Effect of Korean Red Ginseng on Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Abstract

Objective: Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of the most important problems affecting both social and professional life of patients. There is no treatment method considered to be successful on the hearing loss that has become a permanent nature. Aim of this study is to evaluate protective effect of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) against NIHL in an animal model. Methods: Twenty-eight rats were separated into four groups [control saline (group I), control KRG (group II), saline + noise (group III), KRG + noise (group IV)]. Rats in the saline and KRG groups were fed via oral gavage with a dose of 200 mg/kg/day throughout for 10 days. Fourteen rats (group III and IV) were exposed to 4 kHz octave band noise at 120 dB SPL for 5 hours. Hearing levels of rats were evaluated by distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) and auditory brainstem responses (ABR) at 4, 8, 12, 16 and 32 kHz frequencies prior to and on days 1, 7 and 10 after the noise exposure. Rats were sacrificed on 10th day, after the last audiological test. Cochlea and spiral ganglion tissues were evaluated by light microscopy. Results: Audiological and histological results demonstrated that after noise the group IV showed better results than group III. In the noise exposed groups, the most prominent damage was seen at the 8 kHz frequency region than other regions. After the noise exposure, DPOAE responses were lost in 1st, 7th and 10th measurements in both group III and IV. Thus, we were not able to perform any statistical analyses for DPOAE results. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that KRG seems to be an efficient agent against NIHL. There is need for additional research to find out about the mechanisms of KRG’s protective effect.

Ginsenoside Rc from Panax Ginseng Ameliorates Palmitate-Induced UB/OC-2 Cochlear Cell Injury

“…Recent studies have highlighted the potential of ginsenosides to protect against hearing loss [ 19 , 20 ]. However, the effects of ginsenosides, G-Rc in particular, on cellular homeostasis and on the response to pro-inflammatory stimuli remain to be determined.…”

“…Ginsenosides exhibit protective effects against ischemia-induced damage to the spiral ganglion cells and reduce noise-induced apoptotic cell death in the organ of Corti and spiral ganglion [ 20 ]. However, the effects of G-Rc on cochlear hair cell differentiation remain elusive.…”

“…Fujita and colleagues demonstrated that intravenous infusion of G-Rb1 to gerbils protected against damage to the spiral ganglion cells after cochlear ischemia [ 19 ]. In line with these findings, Durankaya and colleagues demonstrated that the administration of Korean red ginseng (KRG) to Wistar albino rats reduced noise-induced apoptotic cell death in the organ of Corti and spiral ganglion and, furthermore, provided protection from hearing loss [ 20 ]. Likewise, P. ginseng was demonstrated to reduce noise-induced temporary threshold shifts in textile workers after 14 days of treatment and to improve symptoms of tinnitus in a group of chronic tinnitus patients [ 21 , 22 ].…”

Unveiling the Role of Oxidative Stress in Cochlear Hair Cell Death: Prospective Phytochemical Therapeutics against Sensorineural Hearing Loss

“…When rats were supplemented with Korean red ginseng (KRG) for one week prior and during exposure to gentamicin, researchers observed a significant improvement in hearing thresholds and reduction in cochlear hair cell damage [214]. In rats exposed to prolonged high-decibel noise, supplementation with KRG protected against cell death in both the organ of Corti and spiral ganglion [215]. In an effort to understand the effects of isolated ginsenosides, Fujita and colleagues demonstrated ginsenoside-Rb1 reduces the loss of spiral ganglion cells after the induction of cochlear ischemia by occlusion [216].…”

Herbal medicines in the treatment of tinnitus: An updated review

“…Korean red ginseng (Araliaceae; Panax ginseng C.A.Mey) has been used in folklore medicine for 2000 years and is currently being investigated for a variety of conditions including metabolic syndrome ( Aminifard et al, 2021 ), inflammatory bowel disease ( Kang et al, 2021 ) and diabetes ( Liu et al, 2021 ). Studies have shown that Korean red ginseng has otoprotective activities including alleviation of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in vitro and in vivo ( Im et al, 2010 ), attenuation of noise-induced hearing loss ( Mungan Durankaya et al, 2021 ) and amelioration of cochlear damage ( Tian et al, 2013 ) and vestibular dysfunction ( Tian et al, 2014 ). In an open-label RCT, patients with chronic tinnitus received Korean red ginseng 1,500 mg/day or 3,000 mg/day, or G. biloba extract 160 mg/day for 4 weeks.…”