Abstract: The present invention relates to a series of dicarboxylic acid ester derivatives of ginsenosides such as succinate and glutarate derivatives of 20-O-?-D-glucopyranosyl-protopanaxadiol (compound K, abbreviated as CK), preparation thereof and pharmaceutical uses thereof. The dicarboxylic acid ester derivatives of ginsenosides of the present invention can be used to form pharmaceutical acceptable salts thereof having a high water solubility or can be directly dissolved in an aqueous solution of metal salt, and retain the pharmaceutical activities of ginsenosides such as tumor growth inhibition and cancer preventive cytotoxicity. The dicarboxylic acid ester derivatives of ginsenosides of the present invention are thus suitable for use in the manufactures of various pharmaceutically and cosmetically acceptable dosage forms of preparations, such as peripheral, oral, and topical dosage forms.

Abstract: Pancreatic disease can be diagnosed by assaying a patient's body fluid such as serum or urine, for pancreatic activation peptides (PAP) released from zymogens by proteolytic activation. Particularly useful are peptides having C-terminal D.sub.4 K sequences. The method uses polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies generated and selected for C-terminal specificity on PAP so that the tests only report free PAP not parent zymogen. Also described are peptides and antibodies labelled with revealing agents and/or immobilised on solid supports and their use in diagnostic assays and kits. In pancreatic disease the tests distinguish necrotising from oedematous acute pancreatitis and permit severity prediction and monitoring as well as diagnosing chronic pancreatitis in exacerbation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a family of DNA insertion sequences (ISMY) of mycobacterial origin and other DNA probes which may be used a probes in assay methods for the identification of mycobacteria and the differentiation between closely related mycobacterial strains and species. In one method the probes are used to distinguish pathogenic M. paratuberculosis from M. avium, which finds an application in the diagnosis of Crohn's disease in humans and Johne's disease in animals. The use of ISMY, and of proteins and peptides encoded by ISMY, in vaccines, pharmaceutical preparations and diagnostic test kits is also disclosed.

Abstract: Pancreatic disease can be diagnosed by assaying a patient's body fluid, e.g. serum or urine, for the activation peptides of pancreatic zymogens specifically cleaved by proteolysis during activation, (PAP) e.g. peptides including the sequence D.sub.4 K having the lysine as the carboxy terminus. When PAP is assayed for, the test provides a means for distinguishing necrotising acute pancreatitis from oedematous acute pancreatitis, provides for diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis in exacerbation, and permits monitoring of the severity progress of the disease. Also described are antibodies having specificity for the pancreatic activation peptides, as well as such peptides and antibodies which are labelled with revealing agents and/or immobilized on solid supports, and their use in diagnostic test kits.