To clarify central mechanisms of ginsenosides, changes in ingestive and ambulatory behaviors were investigated in rats after single or continuous infusion into the third cerebroventricle or various hypothalamic loci. Following single infusion into the third cerebroventricle, ginsenoside Rbl at doses of 0.05, 0.10 and 0.20 $\mu$mol dose-dependently decreased food intake. None of the doses tested affected ambulation. Drinking suppression was only observed at the maximum dose of 0.20 $\mu$mol. Equimolar injections into the peritoneum had no effects on ingestive behavior or ambulation. These findings indicated that ginsenoside Rbl specifically and centrally inhibited food intake. According to analyses of daily feeding patterns, this feeding suppression was the result of a decrease in meal size, not from changes in the postprandial intermeal interval or eating speed. The suppressed food intake was accompanied by hyperglycemia, leaving plasma insulin unaffected. Unilateral micro injection of 0.01 u mot ginsenoside Rb, into the ventromedial hypothalamus specifically decreased food intake, although equimolar injection into the lateral hypothalamic area did not affect food intake. Following continuous infusion of Rg, into the third cerebroventricle, the feeding inhibition due to surgical operation was attenuated. Rbs administered by the same procedure abolished the toxic effect of toxohormone-L on food intake. Taken together, these findings suggest that ginsenoside as a whole may have pharmacological potency to maintain feeding at a certain physiological level.

This study was devised to observe the cytotoxlc activities of petroleum-ether extract of Panax ginseng root(crude Gx) and its partially purified fraction from silicon acid column chromatography(7:3 CX) against sarcoma-180(5-180) and Walker carcinosarcoma 256(Walker 256) in vivo, and murine leukemic lymphocytes(L1210) and human rectal cancer cell(HRT-18) and human colon cancer cells(HT-29 and HCT-48) in vitro . Each cell-line was cultured in medium containing serial concentrations of the crude Gx or 7:3 Gx in vitro. A highly lipid soluble compound in the extract of Panax ginseng root was cytocidal to murine leukemic cells and human colon and rectal cancer cells in vitro In the meantime, ginseng saponin derivatives did not cytotoxic effects at its corresponding concentration. The growth rates of the cancer cells in medium containing ginseng extracts were inhibited gradually to a significant degree roughly in proportion to the increase of the extract concentration. The cytotoxic activity of 7:3 Gx was about 3 times more potent than that of crude Gx, one unit of cytotoxic activity against L121f cells being equivalent to 2.54$\mu\textrm{g}$ and 0.88 $\mu\textrm{g}$ for the crude Gx and 7:3 Gx, respectively. The Rf value of the active compound on silica -gel thin layer chromatography with petroleum-ether/ethyl ether/acetic acid mixture (90:10:1, v/v/v) as a developing solvent was 0.23. The survival times of mice inoculated with S-180 cells were extended about 1.5 to 2 times by the 7:3 Gx treatment compared with their control group. The significantly decreased hemoglobin values of rats after inoculation with Walker 256 were recovered to normal range by oral administration of the crude Gx. The synthetic levels of protein, DNA and RNA in human colon and rectal cancer cells were significantly diminished by treatment with the crude Gx, which can explain a part of the origin of its anticancer activity.

The present study was undertaken to determine the inhibitory effects of orally administered ginseng saponins (GS), protopanaxadiol saponins(PD) and protopanaxatriol saponins(PT) on the development of morphine induced tolerance and physical dependence in mice, and to determine the increases in the loss of morphine tolerance and dependence. The study also sought to determine the hepatic glutathione contents, which are closely related to the degree of detoxication of morphinone, a novel metabolite of morphine, and the effects of ginseng saponins on morphine 6-dehydrogenase. The results of the present study showed that GS, PD and PT administered orally inhibited the development of morphine-induced tolerance and dependence. GS, PD and PT, however, increased the loss of morphine tolerance and dependence. GS, PD and PT inhibited the reduction of hepatic glutathione concentration in mice treated chronically with morphine, and the activity of morphine 6-dehydrogenase. So we hypothesized that these results were partially due to the dual action of the test drugs, the inhibition of morphine production and the activation in morphine-glutathione conjugation due to the increased glutathione level for detoxication.

