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Background: Nanodrugs play a crucial role in biomedical applications by enhancing drug delivery. To address safety and toxicity concerns associated with nanoparticles, lipid-nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems have emerged as a promising approach for developing next-generation smart nanomedicines. Ginseng has traditionally been used for various therapeutic purposes, including antiviral activity. This study aimed to prepare a biocompatible and therapeutically potent Korean ginseng nanoemulsion (KGS-NE) using ginseng seed oil (GSO), optimize its encapsulation and drug delivery efficiency, and evaluate its antiviral activity. Results: Various techniques were utilized to confirm the KGS-NE formation. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy identified gold nanoparticles with the highest Au peak at 2.1 keV. Selected area diffraction patterns revealed crystallographic structures. FT-IR spectrometry detected functional groups, with peaks at 2922.09 cm−1 (alkene C–H stretching), 1740.24 cm−1 (aldehyde C=O stretching), and 1098.07 cm−1 (C–O stretching in secondary alcohol). Storage stability studies showed that KGS-NE maintained its size and stability for 6 months at 4 °C. The KGS-NE exhibited a dose-dependent suppression of HCoV-OC43 viral replication in Vero E6 cells. RNA sequencing analysis unveiled differentially expressed genes (DEGs) specifically involved in the ABC transporters signaling pathway. KGS-NE oral administration facilitated the recovery of mice induced with the receptor binding domain (RBD) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein, as confirmed by inflammatory markers expression in lung tissue. In the Syrian hamster infected with the SARS-CoV-2 model, the lungs dissected showed enlarged morphology and induced inflammatory cytokines. This effect was mitigated with KGS-NE oral administration, as observed through H&E and qRT-PCR analysis. Biochemical analysis at various oral administration concentrations demonstrated that KGS-NE had no adverse effects on the kidney and liver. Conclusions: Our findings strongly suggest that oral administering KGS-NE in mice and Syrian hamster models has the potential to effectively mitigate lung inflammation against coronavirus. This indicates a promising new strategy for developing the antiviral nano-agent against SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have highlighted the potential of unsaturated fatty acids in natural oils to influence virus replication. This study extracted ginseng seed oil (GSO) and evaluated its physiochemical parameters, lipid class, and oxidation stability. GSO was then synthesized into an oil/water nanoemulsion (NE) through optimized formulation, time, temperature, and storage conditions. GSO-NE showed no cytotoxicity up to 5 µg/mL but effectively inhibited HCoV-OC43 replication and suppressed proinflammatory biomarkers in infected cells. RNA sequencing revealed significant alterations in the gene expression profile by GSO-NE treatment, particularly implicating the ABC transporters signaling pathway. Notably, GSO-NE downregulated ABCG subfamily membrane proteins, crucial for lipid regulation in virus-infected cells. The downregulation of these genes (ABCG1, ABCG2, ABCG4, and ABCG5/8) was reversed by GSO-NE, as demonstrated through qRT-PCR. Furthermore, the downregulation of ABCG1 and ABCG5/8 genes was confirmed using immunoblotting techniques. These findings suggest GSO-NE as a promising avenue for future research or therapeutic applications.

