentiation of naive T cells toward the Thl t) e depending on lL-12 secretion, which clearly suggests that compound K has immunostimulatoty effects and that this compound is involved in the cancer preventive effects of ginseng and that compound K may be used on DC-based vaccines for cancer immunotherapy (Takei et al, 2004). 

Azuma, L, and Mochizuki, M. (1994). Inhibition of tumor cell invasion and metastasis by ginsenosides. Ginseng Rev. 18,37-39. 

Choi, D.-W., Jung, J., Ha, Y. I., Park, H.-W., In, D. S., Chung, H.-J., and Liu, J. R. (2005). Analysis of transcripts in methyl jasmonate-treated ginseng hairy roots to identify genes involved in the biosjmthesis of ginsenosides and other secondary metabolites. Plant Cell Rep. 23, 557-566. 

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