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Background: Both ginsenoside Re and B-complex vitamins are widely used as nutritional supplements. They are often taken together so as to fully utilize their antifatigue and refreshing effects, respectively. Whether actually a drug–nutrient interaction exists between ginsenoside Re and B-complex vitamins is still unknown. The objective of this study was to simultaneously investigate the effect of B-complex vitamins on the antifatigue activity and bioavailability of ginsenoside Re after their oral administration. The study results will provide valuable theoretical guidance for the combined utilization of ginseng and B-complex vitamins. Methods: Ginsenoside Re with or without B-complex vitamins was orally administered to mice to evaluate its antifatigue effects and to rats to evaluate its bioavailability. The antifatigue activity was evaluated by the weight-loaded swimming test and biochemical parameters, including hepatic glycogen, plasma urea nitrogen, and blood lactic acid. The concentration of ginsenoside Re in plasma was determined by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Results: No antifatigue effect of ginsenoside Re was noted when ginsenoside Re in combination with B-complex vitamins was orally administered to mice. B-complex vitamins caused to a reduction in the bioavailability of ginsenoside Re with the area under the concentration–time curve from zero to infinity markedly decreasing from 11,830.85 ± 2,366.47 h·ng/mL to 890.55 ± 372.94 h·ng/mL. Conclusion: The results suggested that there were pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic drug–nutrient interactions between ginsenoside Re and B-complex vitamins. B-complex vitamins can significantly weaken the antifatigue effect and decrease the bioavailability of ginsenoside Re when simultaneously administered orally.

Background: Ginsenosides are the major effective ingredients responsible for the pharmacological effects of ginseng. Malonyl ginsenosides are natural ginsenosides that contain a malonyl group attached to a glucose unit of the corresponding neutral ginsenosides. Methods: Medium-pressure liquid chromatography and semipreparative high-performance liquid chromatography were used to isolate purified compounds and their structures determined by extensive one-dimensional- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. Results: A new saponin, namely malonyl-ginsenoside Re, was isolated from the fresh flower buds of Panax ginseng, along with malonyl-ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd. Some assignments for previously published 1H- and 13C-NMR spectra were found to be inaccurate. Conclusion: This study reports the complete NMR assignment of malonyl-ginsenoside Re, Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Rd for the first time.