Hou Maoqi, Wang Rufeng, Zhao Shujuan, Wang Zhengtao
The SATCM Key Laboratory for New Resources & Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, The MOE Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
Acta Pharm Sin B. 2021 Jul;11(7):1813-1834. doi: 10.1016/j.apsb.2020.12.017. Epub 2021 Jan 2.
Ginsenosides are a series of glycosylated triterpenoids which belong to protopanaxadiol (PPD)-, protopanaxatriol (PPT)-, ocotillol (OCT)- and oleanane (OA)-type saponins known as active compounds of genus. They are accumulated in plant roots, stems, leaves, and flowers. The content and composition of ginsenosides are varied in different ginseng species, and in different parts of a certain plant. In this review, we summarized the representative saponins structures, their distributions and the contents in nearly 20 species, and updated the biosynthetic pathways of ginsenosides focusing on enzymes responsible for structural diversified ginsenoside biosynthesis. We also emphasized the transcription factors in ginsenoside biosynthesis and non-coding RNAs in the growth of genus plants, and highlighted the current three major biotechnological applications for ginsenosides production. This review covered advances in the past four decades, providing more clues for chemical discrimination and assessment on certain ginseng plants, new perspectives for rational evaluation and utilization of ginseng resource, and potential strategies for production of specific ginsenosides.
人参皂苷是一系列糖基化三萜类化合物，属于原人参二醇（PPD）型、原人参三醇（PPT）型、齐墩果酸（OCT）型和齐墩果烷（OA）型皂苷，是人参属植物的活性成分。它们在植物的根、茎、叶和花中积累。人参皂苷的含量和组成在不同人参种类以及某一植物的不同部位有所不同。在本综述中，我们总结了近20种人参中代表性皂苷的结构、分布和含量，并着重围绕负责结构多样的人参皂苷生物合成的酶，更新了人参皂苷的生物合成途径。我们还强调了人参皂苷生物合成中的转录因子以及人参属植物生长中的非编码RNA，并突出了目前人参皂苷生产的三大生物技术应用。本综述涵盖了过去四十年的进展，为人参属植物的化学鉴别和评估提供了更多线索，为人参资源的合理评价和利用提供了新视角，以及生产特定人参皂苷的潜在策略。