Ethanol exerts different effects on hepatic cellular metabolism, depending mainly on the duration of its intake. In the presence of ethanol following an acute load, a number of hepatic functions are inhibited, including lipid oxidation and microsomal drug metabolism. In its early stages, chronic ethanol consumption produces adaptive metabolic changes in the endoplasmic reticulum which result in increased metabolism of ethanol and drugs and accelerated lipoprotein production. Prolongation of ethanol intake may result in injurious hepatic lesions such as alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis A number of such metabolic effects of ethanol are directly linked to the two major products of its oxidation; hydrogen and acetaldehyde. The excess hydrogen from ethanol unbalances the liver cell's chemistry. In the presence of excess hydrogen ions the process is turned in a different direction. In this study, it was attempted to observe the effect of ginseng saponins on alcohol Oehydrogenase(ADH), aldehyde dehydrogenase(ALDH) and microsomal ethanol oxidizing system(MEOS) in vivo as well as in vitro. Furthermore, the effect of ginseng saponin on the hydrogen balance in the liver and the hepatic cellular distribution of (1-14C) ethanol, its incorporation into acetaldehyde and lipids was also investigated. It seemed that ginseng saponin stimulated the above enzymes and other related enzymes in ethanol metabolism, resulting in a rapid removal of acetaldehyde and excess hydrogen from the animal body,

Psychotropic actions of crude ginseng saponins(CGS), pure ginsenoslue Rbl(GS-bl) and gin- senoside Rgl(GS-gl) isolated from the root of Panax ginseng, were evaluated by determining their effects on agonistic behavior in male(Experiment 1) and female(Experiment 2) mice, using a biologically relevant method. The results of experiment 1 demonstrated that CGS and GS-bl significantly suppressed aggressive episodes (offensive sideways posture and attack bite) in a dose-dependent manner when the resident was drugged, whereas G5-gl was ineffective. However, when the intruder was treated with one of three ginseng saponins, agonistic behavior between resident and intruder males was not altered. In experiment 2, acute administration of CGS and G5-bl significantly suppressed maternal aggression, whereas GS-gl was ineffective. As compared with the vehicle-treated group, chronic treatment with CGS and GS-bl significantly suppressed maternal aggression, while GS-gl showed a tendency to increase the frequency of attack bite by females. These findings clearly indicate that the root of Panax ginseng contains psychoactive ingredient, which can suppress both intermale and maternal aggression in mice. We suggest that the present results have important implications for the clinical usefulness of ginseng saponins in psychiatric medicine.

Over twelve alkaloids were detected in the ether-soluble alkaloid fraction of Panax ginseng roots. Among them, three alkaloids were identified as N9-formylharman, ethyl $\beta$-carboline-1-carboxylate and perlolyrine on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic studies. And also spinacine was isolated from the water-soluble fraction of the roots.

For the elucidation of significance of saponin as quality criterion of ginseng ginsenoside content(GC) and ginsenoside pattern similarity(GPS) by simple correlation were investigated in relation to red ginseng quality factors, age, plant part, harvest season, mineral nutrition, soil physical characteristics, growth light and temperature, shading material, growth location, physiological disease and crop stand through survey of ginseng plantstions, field experiments, water culture and phytotron experiments. Effect of tissue culture was also reviewed. GC was negatively correlated with good quality of red ·ginseng and positively with bad quality. Age did not show any consistency with GC but GPS was less with the increase of age difference. GPS was less or not significant between taproot that is lowest in GC and epidermis highest, and significant between leaf and taproot. Harvest season marked with the lowest GC and Pattern was also different. Nutrient imbalance, the increase of hazardous soil nutrient and physical condition to growth increased GC, but GPS was little different. The higher the growth lights intensity and temperature the higher the GC but GPS was little changed. Root rust increased GC, but root scab decreased it. Sponge-like and inside cavity phenomena increased GC. Ginsenoside pattern of cultured tissues and rootlet showed great variation. These results strongly indicate that there are optimum saponin content and ginsenoside pattern and that these are accomplished under the optimum growth condition.