Microbial transformation of ginsenoside Rb1 by Rhizopus stolonifer and Curvularia lunata.

Of 49 microbial strains screened for their capabilities to transform ginsenoside Rb1, Rhizopus stolonifer and Curvularia lunata produced four key metabolites: 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1,2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-20-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-3beta,12beta, 20(S)-trihydroxydammar-24-ene (1), 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1,2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-20-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-3beta,12beta, 20(S)-trihydroxydammar-24-ol (2), 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1,2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-3beta, 12beta, 20(S)-trihydroxydammar-24-ene (3), and 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-3beta, 12beta, 20(S)-trihydroxydammar-24-ene (4), identified by TOF-MS, 1H- and 13C-NMR spectral data. Metabolites 1, 3 and 4 were from the incubation with R. stolonifer, and 1 and 2 from the incubation with C. lunata. Compound 2 was identified as a new compound.