Abstract
Black ginseng, a new type of processed ginseng that has a unique ginsenoside profile, has been shown to display potent pharmacological activities in in vitro and in vivo models. Although red ginseng is considered beneficial for the prevention of diabetes, the relationship between black ginseng and diabetes is unknown. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the anti-diabetic potential of black ginseng extract (BGE) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced insulin-deficient diabetic mice, in comparison with red ginseng extract (RGE). HPLC analyses showed that BGE has a different ginsenoside composition to RGE; BGE contains Rg5 and compound k as the major ginsenosides. BGE at 200 mg/kg reduced hyperglycemia, increased the insulin/glucose ratio and improved islet architecture and β-cell function in STZ-treated mice. The inhibition of β-cell apoptosis by BGE was associated with suppression of the cytokine—induced nuclear factor–κB—mediated signaling pathway in the pancreas. Moreover, these anti-diabetic effects of BGE were more potent than those of RGE. Collectively, our data indicate that BGE, in part by suppressing cytokine—induced apoptotic signaling, protects β-cells from oxidative injury and counteracts diabetes in mice.
Highlights
Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) has been widely used as a folk and conventional medicine for the prevention and/or treatment of many diseases for a long time
black ginseng extract (BGE) at 200 mg/kg significantly reduced the increase in blood glucose level and delayed the cumulative incidence of diabetes
This study demonstrates that administration of BGE counteracts Multiple-low-dose STZ (MLDS)-induced diabetes in mice, and that this effect is associated with suppression of cytokine-induced inflammatory signaling
Summary
Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) has been widely used as a folk and conventional medicine for the prevention and/or treatment of many diseases for a long time. The fundamental compounds behind ginseng’s multiple pharmacological activities are ginsenosides [1]. In Asia, ginseng is air-dried into white ginseng or steamed at 90–100°C for 2–3 h to produce red ginseng. It has been reported that red ginseng is more pharmacologically effective than white ginseng, which may result from the heat transformation and deglycosylation of ginsenosides occurring during the steaming process [2,3]. A new type of processed ginseng, is produced from white ginseng after nine cycles of steaming and drying. During the steaming process for black ginseng, ginsenosides transform into low polarity constituents through hydrolysis, isomerization and dehydration at C-3, C-6 or C-20 [4].
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