Biotransformation pathways of ginsenoside Rb1 to compound K by β-glucosidases in fungus Paecilomyces Bainier sp. 229

Ginsenoside Rb1 is the most abundant ginsenoside in Panax (ginseng). The hydrolysis of this ginsenoside produces compound K, the biologically active ginsenoside of ginseng. We previously identified a fungus Paecilomyces Bainier sp. 229 (sp. 229), which can efficiently convert ginsenoside Rb1 to compound K. In this report, the ginsenoside hydrolyzing β-glucosidases were isolated from sp. 229 and the pathway of the biotransformation of ginsenoside Rb1 to compound K by sp. 229 was investigated. Based on reverse-phase HPLC and TLC analysis, we found the main metabolic pathway is as follows: ginsenoside Rb1 → ginsenoside Rd → ginsenoside F2 → compound K. Moreover, the results showed that there were other metabolic pathways: ginsenoside Rb1 → ginsenoside XVII → ginsenoside F2 → compound K and ginsenoside Rb1 → ginsenoside Rg3 → ginsenoside Rh2. These processes would allow the specific bioconversion of ginsenoside Rb1 to various ginsenosides using an appropriate combination of specific microbial enzymes.     

Bioconversion of major ginsenosides Rg(1) to minor ginsenoside F(1) using novel recombinant ginsenoside hydrolyzing glycosidase cloned from Sanguibacter keddieii and enzyme characterization

This study focuses on the cloning, expression, and characterization of recombinant ginsenoside hydrolyzing glycosidase from Sanguibacter keddieii in order to biotransform ginsenosides efficiently. The gene, termed bglSk, consists of 1857bp and revealed significant homology to that of glycoside hydrolase family 3. The enzyme was over-expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) using a GST-fused pGEX 4T-1 vector system. The over-expressed recombinant enzymes could convert six major ginsenosides Rb(1), Rb(2), Rc, Rd, Re and Rg(1) into more pharmacologically active rare ginsenosides such as C-Y, C-Mc, C-K, Rg(2)(S), and F(1). Especially, BglSk could completely convert the Rg(1) into F(1). The GST-fused BglSk was purified with GST·bind agarose resin and then characterized. The kinetic parameters for β-glucosidase had apparent K(m) values of 0.456±0.009 and 0.167±0.003mM and V(max) values of 30.2±0.7 and 4.1±0.1μmolmin(-1)mg of protein(-1) against p-nitrophenyl-β-d-glucopyranoside and Rb(1), respectively.     

Isolation and characterization of novel ginsenoside-hydrolyzing glycosidase from Microbacterium esteraromaticum that transforms ginsenoside Rb2 to rare ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3

Ginsenoside Rb2 was transformed by recombinant glycosidase (Bgp2) into ginsenosides Rd and 20(S)-Rg3. The bgp2 gene consists of 2,430 bp that encode 809 amino acids, and this gene has homology to the glycosyl hydrolase family 2 protein domain. SDS-PAGE was used to determine that the molecular mass of purified Bgp2 was 87 kDa. Using 0.1 mg ml^?1 of enzyme in 20 mM sodium phosphate buffer at 40 °C and pH 7.0, 1.0 mg ml^?1 ginsenoside Rb2 was transformed into 0.47 mg ml^?1 ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 within 120 min, with a corresponding molar conversion yield of 65 %. Bgp2 hydrolyzed the ginsenoside Rb2 along the following pathway: Rb2 → Rd → 20(S)-Rg3. This is the first report of the biotransformation of ginsenoside Rb2 to ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 using the recombinant glycosidase.     

Fermentation of ginseng extracts by Penicillium simplicissimum GS33 and anti-ovarian cancer activity of fermented products

A total of 58 isolates of β-glucosidase-producing microorganisms were isolated from soil around the wild ginseng roots under forest using Esculin-R2A agar. Among these isolates, strain GS33 showed a strong ability to convert ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Rd into F2, Rg3, C-K, and convert ginsenoside Rg1 into Rh1, and F1. Fermented ginseng products can inhibit ES-2 cells growth and the IC₅₀ value was 0.73 mg ml^?1. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the strain GS33 belongs to the genus Penicillium and is most closely related to Penicillium simplicissimum (99 %).     

