Christensen Lars P
Research Center Aarslev, Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Aarhus, Kirstinebjergvej 10, DK-5792 Aarslev, Denmark.
Adv Food Nutr Res. 2009;55:1-99. doi: 10.1016/S1043-4526(08)00401-4.
Ginsenosides are a special group of triterpenoid saponins that can be classified into two groups by the skeleton of their aglycones, namely dammarane- and oleanane-type. Ginsenosides are found nearly exclusively in Panax species (ginseng) and up to now more than 150 naturally occurring ginsenosides have been isolated from roots, leaves/stems, fruits, and/or flower heads of ginseng. Ginsenosides have been the target of a lot of research as they are believed to be the main active principles behind the claims of ginsengs efficacy. The potential health effects of ginsenosides that are discussed in this chapter include anticarcinogenic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, antiatherosclerotic, antihypertensive, and antidiabetic effects as well as antistress activity and effects on the central nervous system. Ginsensoides can be metabolized in the stomach (acid hydrolysis) and in the gastrointestinal tract (bacterial hydrolysis) or transformed to other ginsenosides by drying and steaming of ginseng to more bioavailable and bioactive ginsenosides. The metabolization and transformation of intact ginsenosides, which seems to play an important role for their potential health effects, are discussed. Qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques for the analysis of ginsenosides are important in relation to quality control of ginseng products and plant material and for the determination of the effects of processing of plant material as well as for the determination of the metabolism and bioavailability of ginsenosides. Analytical techniques for the analysis of ginsenosides that are described in this chapter are thin-layer chromatography (TLC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with various detectors, gas chromatography (GC), colorimetry, enzyme immunoassays (EIA), capillary electrophoresis (CE), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and spectrophotometric methods.
人参皂苷是一类特殊的三萜皂苷，根据其苷元骨架可分为两组，即达玛烷型和齐墩果烷型。人参皂苷几乎仅存在于人参属植物中，截至目前，已从人参的根、叶/茎、果实和/或花头中分离出150多种天然存在的人参皂苷。人参皂苷一直是众多研究的对象，因为它们被认为是人参功效宣称背后的主要活性成分。本章讨论的人参皂苷的潜在健康影响包括抗癌、免疫调节、抗炎、抗过敏、抗动脉粥样硬化、降压、抗糖尿病作用以及抗应激活性和对中枢神经系统的影响。人参皂苷可在胃中（酸水解）和胃肠道中（细菌水解）代谢，或通过人参的干燥和蒸煮转化为其他更具生物利用度和生物活性的人参皂苷。完整人参皂苷的代谢和转化似乎对其潜在健康影响起着重要作用，本章对此进行了讨论。人参皂苷分析的定性和定量分析技术对于人参产品和植物材料的质量控制、植物材料加工效果的测定以及人参皂苷代谢和生物利用度的测定都很重要。本章所述的人参皂苷分析技术包括薄层色谱法（TLC）、结合各种检测器的高效液相色谱法（HPLC）、气相色谱法（GC）、比色法、酶免疫测定法（EIA）、毛细管电泳法（CE）、核磁共振（NMR）光谱法和分光光度法。
