Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: Ginsenoside or saponin, is considered as the major bioactive component mediating the therapeutic properties of Korean red ginseng (KRG). However, the exact physiological mechanism underlying anti-diabetic effects is still not fully Clarified. More than 30 different saponins together account for only about 3–4% of KRG, thereby, it is assumed that non-saponin fraction of KRG also carry potential anti-diabetic effects; however, there is no study reporting the differentiated effects of saponin and non-saponin fractions of KRG on glycemic indications and hyperglycemia-associated complication markers.

Methods: 12-week-old male Nagoya-Shibata-Yasuda (NSY) mice were allocated into 4 groups: control group given standard rodent diet (SRD) or treatment groups given either Korean red ginseng extract (KRG), saponin fraction from KRG extract (Spn) or non-saponin fraction from KRG extract (NSpn) admixed in SRD. The targeted administration doses of KRG, Spn and NSpn were all 200 mg/kg/day; all mice were fed assigned regimens for 24 weeks. Parameters for glycemic control, blood lipid profile, inflammation, oxidative stress, and anti-oxidant enzymatic activities were measured.

Results: KRG had positive effects on glycemic control by attenuating the increase in FBG at 24-week and by increasing glucose clearance and insulin response during i.p. GTT as compared to control. KRG also attenuated increases in TNF-α, oxidized LDL (oxLDL), advanced glycation end-products, and accumulation of malondialdehyde in skeletal muscle. Spn had a positive effect on insulin response while NSpn attenuated oxLDL as compared to control.

Conclusion: This study showed that anti-diabetic properties of KRG are not mainly mediated by saponin, but the therapeutic potentials of KRG may be due to the orchestral effects of both saponin and non-saponin.