Can ginsenosides protect human erythrocytes against free-radical-induced hemolysis?

Many studies have focused on the free-radical-initiated peroxidation of membrane lipid, which is associated with a variety of pathological events. Panax ginseng is used in traditional Chinese medicine to enhance stamina and capacity to deal with fatigue and physical stress. Many reports have been devoted to the effects of ginsenosides, the major active components in P. ginseng, on the lipid metabolism, immune function and cardiovascular system. The results, however, are usually contradictory since the usage of mixture of ginsenosides cannot identify the function of every individual ginsenosides on the experimental system. On the other hand, every individual ginsenosides is not compared under the same experimental condition. These facts motivate us to evaluate the antioxidant effect of various individual ginsenosides on the experimental system of free-radical-initiated peroxidation: the hemolysis of human erythrocyte induced thermally by water-soluble initiator, 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane hydrochloride) (AAPH). The inhibitory concentration of 50% inhibition (IC₅₀) of AAPH-induced hemolysis of the erythrocyte has been studied firstly and found that the order of IC₅₀ is Rb3∼Rb1≪Rg2<Re<Rg1∼Rc<Rh1<R1. Rb1, Rc and Rg2, as antioxidants, can prolong the lag time of hemolysis. Contrarily, Rg3, Rd and Rh1, together with high concentration of Rb3, Rg1 and Rh2, function as prooxidants to accelerate AAPH-induced hemolysis. The addition of Re does not influence the lag time of hemolysis. The R1 with the concentration ranging from 10 to 20 μM decreases the lag time of hemolysis. These results suggest that there is a mutual interaction that existed in the molecule of ginsenosides since the difference of the structure of ginsenosides is only due to the connective position and type of sugar moieties to the ring of a triterpene dammarane. Moreover, the synergistic antioxidative properties of various individual ginsenosides with α-tocopherol (TOH) are also discussed, and it was found that the order of synergistic antioxidative properties with TOH is Rb1>Rc>Re>Rh1>R1>Rg2>Rb3. Rg3, Rd and Rh2, however, act as synergistic prooxidants in the above experimental system. Rg1 does not show any synergistic antioxidative property. Although the antioxidative and prooxidative mechanism of various ginsenosides with or without TOH in AAPH-induced hemolysis of human erythrocytes will be further studied in detail, this information may be useful in the clinical usage of ginsenosides.     

Hydrolysis of the outer β-(1,2)-d-glucose linkage at the C-3 position of ginsenosides by a commercial β-galactosidase and its use in the production of minor ginsenosides

Commercial β-galactosidase from Aspergillus oryzae (SUMILACT L^TM) was used for the bioconversion of the ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, and Rg3 to gypenoside-XVII, compound-O, compound-MC1, F2, and Rh2, respectively. The optimal conditions were pH 4.5, 50?°C, 60?U·mL^?1 enzyme, and 8.0?mM substrate. Interestingly, the enzyme hydrolyzed only the outer β-(1,2)-d-glucose linkage at the C-3 position of ginsenosides. Under optimum conditions, the enzyme completely converted Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, and Rg3 to gypenoside-XVII, compound-O, compound-MC1, F2, and Rh2, respectively, with the highest productivity.     

Effects of ginsenosides on glycine receptor alpha1 channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes

Ginsenosides, major active ingredients of Panax ginseng, are known to regulate the excitatory ligand-gated ion channel activity. Recent reports showed that ginsenosides attenuate nicotinic acetylcholine and NMDA receptor channel activity. However, it is not known whether ginsenosides also affect the inhibitory ligand-gated ion channel activity. We investigated the effect of ginsenosides on human glycine alpha1 receptor channel activity expressed in Xenopus oocytes using a two-electrode voltage clamp technique. Treatment of ginsenoside Rf enhances glycine-induced inward peak current (IGly) with dose dependent and reversible manner but ginsenoside Rf itself did not elicit membrane currents. The half-stimulatory concentrations (EC50) of ginsenoside Rf was 49.8 +/- 8.9 microM. Glycine receptor antagonist strychnine completely blocked the inward current elicited by glycine plus ginsenoside Rf. Cl- channel blocker 4,4'-disothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS) also blocked the inward current elicited by glycine plus ginsenoside Rf. We also tested the effect of eight individual ginsenosides (i.e., Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, Re, Rg1, Rg2, and Ro) in addition to ginsenoside Rf. We found that five of them significantly enhanced the inward current induced by glycine with the following order of potency: Rb1 > Rb2 > Rg2 > or = Rc > Rf > Rg1 > Re. These results indicate that ginsenosides might regulate gylcine receptor expressed in Xenopus oocytes and this regulation might be one of the pharmacological actions of Panax ginseng.     