[Display omitted] • GSO-NE were synthesized using ginseng seed oil rich in unsaturated fatty acids. • GSO-NE antiviral activity against Human Coronavirus OC43 in Vero E6 cells. • RNA-seq data of GSO-NE providing new insights into the antiviral mechanism. • GSO-NE activated ABCG transporters, which suppressed by HCoV-OC43 in Vero E6 cells. Recent studies have highlighted the potential of unsaturated fatty acids in natural oils to influence virus replication. This study extracted ginseng seed oil (GSO) and evaluated its physiochemical parameters, lipid class, and oxidation stability. GSO was then synthesized into an oil/water nanoemulsion (NE) through optimized formulation, time, temperature, and storage conditions. GSO-NE showed no cytotoxicity up to 5 µg/mL but effectively inhibited HCoV-OC43 replication and suppressed proinflammatory biomarkers in infected cells. RNA sequencing revealed significant alterations in the gene expression profile by GSO-NE treatment, particularly implicating the ABC transporters signaling pathway. Notably, GSO-NE downregulated ABCG subfamily membrane proteins, crucial for lipid regulation in virus-infected cells. The downregulation of these genes (ABCG1, ABCG2, ABCG4, and ABCG5/8) was reversed by GSO-NE, as demonstrated through qRT-PCR. Furthermore, the downregulation of ABCG1 and ABCG5/8 genes was confirmed using immunoblotting techniques. These findings suggest GSO-NE as a promising avenue for future research or therapeutic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim: Although ginseng seed oil (GSO) appears to have various roles in the body, its anti-cancer effect has not been investigated. Tamoxifen is widely used to treat estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer but shows adverse effects with drug resistance. This study investigated the effect of GSO in ER+ breast cancer cell growth., Materials and Methods: Cell viability assays, western blots and Annexin V staining were conducted to examine cell viability and apoptosis. The synergistic effect of tamoxifen in combination with GSO or oleic acid (OA) was determined., Results: GSO and OA caused apoptosis of MCF-7 ER+ breast cancer cells and had synergistic effects with tamoxifen in inhibiting tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7 (MCF-7 TAMR) ER+ breast cancer cell growth., Conclusion: GSO may block ER+ breast cancer recurrence in combination with tamoxifen., (Copyright© 2020, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Background: Despite the large number of studies on ginseng, pharmacological activities of ginseng seed oil (GSO) have not been established. GSO is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, mostly oleic and linoleic acids. Unsaturated fatty acids are known to exert a therapeutic effect in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In this study, we investigated the protective effect and underlying mechanisms of GSO against NAFLD using in vitro and in vivo models., Methods: In vitro lipid accumulation was induced by free fatty acid mixture in HepG2 cells and by 3 wk of high fat diet (HFD)-feeding in Sprague-Dawley rats prior to hepatocyte isolation. The effects of GSO against diet-induced hepatic steatosis were further examined in C57BL/6J mice fed a HFD for 12 wk., Results: Oil Red O staining and intracellular triglyceride levels showed marked accumulation of lipid droplets in both HepG2 cells and rat hepatocytes, and these were attenuated by GSO treatment. In HFD-fed mice, GSO improved HFD-induced dyslipidemia and hepatic insulin resistance. Increased hepatic lipid contents were observed in HFD-fed mice and it was lowered in GSO (500 mg/kg)-treated mice by 26.4% which was evident in histological analysis. Pathway analysis of hepatic global gene expression indicated that GSO increased the expression of genes associated with β-oxidation ( Ppara , Ppargc1a , Sirt1 , and Cpt1a ) and decreased the expression of lipogenic genes ( Srebf1 and Mlxipl ), and these were confirmed with reverse transcription and quantitative polymerase-chain reaction., Conclusion: These findings suggest that GSO has a beneficial effect on NAFLD through the suppression of lipogenesis and stimulation of fatty acid degradation pathway.

Ginseng seed oil was prepared using compressed, solvent, and supercritical fluid extraction methods of ginseng seeds, and the extraction yield, color, phenolic compounds, fatty acid contents, and phytosterol contents of the ginseng seed oil were analyzed. Yields were different depending on the roasting pretreatment and extraction method. Among the extraction methods, the yield of ginseng seed oil from supercritical fluid extraction under the conditions of 500 bar and 65℃ was the highest, at 17.48%. Color was not different based on the extraction method, but the b-value increased as the roasting time for compression extraction was increased. The b-values of ginseng seed oil following supercritical fluid extraction were 3.54 to 15.6 and those following compression extraction after roasting treatment at 200℃ for 30 min, were 20.49, which was the highest value. The result of the phenolic compounds composition showed the presence of gentisic acid, vanillic acid, ferulic acid, and cinnamic acid in the ginseng seed oil. No differences were detected in phenolic acid levels in ginseng seed oil extracted by compression extraction or solvent extraction, but vanillic acid tended to decrease as extraction pressure and temperature were increased for seed oil extracted by a supercritical fluid extraction method. The fatty acid composition of ginseng seed oil was not different based on the extraction method, and unsaturated fatty acids were >90% of all fatty acids, among which, oleic acid was the highest at 80%. Phytosterol analysis showed that β-sitosterol and stigmasterol were detected. The phytosterol content of ginseng seed oil following supercritical fluid extraction was 100.4 to 135.5 mg/100 g, and the phytosterol content following compression extraction and solvent extraction was 71.8 to 80.9 mg/100 g.