Patent ID: 8563052

Claim:
A method for isolating gintonin comprising: extracting ginseng with aqueous methanol and then fractionating with a mixture of water and n-butanol to yield a water fraction and a n-butanol fraction; subjecting the n-butanol fraction to silica gel chromatography and eluting with a mixture of chloromethane, methanol and water to yield eight fractions which are then assayed for Ca2+-activated chloride channel activation in xenopus oocytes; fractionating the seventh fraction which has the highest activity in xenopus oocytes by silica gel chromatography and eluting with a mixture of ethanol, ethylacetate and water to yield two subfractions; assaying the two subfractions for their ability to induce intracellular calcium release in Ehrlich Ascites Tumor cells and CaCC activation in xenopus oocytes; and dialyzing subfraction two which has a higher activity than subfraction one to induce intracellular calcium release in Ehrlich Ascites Tumor cells and CaCC activation in xenopus oocytes against excess water in a dialysis bag to remove ginsenosides and yield said isolated gintonin.