Gintonin is a glycolipoprotein fraction isolated from Panax ginseng. The non-saponin ingredient was designated as gintonin, where gin was derived from ginseng, ton from the tonic effects of ginseng, and in from protein. The main component of gintonin is a complex of lysophosphatidic acids (LPA) and ginseng proteins such as ginseng major latex-like protein151 (GLP151) and ginseng ribonuclease-like storage protein.

GLP151 is a first plant-derived LPA binding protein as one of Bet v 1 superfamily. GLP151 has a LPA binding domain on H147 and H148 at C-terminal. These two histidine residues bind to phosphate group of LPA.

Biological action

Gintonin is believed to act by delivering LPA to lysophospholipid receptors, which are high affinity and selective target receptors. In animal cell cultures, gintonin induces [Ca2+] transients via activation of the said receptor.

One Korean study claims that gintonin is orally active in rodents and shows anti-Alzheimer's disease effects through LPA receptor-mediated non-amyloidogenic pathways. Oral gintonin is well-tolerated by human AD patients in a small study, but the benefits are unclear.

A number of other effects are attributed to oral administration of gintonin-enriched extract in rodents.

See also

Further reading

  • Pyo, M. K.; Choi, S. H.; Hwang, S. H.; Shin, T. J.; Lee, B. H.; Lee, S. M.; Lim, Y. H.; Kim, D. H.; Nah, S. Y. (2011). . Journal of Ginseng Research. 35: 92–103. doi:.
  • Pyo, M. K.; Choi, S. H.; Shin, T. J.; Hwang, S. H.; Lee, B. H.; Kang, J. Y.; Kim, H. J.; Lee, S. H.; Nah, S. Y. (2011). . Journal of Ginseng Research. 35 (2): 209–218. doi:. PMC . PMID .
  • Choi, S. H.; Shin, T. J.; Lee, B. H.; Hwang, S. H.; Kang, J. Y.; Kim, H. J.; Park, C. W.; Nah, S. Y. (2011). . Journal of Ginseng Research. 35 (4): 471–478. doi:. PMC . PMID .
  • Hwang, S. H.; Shin, T. J.; Choi, S. H.; Cho, H. J.; Lee, B. H.; Pyo, M. K.; Lee, J. H.; Kang, J.; Kim, H. J.; Park, C. W.; Shin, H. C.; Nah, S. Y. (2012). . Molecules and Cells. 33 (2): 151–162. doi:. PMC . PMID .
  • Hwang SH, Shin EJ, Shin TJ, Lee BH, Choi SH, Kang J, Kim HJ, Kwon SH, Jang CG, Lee JH, Kim HC, Nah SY (2012). "Gintonin, a ginseng-derived lysophosphatidic acid receptor ligand, attenuates Alzheimer's disease-related neuropathies: involvement of non-amyloidogenic processing". Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. 31 (1): 207–223. doi:. PMID .{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Nah, S. Y. (2012). "Gintonin: A novel ginseng-derived ligand that targets G protein- coupled lysophosphatidic acid receptors". Current Drug Targets. 13 (13): 1659–64. doi:. PMID .
  • Shin, T. J.; Kim, H. J.; Kwon, B. J.; Choi, S. H.; Kim, H. B.; Hwang, S. H.; Lee, B. H.; Lee, S. M.; Zukin, R. S.; Park, J. H.; Kim, H. C.; Rhim, H.; Lee, J. H.; Nah, S. Y. (2012). . Molecules and Cells. 34 (6): 563–72. doi:. PMC . PMID .
  • Choi, S. H.; Kim, H. J.; Kim, B. R.; Shin, T. J.; Hwang, S. H.; Lee, B. H.; Lee, S. M.; Rhim, H.; Nah, S. Y. (2013). . Molecules and Cells. 35 (2): 142–50. doi:. PMC . PMID .
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  • Kim, HJ; Kim, DJ; Shin, EJ; Lee, BH; Choi, SH; Hwang, SH; Rhim, H; Cho, IH; Kim, HC; Nah, SY (2016). "Effects of gintonin-enriched fraction on hippocampal cell proliferation in wild-type mice and an APPswe/PSEN-1 double Tg mouse model of Alzheimer's disease". Neurochemistry International. 101: 56–65. doi:. PMID .
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  • Nam SM; Hwang H; Seo M; Chang BJ; Kim HJ; Choi SH; Rhim H; Kim HC; Cho IH; Nah SY (2018). "Gintonin Attenuates D-Galactose-Induced Hippocampal Senescence by Improving Long-Term Hippocampal Potentiation, Neurogenesis, and Cognitive Functions". Gerontology. 64 (6): 562–575. doi:. PMID .
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  • Irfan M; Jeong D; Saba E; Kwon HW; Shin JH; Jeon BR; Kim S; Kim SD; Lee DH; Nah SY; Rhee MH (2019). "Gintonin Modulates Platelet Function and Inhibits Thrombus Formation via Impaired Glycoprotein VI Signaling". Platelets. 30 (5): 589–598. doi:. PMID .
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