• Food Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.17 no.6
• /
• pp.1228-1234
• /
• 2008

Having idea to develop more effective anti-diabetic agent from ginseng root, we comprehensively assessed the anti-diabetic activity and mechanisms of ginsam in C57BL/KsJ db/db mice. The db/db mice were divided into 4 groups; diabetic control (DC), ginsam at a dose of 300 or 500 mg/kg (GS300 or GS500) and metformin at a dose of 300 mg/kg (MT300). Ginsam was orally administered for 8 weeks. GS500 reduced the blood glucose concentration and significantly decreased an insulin resistance index. In addition, GS500 reduced the plasma non-esterified fatty acid, triglyceride, and increased high density lipoprotein-cholesterol as well as decreased the hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride. More interestingly, ginsam increased the plasma adiponectin level by 17% compared to diabetic control group. Microarray, quantitative-polymerase chain reaction and enzyme activity results showed that gene and protein expressions associated with glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and fatty acid oxidation were changed to the way of reducing hepatic glucose production, insulin resistance and enhancing fatty acid $\beta$-oxidation. Ginsam also increased the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase and glucose transporter expressions in the liver and skeletal muscle, respectively. These changes in gene expression were considered to be the mechanism by which the ginsam exerted the anti-diabetic and anti-dyslipidemic activities in C57BL/KsJ db/db mice.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.50 no.5
• /
• pp.332-337
• /
• 2006

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic and hard to control disease. In order to develop the therapeutic agent for type 2 DM, many researchers investigated natural products using an in vitro and in vivo assay. In this study, we tried to explore the anti-diabetic activity and mechanisms of ginsam, which is a vinegar-processed ginseng radix. The db/db mice were randomly divided into four groups. The diabetes control (DC) group was orally administrated with distilled water, ginseng radix (GR) or ginsam (GS) was administrated orally at a dose of 150 mg/kg, and the positive control group was orally injected with metformin (MET) at a dose of 300 mg/kg for 5 weeks in db/db mice and measured body weight and blood glucose level every week. All treatment groups decreased the plasma glucose levels compared with diabetic control and GS group significantly lowered the insulin resistance index. GS group also reduced the plasma lipid levels mainly due to reduce the lipogenesis and increase the lipolysis in the fat tissue. In addition, GS group increased the GLUT4 mRNA expression levels in the fat and muscle tissues by 10 fold probably due to increase a $PPAR_{-\gamma}$ mRNA expression in fat tissue. Taken together, GS showed the anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hyperlipidemic activities and those activities may ascribe to over-expression of GLUT4 mRNA level and decrease the lipogenesis in fat tissue.