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Ginseng Berry
Extract Treats Obesity
posted 07/18/02
Obese diabetic mice treated with an extract of Panax
ginseng berries shed weight and demonstrate significant improvement in glucose
homeostasis, investigators from the University of Chicago report in the June
issue of the journal Diabetes.
Their studies
also demonstrate an antidiabetic action of ginsenoside Re, the major constituent
of the ginseng berry extract.
Dr. Anoja S.
Attele and colleagues treated obese diabetic mice and their lean normoglycemic
littermates with daily intraperitoneal injections of Panax ginseng berry extract
150 mg/kg of body weight for 12 days.
In obese mice,
fasting blood glucose levels began to decline on day 5 and reached normal on day
12. "More importantly," the authors say, "intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test
results normalized after treatment."
Extract-treated obese mice also showed a significant reduction in body weight
and plasma cholesterol levels, along with a "very significant" increase in
energy expenditure and body temperature. Extract-treated mice ate 15% less than
untreated mice, and were 35% more active.
Administration
of ginsenoside Re alone also produced dose-dependent antidiabetic effects in
obese mice but had no effect on body weight.
Control mice
did not respond to the glucose-lowering effects of Panax ginseng berry extract
or ginsenoside Re.
"This is the first report demonstrating that ginseng berry and ginsenoside Re can be used to treat diabetes," the authors say. "In addition, the identification of a significant antihyperglycemic activity of ginsenoside Re may provide an opportunity to develop a novel class of antidiabetic agent," they add.
Source: Diabetes 2002;51:1851-1858.