In the course of our investigation of water-soluble constituents of ginseng, some oligopeptides, oxidized glutathione, N, N'-bis-( γ- glutamylglycyl) cystine 1, N, N'-bis-γ-glutamylcystinylglycine 2,N- γ-glutamylcystinyl-bis-glycine 3 and γ-glutamylcysteinylglycinamide disulfide were isolated for the first time from aqueous extracts of Panax ginseng root. Here the chemical synthesis of peptide 1,2,3, and γ- glutamylglycylcysteine 4 was described. All peptides were prepared by solution method and using an organophosphorus compound 3- O- (diethoxyphosphoryloxy)-1,2,3-benzotriazin-4-(3H)-one (DEPBT) as a coupling reagent. The synthesis of asymmetrical disulfides, peptide 2 and 3, based on glutathione (GSH) thiolysis of the thiolsulfonate derivatives of corresponding peptides N, N'-γ-glutamylcystine and cystinyl-bis-glycine. The final products were separated from contaminating compounds by ion-exchange chromatography or PHLC and confirmed by MS, NMR and amino acid analysis.

Key words: PANAX GINSENG, OLIGOPEPTIDE, CYSTINE, GLYCINE, AMINO ACID, HIGH SPEED LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY, MASS SPECTROGRAPHY, NMR SPECTROMETRY