Ginsenoside Rk1 is one of the major components of heat-processed Panax ginseng. The author investigated the mechanisms underlying the anti-tumor activity of Rk1 in human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells in vitro. The results represent the first identification of the biological activity of ginsenoside Rk1 against HepG2 cell growth and show that the mechanism underlying the anti-tumor activity of ginsenoside Rk1 involves coordination between inhibition of telomerase activity and induction of apoptosis.
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