Heat-processed Panax ginseng and diabetic renal damage: active components and action mechanism

Abstract

Diabetic nephropathy is one of the serious complications in patients with either type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus but current treatments remain unsatisfactory. Results of clinical research studies demonstrate that Panax ginseng can help adjust blood pressure and reduce blood sugar and may be advantageous in the treatment of tuberculosis and kidney damage in people with diabetes. The heat-processing method to strengthen the efficacy of P. ginseng has been well-defined based on a long history of ethnopharmacological evidence. The protective effects of P. ginseng on pathological conditions and renal damage associated with diabetic nephropathy in the animal models were markedly improved by heat-processing. The concentrations of less-polar ginsenosides (20(S)-Rg3, 20(R)-Rg3, Rg5, and Rk1) and maltol in P. ginseng were significantly increased in a heat-processing temperature-dependent manner. Based on researches in animal models of diabetes, ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 and maltol were evaluated to have therapeutic potential against diabetic renal damage. These effects were achieved through the inhibition of inflammatory pathway activated by oxidative stress and advanced glycation endproducts. These findings indicate that ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 and maltol are important bioactive constituents of heat-processed ginseng in the control of pathological conditions associated with diabetic nephropathy.

Ginsenoside Rb1, A Component of Panax Ginseng, Ameliorates Selenium Induced Renal Toxicity in Broilers

“…Panax Ginseng in general has been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects (Lee and Son, 2011). Also recent studies have provided a great support for evidencing the protective effects of ginseng on kidney damage (Kang et al, 2013). In our investigation, ginsenoside Rb1+Se and ginsenoside Rb1 treated groups showed an improvement in kidney function tests when compared with control.…”

Ginseng treatment attenuates autophagic cell death in chronic cyclosporine nephropathy

“…With regard to the reason of the anti‐oxidative properties of KRG against CsA toxicity, it also requires the components of KRG associated with anti‐oxidative effect. Based on the previous reports, Rg1, Re, Rb1, and Rd are suggested as main the components of ginseng containing anti‐oxidative effects in kidney disorders . These components were evaluated to have therapeutic potential against renal disease.…”

“…Based on the previous reports, Rg1, Re, Rb1, and Rd are suggested as main the components of ginseng containing anti-oxidative effects in kidney disorders. 31 These components were evaluated to have therapeutic potential against renal disease. KRG used in this study contains all of these components, so we can speculate that Rg1, Re, Rb1, and Rd might be associated with an active form of anti-oxidative effect against CsA-induced renal injury.…”

Different absorption and metabolism of ginsenosides after the administration of total ginsenosides and decoction of Panax ginseng

“…PG exhibits anticancer, 6 anti‐aging, 7 immunity‐enhancing, 8 antidepressant, 9 and antidiabetic properties 10 . The pharmacological activities of PG have been mainly attributed to the ginsenoside compounds, 11–16 although polysaccharides are also major bioactive components of PG 17,18 . Recently, it was reported that ginseng polysaccharides enhanced the absorption of ginsenoside Rb 1 and the exposure of microbial metabolites 19 .…”