Pharmacological effects of Ginseng in the Liver and Diabetes

The pharmacological effects of ginseng are mostly used therapeutically, ie, metabolites (such as ginsenosides) that affect a living system in order to treat a certain condition. There are several applications of ginsenosides in treatments of diseases and human conditions. Among them are anticancer effects, antidiabetics, antioxidants, among many others. 

Here are some areas where ginseng exerts its positive effects:

• Liver

In this organ ginseng has impacts in the fight against diseases caused by hepatotoxic agents and hepatitis. In the first case, the simple use of ginseng extracts with dietary honey can exert a synergetic effect to combat this type of diseases. The use of high doses of Paracetamol can lead to liver damage due to the effect of cytochrome P450 2E1 on acetaminophen (paracetamol), which converts it to N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone (hepatotoxin). Ginseng exerts a hepatoprotective effect due to Rg3 that inhibits the cytochrome in question (El Denshary et al., 2012, Gum and Cho, 2013, Kim, 2016). In the case of hepatitis, the ginsenosides in question are Ro, Rb1, and Rb2. This effect was confirmed in a study in which chronic and severe hepatitis were induced in rats through drugs such as CCl4 (Carbon Tetrachloride), which through cytochrome P450 2E1 culminates in lipid peroxidation by trichloromethyl and trichloromethylperoxy. Also, in this case, these saponins inhibit the P450 enzyme, consequently inhibiting the bioactivation of CCl4 (Matsuda et al., 1991; Kim et al., 1997).

• Anti-diabetes

Rh2 is  the ginsenosides that show the greater effect in this condition. The effect of this saponin is on insulin release due to its reaction with M3 muscarinic receptors in the pancreas (Lee et al., 2006), but may also lead to increased production of GLUT4 transporters (Lai et al., 2006).

Bibliography

El Denshary ES, Al-Gahazali MA, Mannaa FA, Salem HÁ, Hassan NS, Abdel-Wahhab MA. Dietary honey and ginseng protect against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatonephrotoxicity in rats. Exp. Toxicol. Pathol. 2012, 64: 753–760.

Gum SI, Cho MK. Korean red ginseng extract prevents APAP-induced hepatotoxicity through metabolic enzyme regulation: The role of ginsenoside Rg3, a protopanaxadiol. Liver Int. 2013, 33: 1071–1084.

Kim HJ, Chun YJ, Park JD, Kim SI, Roh JK, Jeong TC. Protection of Rat Liver Microsomes against Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Lipid Peroxidation by Red Ginseng Saponin through Cytochrome P450 Inhibition. 1997, 63: 415–418

Kim T. Ginseng for Liver Injury : Friend or Foe ?. medicines. 2016, 1–19

Lai DM, Tu YK, Liu IM, and Cheng JT. Mediation of beta-endorphin by ginsenoside Rh2 to lower plasma glucose in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Planta Medica. 2006, 72: 9–13

Lee WK, Kao ST, Liu IM, Chen JT. Increase of insulin secretion by ginsenoside Rh2 to lower plasma glucose in Wistar rats. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2006, 33: 27–32

Matsuda H, Samukawa K, Kubo M.Anti-Hepatitic Activity of Ginsenoside Ro1. 1991, 57: 2–5