• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.124-130
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• 2003

Effect of Korean red ginseng (KRG) on the level of serum and liver lipids and lipid peroxidation was investigated in the rats fed high fat diet. Content of serum total cholesterol was significantly decreased (P<0.05) in KRG I group and KRG II group. Content of HDL-cholesterol was significantly increased by 69.75% and 39.15% in KRG I and KRG II group compared to control group, respectively. Atherogenic index (hi) was also significantly decreased by 74.76% and 37.38% in KRG I and KRG II groups compared to control group, respectively. Serum triglyceride content was significantly decreased (p<0.05) in only KRG II group. Antioxidative activity of KRG on the lipid peroxidation of serum and tissues in rats was also studied in vivo by measuring the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Contents of TBARS in the serum of both KRG groups were significantly decreased (p<0.05) and that of nonheme iron in serum was significantly increased (p<0.05) in a dose-dependent manner, which suggested that lipid peroxidation contents are inversely correlated with serum nonheme iron content. Content of TBARS in liver was significantly decreased (p<0.05) in KRG I and KRG II groups, without any influence in other tissues. Content of TBIARS in liver microsomal fractions stimulated by Fe$^{2+}$/ascorbate was significantly decreased (p<0.05) in KRG I and KRG II groups, whereas this observation did not occur in liver mitochondrial fractions. When the effect of KRG on TBARS content in the liver fractions of homogenates, microsomes, and mitochodria stimulated by Fe$^{2+}$/ascorbate was tested in vitro experimental model, TBARS of liver three fractions was significantly decreased at 6 mg/mL KRG compared with those of control. These results suggested that KRG powder have hypocholesterolemic effect as well as antioxidative effect in the serum and liver of the rats fed high fat diet.