Oral administration of fermented wild ginseng ameliorates DSS-induced acute colitis by inhibiting NF-κB signaling and protects intestinal epithelial barrier

Abstract

Ginseng has been widely used for therapeutic and preventive purposes for thousands of years. However, orally administered ginseng has very low bioavailability and absorption in the intestine. Therefore, fermented ginseng was developed to enhance the beneficial effects of ginseng in the intestine. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory activity of fermented wild ginseng (FWG). We found that FWG significantly alleviated the severity of colitis in a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model, and decreased expression level of pro-inflammatory cytokines in colonic tissue. Moreover, we observed that FWG suppressed the infiltration of macrophages in DSS-induced colitis. FWG also attenuated the transcriptional activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) by reducing the translocation of NF-κB into the nucleus. Our data indicate that FWG contains anti-inflammatory activity via NF-κB inactivation and could be useful for treating colitis. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(7): 419-425]

Ginseng Extract Ameliorates the Negative Physiological Effects of Heat Stress by Supporting Heat Shock Response and Improving Intestinal Barrier Integrity: Evidence from Studies with Heat-Stressed Caco-2 Cells, C. elegans and Growing Broilers

“…Third, ginseng extract may regulate the expression of tight junction proteins via cytokines. For instance, ginseng extract has an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting NF-κB, consequently decreasing IL-6 in various stress models (heat stress and colitis models) [20,35]. IL-6 regulates the expression of the tight junction protein claudin-2, which forms a paracellular channel for small cations and water [42].…”

“…Ginseng extract consists of characteristic ginsenosides, a class of natural triterpene saponins. Numerous studies have shown that ginsenosides have multiple functions, including antioxidant enzyme modulation and intestinal barrier protection [18][19][20]. For instance, ginsenoside Rb2 induces superoxide dismutase (SOD) transcription through the activation of the SOD gene promoter region [19].…”

“…For instance, ginsenoside Rb2 induces superoxide dismutase (SOD) transcription through the activation of the SOD gene promoter region [19]. Ginsenoside of wild ginseng prevents the decrease in zonula occludens-1 in colonic epithelial cells from a murine colitis model, suggesting that ginseng is effective in the production and maintenance of tight junctions and in improving intestinal barrier function [20]. Kim and co-workers observed that red ginseng administered to rats during heat stress drastically suppressed lipid peroxidation and ROS-associated gene expression [21].…”

Beneficial Effects of Small Molecule Oligopeptides Isolated from Panax ginseng Meyer on Pancreatic Beta-Cell Dysfunction and Death in Diabetic Rats

“…Panax ginseng Meyer (ginseng) is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb that has been widely used for thousands of years [ 13 ]. Owing to numerous regulatory chemicals, ginseng roots exhibit biological functions, antitumoral, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory effects as well as the normalization of the human metabolic system [ 14 , 15 , 16 ]. Several controlled clinical trials have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of ginseng for glycemic control [ 17 ].…”

In vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory activities of Korean Red Ginseng-derived components

“…Because fresh ginseng is easily degraded at room temperature, it needs to be processed to red ginseng by steaming and drying, and accumulating evidence has revealed that red ginseng has higher biological activity and lower side effects compared to fresh or white ginseng [13] . Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) has been known to have various biological activities, including immune enhancement, antioxidant effects, memory enhancement, improvement of menopausal disorder, and induction of metabolic energy [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] . However, although KRG has been studied in human health and immunity, the therapeutic potential of each component derived from KRG extract in modulating inflammatory responses and in preventing inflammatory diseases has been poorly understood.…”