Coompo Research Chemicals

Ginsenoside F1, an enzymatically modified derivative of ginsenoside Rg1, against ultraviolet-B-induced damage in human HaCaT keratinocytes. Ginsenoside F1 significantly reduced ultraviolet-B-induced cell death and protected HaCaT cells from apoptosis caused by ultraviolet B irradiation. Furthermore, ginsenoside F1 prevented ultraviolet-B-induced cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase in HaCaT cells. In search of the molecular mechanism responsible for the antiapoptotic effect of ginsenoside F1, we find that protection from ultraviolet-B-induced apoptosis is tightly correlated with ginsenoside-F1-mediated inhibition of ultraviolet-B-induced downregulation of Bcl-2 and Brn-3a expression.

In the present study, the effects on the human cytochrome P450 activities of ginsenoside Rb1 and two hydrolysis products of 20(S)-protopanaxatriol ginsenosides in humans, namely ginsenoside Rh1 and F1, which may reach the systemic circulation after oral administration of ginseng extract, were evaluated. Our results showed that Rb1 exhibited no marked effects on the activities of human cytochrome P450, whereas Rh1 and F1 exhibited competitive inhibition of the activity of CYP3A4 with Ki values of 57.7 ± 9.6 μM and 67.8 ± 16.2 μM, respectively. F1 also exhibited a weaker inhibition of the activity of CYP2D6. Rh1 exhibited a weak stimulation rather than an inhibition of the activity of CYP2E1. The degradation of ginsenosides in the gastrointestinal tract may play an important role in the ginseng-associated drug-drug interactions, but the effects might be not due to Rh1 and F1.