Cytotoxicity of the white ginseng extract and red ginseng extract treated with partially purified β-glucosidase from Aspergillus usamii KCTC 6954

Red ginseng extract (RGE) and white ginseng extract (WGE) were treated with partially purified β-glucosidase to increase a production of minor ginsenosides. The enzyme produced from Aspergillus usamii KCTC 6954 was precipitated with (NH4)2SO4. Ginseng extracts were treated with a crude extract possessing β-glucosidase activity (1,089.2 μM/mL·min) at 60°C for 72 h. The results of HPLC showed that enzyme-treated RGE and enzymetreated WGE have increased amounts of minor ginsenosides compared to each controls implying that the ginsenoside Rb1 in WGE and RGE is converted enzymatically to Rd, F2, Rg3, and compound K. In cytotoxicity study, 2.5 mg/mL of RGE, 1.25 mg/mL of ERGE, and 5 mg/mL of WGE and EWGE were effective against the HepG2, AGS, and DLD-1, but HeLa and SK-MES-1 were not affected at any concentration. The results suggested that cytotoxicity of ginseng extracts treated with β-glucosidase were greater than that of each control against cancer cells.