Abstract
Upon feeding dried Ginseng to rats of either low-protein or high protein diet ethanol was administered intraperitoneally and disappearance rate blood alcohol was enzymatically measure. In terms of residual blood alcohol after a time lapse of 3.5 hours between intraperitonial administration and blood withdrawal neither ginseng nor ginseng plus 40% casein did improve the rate, of alcohol clearance but sexual difference was clearly demonstrated in favor of female rats. In the case of blood withdrawn only 2 hours after intraperitoneal injection of alcohol, the tendency of female superiority in alcohol clearance rate is demonstrated when a comparison is made among the groups fed with ginseng and this was particularly true is groups of rats fed with basal diet plus 1 percent ginseng residual blood ethanol being 15.4 mg/ml vs. 8.8 mg/ml. Liver homogenate alcohol dehydrogenase activity measured in terms of residual ethanol content after in vitro reaction on which a known amount of alcohol was added clearly demonstrated a male superiority in alcohol clearance.