A novel ginsenosidase from an Aspergillus strain hydrolyzing 6-O-multi-glycosides of protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides, named ginsenosidase type IV

Herein, a novel ginsenosidase, named ginsenosidase type IV, hydrolyzing 6-O-multi-glycosides of protopanaxatrioltype ginsenosides (PPT), such as Re, R1, Rf, and Rg2, was isolated from the Aspergillus sp. 39g strain, purified, and characterized. Ginsenosidase type IV was able to hydrolyze the 6-O-alpha-L-(1-->2)-rhamnoside of Re and the 6-O-beta-D- (1-->2)-xyloside of R1 into ginsenoside Rg1. Subsequently, it could hydrolyze the 6-O-beta-D-glucoside of Rg1 into F1. Similarly, it was able to hydrolyze the 6-O-alpha-L-(1-->2)- rhamnoside of Rg2 and the 6-O-beta-D-(1-->2)-glucoside of Rf into Rh1, and then further hydrolyze Rh1 into its aglycone. However, ginsenosidase type IV could not hydrolyze the 3-O- or 20-O-glycosides of protopanaxadioltype ginsenosides (PPD), such as Rb1, Rb2, Rb3, Rc, and Rd. These exhibited properties are significantly different from those of glycosidases described in Enzyme Nomenclature by the NC-IUBMB. The optimal temperature and pH for ginsenosidase type IV were 40°C and 6.0, respectively. The activity of ginsenosidase type IV was slightly improved by the Mg(2+) ion, and inhibited by Cu(2+) and Fe(2+) ions. The molecular mass of the enzyme, based on SDS-PAGE, was noted as being approximately 56 kDa.     

Methyl jasmonate elicitation enhanced synthesis of ginsenoside by cell suspension cultures of Panax ginseng in 5-l balloon type bubble bioreactors

The effects of methyl jasmonate (MJ) elicitation on the cell growth and accumulation of ginsenoside in 5-l bioreactor suspension cultures of Panax ginseng were investigated. Ginsenoside accumulation was enhanced by elicitation by MJ (in the range 50–400 M); however, fresh weight, dry weight and growth ratio of the cells was strongly inhibited by increasing MJ concentration. The highest ginsenoside yield was obtained at 200 M MJ. In the second experiment, 200 M MJ was added on day 15 during the cultivation. The ginsenoside, Rb group, and Rg group ginsenoside content increased 2.9, 3.7, and 1.6 times, respectively, after 8 days of MJ treatment. Rb group gisnsenosides accumulated more than Rg group ginsenosides. Among Rb group ginsenosides, Rb1 content increased significantly by four times but the contents of Rb2, Rc and Rd increased only slightly. Among Rg group ginsenosides, Rg1 and Re showed 2.3-fold and 3.0-fold increments, respectively, whereas there was only a slight increment in Rf group ginsenosides. These results suggest that MJ elicitation is beneficial for ginsenoside production using 5-l bioreactor cell suspension cultures.     

Production of ginsenoside aglycons and Rb1 deglycosylation pathway profiling by HPLC and ESI-MS/MS using Sphingobacterium multivorum GIN723

