2012 Volume 29 Issue 4 Pages 169-178
The effect of 70% methanolic extract of Red Ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. MEYER, RG-ext) was investigated on blood fluidity in rats. Evaluation of blood fluidity was carried out by measuring whole blood passage time using a micro channel array flow analyzer (MC-FAN), polybrene-induced erythrocyte aggregation (PEA), and the euglobulin lysis time (ELT). RG-ext inhibited the elongation of the passage time caused by cold stress (5°C), whereas White Ginseng extract (WG-ext) showed no effect. In addition, RG-ext showed inhibition of PEA. The aggregation inhibitory activity of RG-ext was stronger than that of WG-ext. These data indicated that effects of RG-ext on blood fluidity are superior to those of WG-ext. Successive oral administration of RG-ext (50 and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) to adjuvant-induced arthritis model rats inhibited the elongations of both the whole blood passage time and ELT caused by arthritis, although RG-ext showed no effect on right hind paw swelling. In order to identify active constituents, the effects of several Ginseng saponins [ginsenoside-Ro, -Rb1, -Rg1 and 20(S)-ginsenoside-Rg3 [20(S)-Rg3]] in Red Ginseng on the elongation of whole blood passage time in low temperature-treated rat blood and PEA were examined. Among these, 20(S)-Rg3, a saponin characteristic of Red Ginseng, showed the most potent inhibitory activity on elongation of whole blood passage time and showed concentration-dependent inhibition of PEA. Therefore, part of the effect of Red Ginseng on improving blood fluidity may be attributable to 20(S)-Rg3.
