Journal of Microbiology

Ki Young Lee

1 Article

Microbial Conversion of Major Ginsenoside Rb1 to Pharmaceutically Active Minor Ginsenoside Rd: Myung Kyum Kim , Jun Won Lee , Ki Young Lee , Deok-Chun Yang; J. Microbiol. 2005;43(5):456-462.; DOI: https://doi.org/2275 [pii]

Abstract PDF: More than seventy strains of aerobic bacteria showing [beta]-glucosidase activity were isolated from a ginseng field, using a newly designed Esculin-R2A agar, and identified by their 16S rRNA gene sequences. Of these microorganisms, twelve strains could convert the major ginsenoside, Rb1, to the pharmaceutically active minor ginsenoside Rd. Three strains, Burkholderia pyrrocinia GP16, Bacillus megaterium GP27 and Sphingomonas echinoides GP50, were phylogenetically studied, and observed to be most potent at converting ginsenoside Rb1 almost completely within 48 h, as shown by TLC and HPLC analyses.

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