Comparison of polysaccharides in ginseng root cultures and cultivated ginseng and establishment of high-content uronic acid plant synthesis system

Abstract

Panax ginseng is a rare and traditional herbal medicine with many pharmacological activities. After ginseng was approved as a new resource food by the Ministry of Health, ginseng food was vigorously researched and developed. As an alternative resource for cultivated ginseng, ginseng tissue cultures has good development potential, but there are few studies on its component and pharmacological activity. In this study, we analyzed the compositional characteristics of polysaccharides in ginseng root cultures. Compared with cultivated ginseng, the relative molecular weight of ginseng polysaccharides in ginseng root cultures was smaller, and the proportion of acidic polysaccharides such as galacturonic acid was higher. Correspondingly, compared with cultivated ginseng, polysaccharide of ginseng root cultures has higher intestinal microbial diversity and abundance of Lactobacillus. On this basis, we constructed a genetic transformation system for ginseng root cultures through gene editing of galacturonic acid which significantly increased the content of uronic acid. This research laid the foundation for the development of ginseng polysaccharide medicines and health products.