Comparative Study of Korean White, Red, and Black Ginseng Extract on Cholinesterase Inhibitory Activity and Cholinergic Function

Abstract

This study evaluated cholineresterase inhibitory activity of Korean white ginseng extract (WGE), red ginseng extract (RGE), and black ginseng extract (BGE) and the cholinergic effect on scopolamine (SCOP)-induced amnesic mice. WGE, RGE, and BGE inhibited acetylcholineserase (AChE), as well as butyrylcholineserase (BuChE) in a concentration-dependent manner. BGE presented strong inhibition of AChE with an IC50 value of 1.72 mg/mL, followed by WGE (5.89 mg/mL), RGE (6.30 mg/mL), respectively. The inhibitory activity of the three ginseng extracts on BuChE showed similar values among the groups. To better understand the mechanisms of the possible effect of ginseng extract on the cholinergic function, this study assessed the expression of the cholinergic markers of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and AChE using western blot and RT-PCR analysis in the brains of amnesic mice. Treatment with ginseng extracts led to inhibition of AChE expression and, the activation of ChAT expression in the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex of amnesic mice as induced by SCOP. The results suggest that ginseng extracts including BGE, appear to modulate the metabolism of acetylchoine (ACh), which would greatly increase synaptic ACh levels and most potently revert SCOP-induced amnesia.

Methanol extract of Osbeckia stellata suppresses lipopolysaccharide- and HCl/ethanol-induced inflammatory responses by inhibiting Src/Syk and IRAK1

“…Immune complexes were mixed with 10 ml of protein A-coupled Sepharose beads (50% vv) and rotated for 3 h at 41C. Soluble cell lysates or boiled immunoprecipitated beads were immunoblotted and phosphorylated or total levels of transcription factors (p65, p50, c-Jun, c-Fos, CREB, and ATF2), TLR4, MyD88, IRK1, MAPK (ERK, p38, and JNK), MKK4, TAK1, IkBa, IKKb, Akt, p85/PI3K, PDK1, g-tubulin, b-actin, histone H3, and non-receptor tyrosine kinases (Src and Syk) were visualized as previously reported (Lee et al, 2011b;Song et al, 2012).…”

Actoprotective effect of ginseng: improving mental and physical performance

“…They are already described in numerous review articles published in recent literature [146,156,171-180]. It is necessary to subscribe that among these mechanisms is the capacity of ginsenosides to potentiate the cholinergic system in central nervous system [112,113,119,181,182]. Other important neurotransmitters for learning, memory, and cognitive functions involved in mechanism action of ginsenosides are glutamate [183,184] and 5-HT [175].…”

Effect of Lactobacillus paracasei A221‐fermented ginseng on impaired spatial memory in a rat model with cerebral ischemia and β‐amyloid injection

“…Ginseng provides various pharmacological effects and is used as a popular supplement for healthy people. Furthermore, ginseng promotes cognitive function and ameliorates cognitive dysfunction in patients with dementia . The main active ingredients of ginseng, called ginsenosides, such as Rb1, Rb2, Rc of the protopanaxadiol type, Rg1, and Re of the protopanaxatriol type, are effective in animal models and cell culture models of dementia.…”