Using enrichment culture, Sphingobacterium multivorum GIN723 (KCCM80060) was isolated as having activity for deglycosylation of compound K and ginsenoside F1 to produce ginsenoside aglycons such as S-protopanaxadiol (PPD(S)) and S-protopanaxatriol (PPT(S)). Through BLAST search, purified enzyme from S. multivorum GIN723 was revealed to be the outer membrane protein. The purified enzyme from S. multivorum GIN723 has unique specificity for the glucose moiety. However, it has activity with PPD and PPT group ginsenosides such as ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rb3, Rc, F2, CK, Rh2, Re, and F1. From these results, it was predicted that the enzyme has activity on several ginsenosides. Therefore, the biotransformation pathway from Rb1, which is a major, highly glycosylated compound of ginseng, was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry. The dominant biotransformation pathway from Rb1 to PPD(S) was determined to be Rb1 → Gp-XVII → Gp-LXXV → CK → PPD(S). S. multivorum GIN723 can be used as a whole cell biocatalyst because its activity as whole cells is nine times higher than its activity as cell extracts. The specific activity of whole cells is 2.89 nmol/mg/min in the production of PPD(S). On the other hand, the specific activity of cell extracts is 0.32 nmol/mg/min. The productivity of this enzyme in whole cell form is 500 mg/1 l of cultured cell. Its optimum reaction condition is 10 mM of calcium ions added to a phosphate buffer with a pH of 8.5.     

Enzymatic biotransformation of ginsenoside Rb1 to 20(<Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>)-Rg3 by recombinant β-glucosidase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Microbacterium esteraromaticum</Emphasis>

Microbacterium esteraromaticum was isolated from ginseng field. The β-glucosidase gene (bgp1) from M. esteraromaticum was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The bgp1 gene consists of 2,496 bp encoding 831 amino acids which have homology to the glycosyl hydrolase family 3 protein domain. The recombinant β-glucosidase enzyme (Bgp1) was purified and characterized. The molecular mass of purified Bgp1 was 87.5 kDa, as determined by SDS-PAGE. Using 0.1 mg ml⁻¹ enzyme in 20 mM sodium phosphate buffer at 37°C and pH 7.0, 1.0 mg ml⁻¹ ginsenoside Rb1 was transformed into 0.444 mg ml⁻¹ ginsenoside Rg3 within 6 h. The Bgp1 sequentially hydrolyzed the outer and inner glucose attached to the C-20 position of ginsenosides Rb1. Bgp1 hydrolyzed the ginsenoside Rb1 along the following pathway: Rb1 → Rd → 20(S)-Rg3. This is the first report of the biotransformation of ginsenoside Rb1 to ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 using the recombinant β-glucosidase.     

Effects of ginsenosides and their metabolites on voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channel subtypes

In previous reports we demonstrated that ginsenosides, active ingredients of Panax ginseng, affect some subsets of voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels in neuronal cells expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. However, the major component(s) of ginseng that affect cloned Ca(2+) channel subtypes such as alpha(1C) (L)-, alpha(1B) (N)-, alpha(1A) (P/Q)-, a1E (R)- and a1G (T) have not been identified. Here, we used the two-microelectrode volt-age clamp technique to characterize the effects of ginsenosides and ginsenoside metabolites on Ba(2+) currents (IBa) in Xenopus oocytes expressing five different Ca(2+) channel subtypes. Exposure to ginseng total saponins (GTS) induced voltage-dependent, dose-dependent and reversible inhibition of the five channel subtypes, with particularly strong inhibition of the a1G-type. Of the various ginsenosides, Rb(1), Rc, Re, Rf, Rg(1), Rg(3), and Rh(2), ginsenoside Rg(3) also inhibited all five channel subtypes and ginsenoside Rh(2) had most effect on the a1C- and a1E-type Ca(2+) channels. Compound K (CK), a protopanaxadiol ginsenoside metabolite, strongly inhibited only the a(1G)-type of Ca(2+) channel, whereas M4, a protopanaxatriol ginsenoside metabolite, had almost no effect on any of the channels. Rg(3), Rh(2), and CK shifted the steady-state activation curves but not the inactivation curves in the depolarizing direction in the alpha(1B)- and alpha(1A)-types. These results reveal that Rg(3), Rh(2) and CK are the major inhibitors of Ca(2+) channels in Panax ginseng, and that they show some Ca(2+) channel selectivity.     

Can ginsenosides protect human erythrocytes against free-radical-induced hemolysis?

