Ginseng Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ginseng, including details on american ginseng, panax, benefits, side effects.

Effect of sun ginseng methanol extract on lipopolysaccharide-induced liver injury in rats.

Kang KS, Yamabe N, Kim HY, Yokozawa T

Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.

Sun ginseng (SG) is heat-processed Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer steamed at 120 degrees C, which has ginsenoside-Rg(3), -Rk(1), and -Rg(5) as its main ginsenoside components. The effect of SG on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced liver injury in rats was investigated in this study. Intravenous injection of LPS induced excessive nitric oxide (*NO) generation in serum and increased the hepatic mitochondrial thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBA-RS) level. However, the elevated TBA-RS level was significantly lowered by 15 consecutive days of SG administrations. In addition, up-regulated hepatic inducible nitric oxide synthase and heme oxygenase 1 levels in LPS-treated control rats were significantly lowered and increased, respectively, by 100 mg/kg body weight/day of SG administration. These antioxidant effects were thought to be partially related to the deactivation of nuclear factor-kappaB by SG administration.

Published 5 November 2007 in Phytomedicine, 14(12): 840-5.
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