Neuroprotective Effect of Ginseng Total Saponins in Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract

In the present study, we investigated whether ginseng total saponins (GTSs) protect hippocampal neurons after experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rats. A moderate-grade TBI was made with the aid of a controlled cortical impact (CCI) device set at a velocity of 3.0 m/sec, a deformation of 3.0 mm, and a compression time of 0.2 sec at the right parietal area for adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Sham-operated rats that underwent craniectomy without impact served as controls. GTSs (100 and 200 mg/kg) or saline was injected intraperitoneally into the rats immediately post-injury. Twenty-four hours after the injury, the rats underwent neurological evaluation. Contusion volume and the number of hippocampal neurons were calculated with apoptosis evaluated by TUNEL staining. 24 hr post-injury, saline-injected rats showed a significant loss of neuronal cells in the CA2 region of the right hippocampus (53.4%, p<0.05) and CA3 (34.6%, p<0.05) compared with contralateral hippocampal region, a significant increase in contusion volume (34±8 µL), and significant increase in neurologic deficits compared with the GTSs groups. Treating rats with GTSs seemed to protect the CCI-induced neuronal loss in the hippocampus, decrease cortical contusion volume, and improve neurological deficits.

Korean ginseng induces spermatogenesis in rats through the activation of cAMP-responsive element modulator (CREM)

“…Traditionally, Korean ginseng (ginseng), the root of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer (Araliaceae), has been used in herbal medicine as a tonic and in antiaging prescriptions (6). Its major compounds are the ginseng saponins of ginsenosides (7).…”

Antidepressant-like effects of the active acidic polysaccharide portion of ginseng in mice

“…In vitro, ginsenosides treatment was demonstrated to increase survival and promote neurite growth in dopaminergic cells (Radad et al, 2004a), increase neurite growth in the presence of sub-optimal doses of nerve growth factor (Rudakewich et al, 2001), protect against PCB 52 induced apoptotic cell death (Lee et al, 2003), protect cells against glutamate toxicity (Radad et al, 2004b) and against ultraviolet-B induced apoptosis (Lee et al, 2003). In vivo, ginsenosides treatment was shown to reduce hypoxic brain injury in rats (Park et al, 2004), improve recovery in a model of ischemic brain injury (Park et al, 2004) and in a model of traumatic brain injury (Ji et al, 2005), to protect against toxic interventions in two models of Parkinson disease (Van Kampen et al, 2003) and against methamphetamine toxicity (Wu et al, 2003). A recent study that examined the effects of whole ginseng extract in a number of animal models of affective-like behavior did not find any specific antidepressantlike effects (Einat, 2007a) but most work related to the activity of ginseng to promote cellular resilience was done using active ingredients and not whole plant extract.…”

Panax ginseng ameliorates airway inflammation in an ovalbumin-sensitized mouse allergic asthma model

“…Panax ginseng (PG), one of the most well-known medicinal herbs, has been used in traditional Korean medicine as an herbal remedy for various disorders (Ji et al, 2005). PG contains various pharmaceutical components including ginsenosides, polyacetylenes, polyphenolic compounds, and acidic polysaccharides .…”