Many studies have focused on the free-radical-initiated peroxidation of membrane lipid, which is associated with a variety of pathological events. Panax ginseng is used in traditional Chinese medicine to enhance stamina and capacity to deal with fatigue and physical stress. Many reports have been devoted to the effects of ginsenosides, the major active components in P. ginseng, on the lipid metabolism, immune function and cardiovascular system. The results, however, are usually contradictory since the usage of mixture of ginsenosides cannot identify the function of every individual ginsenosides on the experimental system. On the other hand, every individual ginsenosides is not compared under the same experimental condition. These facts motivate us to evaluate the antioxidant effect of various individual ginsenosides on the experimental system of free-radical-initiated peroxidation: the hemolysis of human erythrocyte induced thermally by water-soluble initiator, 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane hydrochloride) (AAPH). The inhibitory concentration of 50% inhibition (IC(50)) of AAPH-induced hemolysis of the erythrocyte has been studied firstly and found that the order of IC(50) is Rb3 - Rb1Rc>Re>Rh1>R1>Rg2>Rb3. Rg3, Rd and Rh2, however, act as synergistic prooxidants in the above experimental system. Rg1 does not show any synergistic antioxidative property. Although the antioxidative and prooxidative mechanism of various ginsenosides with or without TOH in AAPH-induced hemolysis of human erythrocytes will be further studied in detail, this information may be useful in the clinical usage of ginsenosides.     

Purification and characterization of two novel β-glucosidases from Penicillium oxalicum and their application in bioactive ginsenoside production

Abstract

The fungus Penicillium oxalicum is able to selectively metabolize the 20(S)-protopanaxadiol ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2 and Rc to the bioactive ginsenoside compound K using extracellular glycosidases. In this study, two novel extracellular ginsenoside-hydrolyzing enzymes GH3-1 and GH3-2 were purified and characterized from P. oxalicum culture. Using ginsenosides as substrates, GH3-1 and GH3-2 synergistically catalyzed the hydrolysis of Rb1, Rb2 and Rc to yield the final product Compound K (C-K). The hydrolysis pathways were determined to be: Rb1→Rd→F2→C-K, Rb2→CO→CY→C-K and Rc→Mb→Mc→C-K for GH3-1 and GH3-2, respectively. The two enzymes differ, especially in composition, molecular weight, stability and substrate specificity, from GH1, a glycosidase previously purified from the same fungus. These enzymes could be of interest in glycoside degradation, especially in the production of minor ginsenosides.     

Characterization of a novel ginsenoside-hydrolyzing α-l-arabinofuranosidase, AbfA, from Rhodanobacter ginsenosidimutans Gsoil 3054T

The gene encoding an α-l-arabinofuranosidase that could biotransform ginsenoside Rc {3-O-[β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1–2)-β-d-glucopyranosyl]-20-O-[α-l-arabinofuranosyl-(1–6)-β-d-glucopyranosyl]-20(S)-protopanaxadiol} to ginsenoside Rd {3-O-[β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1–2)-β-d-glucopyranosyl]-20-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-20(S)-protopanaxadiol} was cloned from a soil bacterium, Rhodanobacter ginsenosidimutans strain Gsoil 3054^T, and the recombinant enzyme was characterized. The enzyme (AbfA) hydrolyzed the arabinofuranosyl moiety from ginsenoside Rc and was classified as a family 51 glycoside hydrolase based on amino acid sequence analysis. Recombinant AbfA expressed in Escherichia coli hydrolyzed non-reducing arabinofuranoside moieties with apparent K _m values of 0.53 ± 0.07 and 0.30 ± 0.07 mM and V _max values of 27.1 ± 1.7 and 49.6 ± 4.1 μmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹ of protein for p-nitrophenyl-α-l-arabinofuranoside and ginsenoside Rc, respectively. The enzyme exhibited preferential substrate specificity of the exo-type mode of action towards polyarabinosides or oligoarabinosides. AbfA demonstrated substrate-specific activity for the bioconversion of ginsenosides, as it hydrolyzed only arabinofuranoside moieties from ginsenoside Rc and its derivatives, and not other sugar groups. These results are the first report of a glycoside hydrolase family 51 α-l-arabinofuranosidase that can transform ginsenoside Rc to Rd.     

