Lipid-Soluble Extracts as the Main Source of Anticancer Activity in Ginseng and Ginseng Marc

• Published in: Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society Vol. 86; no. 11; pp. 1065 - 1071
• Main Authors: Lee, Sung Dong, Yoo, Guijae, Chae, Hee Jeong, In, Man-Jin, Oh, Nam-Soon, Hwang, Yoon Kyung, Hwang, Woo Ik, Kim, Dong Chung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01.11.2009; Springer-Verlag; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Anticancer activity; anticarcinogenic activity; Biological and medical sciences; Biomaterials; Biotechnology; Breast cancer; breast neoplasms; By products; carbohydrate content; cell proliferation; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; cultured cells; Fat industries; Food engineering; Food industries; Food Science; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Ginseng; Ginseng marc; hepatoma; hexane; Hexane extraction; human diseases; human health; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Industrial production; Lipid‐soluble components; medicinal plants; Original Paper; Panax ginseng; plant extracts; saponins; solvents; Lipid-soluble components; Hexane extraction; Ginseng; Ginseng marc; Anticancer activity; Antineoplastic agent; Oils and fats industry; Hexane; Lipids; Chemical composition; Extraction; Extract
• ISSN: 0003-021X; 1558-9331
• DOI: 10.1007/s11746-009-1460-x

The anticancer activity of ginseng originated mainly from lipid-soluble components. The hexane extract of ginseng marc (HEGM) showed a potent inhibitory activity on human hepatoma (HepG2, GI₅₀ = 41.7 μg/ml) and breast (MCF-7, GI₅₀ = 54.4 μg/ml) cancer cell proliferation in vitro in a concentration-dependent manner as did the hexane extract of ginseng (HEG), with GI₅₀ values of 21.1 μg/ml in HepG2 and 41.2 μg/ml in MCF-7. The water extract of ginseng (WEG) possessed a low anticancer activity against both cancer cell lines, but the hexane-soluble fraction of WEG (HSF/WEG) showed a potent anticancer activity against HepG2 (GI₅₀ = 38.7 μg/ml) and MCF-7 cells (GI₅₀ = 51.1 μg/ml). The hexane extraction in ginseng was a very promising protocol for the maximum recovery of the anticancer active components in high concentrations. Also the adoption of hexane extraction after water extraction of ginseng was successful in the effective utilization of the residual lipid-soluble anticancer active components in ginseng marc.