Effect of the high hydrostatic pressure extract of Korean ginseng on hepatic lipid metabolism and AMP‐activated protein kinase activation in HepG2 cells (1045.25)

Abstract

Ginseng is a medicinal plant widely used for the treatment of various diseases in Asian countries, including Korea, China, and Japan. In this study, we investigated the effects of the high hydrostatic pressure extract of Korean ginseng (Panax Ginseng C.A. Meyer) on hepatic lipid metabolism and AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation in HepG2 cells. First, we investigated the potential effects of high hydrostatic pressure extract of fresh ginseng (HFG) on the cytotoxicity and apoptosis in HepG2 cells. Cytotoxicity and apoptosis were unaffected in the concentrations of 1‐50 μg/ml of HFG. Intracellular lipid accumulation as assessed by the quantification of intracellular triglyceride and cholesterol contents. HFG significantly reduced hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride contents in a time‐ or dose‐dependent manner. Furthermore, HFG inhibited expression of fatty acid synthase (FAS), a key enzyme in fatty acid synthesis, and 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methyl glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG‐CoA) reductase, a rate‐limiting enzyme in hepatic cholesterol synthesis. In contrast, HFG increased activity of AMPK, a major regulator of lipid metabolism. These results suggest that HFG reduces hepatic lipid accumulation with inhibition of FAS and HMG‐CoA reductase expression and stimulation of AMPK activity in HepG2 cells. Therefore, HFG may be beneficial for the treatment of fatty liver and dyslipidemia.Grant Funding Source: This work was supported by the Brain Korea 21 plus project funding (No. 22A20130012143).