抄録
Authors have reported on biochemical actions of active principles, esp. saponins, in panax ginseng. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of ginseng principles on lipid metabolism in the rats, as well as clinical effects of red ginseng powder on hyperlipidemic patients. Male rats of Sprague-Dawley strain were used. Plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels of rats fed a 1% cholesterol-0.5% cholic acid diet for 7 days were both high, but the intramuscular injections of either of ginseng saponins (fraction 4), saikoseponins or glycyrrhizin reduced plasma lipid levels. (Fig. 1)
Radioactivity of cholesterol remained 48 hours after interaperitoneal injection of 4-(14C) cholesterol. The plasma of rats administered with ginseng saponins was significantly lower than controls. (Table 2)
Fecal excretion of radioactive bile acids and sterols after intraperitoneal injection of 4-(14C) cholesterol was accelerated by ginseng saponins. (Table 3). These results may suggest that ginseng principles accelerated cholesterol turnover and reduced plasma cholesterol level.
To check the net effect of ginseng, effects of oral administration of red ginseng powder for 90 days on plasma lipids, lipid peroxide, platelet adhesiveness and atherosclerosis were investigated using rats fed a high cholesterol-diet. (Table 4) Red ginseng powder used was manufactured at Office of Monopoly, Republic of Korea. Total cholesterol, triglyceride, NEFA and total cholesterol-HDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol, i.e., so called atherogenic index, were much decreased, while HDL-cholesterol and phospholipid were significantly increased. Lipid peroxide remained unchanged. Platelet adhesiveness was decreased. (Table 5)
Fatty liver induced by high cholesterol-diet feeding was improved by simultaneous oral administration of red ginseng powder. Hepatic total cholesterol and triglyceride were decreased, while phospholipid were increased. (Table 6) Macroscopically color of the liver was quite different between the cholesterol diet-fed and the cholesterol plus ginseng diet-fed, that is, yellow in the former and red in the latter. Histological examinations revealed that fatty infiltration was improved by ginseng administration.
Five normal volunteers and 6 hyperlipidemic patients received 4.5g/day of red ginseng powder manufactured by office of Monopoly, Republic of Korea for a week (Table 7). Serum HDL-cholesterol was elevated and triglyceride was declined, while serum cholesterol and lipoproxide showed no significant change. Over fifty patients of hyperlipidemia are receiving ginseng powder. The data will be published.