人参生殖器官皂苷含量动态变化

为了明确从现蕾、开花到结实过程中的人参生殖器官中各单体皂苷含量的动态变化,应用HPLC法测定了人工栽培的五年生人参不同时期生殖器官中的人参单体皂苷Rb1、Rb2、Rb3、Rc、Rd、Re、Rg1和Rg3的含量。结果显示:从现蕾到果实成熟的过程中,人参单体皂苷Rb1、Rb2、Rb3、Rc、Rd、Re、Rg1和Rg3的含量的平均值分别为0.643%,0.189%,1.026%,1.014%,1.941%,8.381%,0.724%和0.041mg.g-1。从现蕾到果实成熟的过程中,人参单体皂苷Rb1含量的最高值在7月16日,单体皂苷Rb3、Rc、Rd和Rg1含量的最高值在7月11日,单体皂苷Rb2和Rg2含量的最高值在8月7日。     

An application of β-glycosidase to transformation of ginsenosides for the effective production of specific ginsenosides with biological efficacy

Over the past several decades, the pharmacological effects of ginsenosides in Panax ginseng roots have been extensively investigated. Here, we developed a method for producing specific ginsenosides (F1 and F2) with good yields (F1:162 mg/g, F2:305 mg/g) using ??-glycosidase purified from Aspergillus niger. In addition, each ginsenoside (at least 25 species) was separated and purified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using five different types of solvents and different purification steps. In addition, the Rg3:Rh2 mixture (1:1, w/w) was shown to inhibit a specific lung cancer cell line (NCI-H232) in vivo, displaying an anticancer effect at a dose lower than achieved using treatments with single Rg3 or Rh2. This finding suggests that the combination of ginsenosides for targeting anticancer is more effective than the use of a single ginsenoside from ginseng or red ginseng.     

Application of microwave-irradiation technique in deglycosylation of ginsenosides for improving apoptosis induction in human melanoma SK-MEL-2 cells

To increase the contents of medicinally effective ginsenosides, we used high-temperature and high-pressure thermal processing of ginseng by exposing it to microwave irradiation. To determine the anti-melanoma effect, the malignant melanoma SK-MEL-2 cell line was treated with an extract of microwave-irradiated ginseng. Microwave irradiation caused changes in the ginsenoside contents: the amounts of ginsenosides Rg1, Re, Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Rd were disappeared, while those of less polar ginsenosides, such as Rg3, Rg5, and Rk1, were increased. In particular, the contents of Rk1 and Rg5 markedly increased. Melanoma cells treated with the microwave-irradiated ginseng extract showed markedly increased cell death. The results indicate that the microwave-irradiated ginseng extract induced melanoma cell death via the apoptotic pathway and that the cytotoxic effect of the microwave-irradiated ginseng extract is attributable to the increased contents of specific ginsenosides.     

Biotransformation of Saponins by Endophytes Isolated from Panax notoginseng

The biotransformation of the major saponins in Panax notoginseng, including the ginsenosides Rg1, Rh1, Rb1, and Re, by endophytes isolated from P. notoginseng was studied. One hundred and thirty‐six endophytes were isolated and screened for their biotransformational abilities. The results showed that five of the tested endophytes were able to transform these saponins. These five strains were identified based on their ITS or 16S rDNA sequences, which revealed that they belonged to the genera Fusarium, Nodulisporium, Brevundimonas, and Bacillus genera. Ten transformed products were isolated and identified, including a new compound 6‐O‐[α‐L ‐rhamnopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐β‐D ‐glucopyranosyl]‐20‐O‐β‐D ‐glucopyranosyldammarane‐3,6,12,20,24,25‐hexaol ( 3 ), and nine known compounds, compound K ( 1 ), ginsenoside F2 ( 2 ), vinaginsenoside R13 ( 4 ), vinaginsenoside R22 ( 5 ), pseudo‐ginsenoside RT4 ( 6 ), (20S)‐protopanaxatriol ( 7 ), ginsenoside Rg1 ( 8 ), vinaginsenoside R15 ( 9 ), and (20S)‐3‐O‐β‐D ‐glucopyranosyl‐6‐O‐β‐D ‐glucopyranosylprotopanaxatriol ( 10 ). This is the first study on the biotransformation of chemical components in P. notoginseng by endophytes isolated from the same plant.