Fermentation of Korean red ginseng by Lactobacillus plantarum M-2 and its immunological activities

Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 2011 Nov;165(5-6):1107-19. doi: 10.1007/s12010-011-9328-6. Epub 2011 Aug 16.

Abstract

We investigated ginsenoside transformation by fermentation of red ginseng with Lactobacillus plantarum M-2. We also examined the anti-metastasis and immune-stimulating activities of EtOH extracts of fermented red ginseng (FRG-E) in animal and human subjects. Total sugar decreased from 85.5 mg mL(-1) to 44.1 mg mL(-1) with increasing culture time during the fermentation with L. plantarum M-2. Uronic acid content reached a maximum level (534.3 μg mL(-1)) at 3 days of fermentation and decreased thereafter. Ginsenoside metabolites increased from 4,637.0 to 7,581.1 μg mL(-1) after 4 days. The prophylactic intraperitoneal injection of FRG-E (500 μg mouse(-1)) inhibited lung metastasis about 81.1%, while the inhibitory effect against tumor metastasis by treatment of EtOH extract from non-fermented red ginseng (NFRG-E) was 66.9%. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) and G (IgG) levels in the serum of healthy subjects were higher after FRG-E administration than at baseline, whereas NFRG-E induced reductions of these variables related to immunity. At 1 week, the change in IgA level by FRG-E (5.14 mg mL(-1)) was significantly higher than that by NFRG-E (-14.50 mg mL(-1); p < 0.05). It was concluded that the immunological activities of FRG-E were higher than those of NFRG-E, indicating that fermentation helped enhance the immunological activities of red ginseng.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Female
  • Fermentation
  • Humans
  • Immunity / drug effects
  • Immunologic Factors / chemistry
  • Immunologic Factors / metabolism*
  • Immunologic Factors / pharmacology
  • Lactobacillus plantarum / metabolism*
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Lung Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred ICR
  • Middle Aged
  • Panax / chemistry*
  • Panax / metabolism
  • Panax / microbiology
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / metabolism*
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Plant Roots / chemistry
  • Plant Roots / metabolism
  • Plant Roots / microbiology

Substances

  • Immunologic Factors
  • Plant Extracts