Vietnamese ginseng

Due, N. M., Nham, N. T., Kasai, R., Ito, A., Yamasaki, K., and Tanaka, O. (1993). Saponins from Vietnamese ginseng, Panax vietnamensis Ha et Grushv. Collected in central Vietnam. I. Qiem. Pharm. Bull. 41, 2010-2014. 

Tran, Q. L., Adnyana, I. K., Tezuka, Y., Nagaoka, T., Tran, Q. K., and Kadota, S. (2001). Triterpene saponins from Vietnamese ginseng (Panax vietnamensis) and their hepatocy-toprotective activity. /. Nat. Prod. 64, 456 61. 

Majonoside-R2, a saponin found in Vietnamese ginseng restores the deficit in pentobarbital sleep caused by the stress of social isolation (Nguyen et al. 1997). This effect appears to be mediated by the neurosteroid receptor on the GABAA receptor. 

Huong NT, Matsumoto K, Yamasaki K, Due NM, Nham NT, Watanabe H. (1997). Majonoside-R2, a major constituent of Vietnamese ginseng, attenuates opioid-induced anti nociception. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 57(1-2) 285-91. 

Nguyen TT, Matsumoto K, Yamasaki K, Nguyen MD, Nguyen TN, Watanabe H. (1995). Crude saponin extracted from Vietnamese ginseng and its major constituent majonoside-R2 attenuate the psychological stress- and foot-shock stress-induced anti nociception in mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 52(2) 427-32. 

Key Word Index—Vietnamese ginseng, Panax vielmmensis, dammarane saponins, vina-ginsenosides- R15 — R24. 

In our previous papers, we reported the identification and structure elucidation of twenty-four known saponins and fourteen new saponins named vina-ginsenosides -R1 — R14 which were isolated from the underground part of P. vietnamensis. We now summarize the result of our further study on the saponin composition of Vietnamese ginseng, which led to the isolation and structure elucidation of two known saponins, pseudo-ginsenoside-RCi (1) and gypenoside-IX (2), and ten new dammarane saponins named vina-ginsenosides-Rl5 — R24 (3 -12, respectively). 

The extraction and isolation of minor saponins from Vietnamese ginseng was summarized in Figure 1. 

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