Compound K induces expression of hyaluronan synthase 2 gene in transformed human keratinocytes and increases hyaluronan in hairless mouse skin.

Ginsenosides, the major active ingredients of ginseng, have a variety of biomedical efficacies such as anti-aging, anti-oxidation, and anti-inflammatory activities. To understand the effects of compound K (20-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-20(S)-protopanaxadiol), one of the major metabolites of ginsenosides, on the skin, we assessed the expression levels of about 100 transcripts in compound K-treated HaCaT cells using cDNA microarray analysis. One gene up-regulated by compound K was hyaluronan synthase2 (HAS2).