Polyacetylenic Compounds, ACAT Inhibitors from the Roots of Panax ginseng

Acyl-CoA:  cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT), which plays a role in the absorption, storage, and production of cholesterol, has been explored as a potential target for pharmacological intervention of hyperlipidemia and atherosclerotic disease. In our search for ACAT inhibitors from natural sources, the petroleum ether extract of Panax ginseng showed moderate inhibition of ACAT enzyme from rat liver microsomes. Bioactivity-guided fractionations led to the isolation of one new polyacetylenic compound, (9R,10S)-epoxy-16-heptadecene-4, 6-diyne-3-one (1), in addition to the previously reported polyacetylenic compounds 2 and 3. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic evidence (UV, IR, NMR, and MS). The compounds 1, 2, and 3 showed significant ACAT inhibition with IC₅₀ values of 35, 47, and 21 μM, respectively.

Keywords: Panax ginseng; Acyl-CoA:  cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT); Polyacetylenes; atherosclerosis; cholesteryl ester