THE LOWERING EFFECT OF PANAXYDOL PURIFIED FROM KOREAN RED GINSENG ON BLOOD HIGH CHOLESTEROL LEVELS IN RATS

The lowering effect of cholesterol in Sprague Dawley rats was investigated with panaxydol which was purified from the petroleum ether soluble fraction(PESF) of Korean red ginseng. The level of total cholesterol(TC), Triglyceride(TG) and low density lipoprotein(LOL)-cholesterol in serum was reduced by $48\%,\;47\%\;and\;41\%,$ respectively while high density lipoprotein(HDL)-cholesterol was in creased up to $29\%$ as compared with their control values when the panaxydol(20 umoles. 5 mq/kq/day) was adminstered by intraperitoneal rout for 3 consecutive days along with a $1\%$ cholesterol diet. The hepatic ester cholesterol content which was increased in proportion to the cholesterol content of the diet in the control, clearly decreased with panaxydol administration to about $40\%$ regardless of the two diet cholesterol content. $1\%\;or\;2\%.$ A threshold of supression on the serum lipid levels in both administration routes was observed: the maximium suppression in i.p. and p.o. administration was observed to be at 5mq/kq b.w. and in the range of 50 - 100 mg/kg b.w., respectively. Panaxydol may reduce serum lipid and cholesterol levels by inhibiting cholesterol absorption and/or by modulating the cholesterol metabolism. at least in part.