title: Panax ginseng extract improves the scopolamine-induced disruption of 8-arm radial maze performance in rats.
abstract: The effects of Panax ginseng ethanol extract and its water (WSF)- and lipid-soluble (LSF) fractions on the scopolamine-induced disruption of radial maze performance in rats were examined. Ginseng root was refluxed with ethanol, and WSF and LSF were prepared from this ethanol extract. Scopolamine (0.075-0.3 mg/kg, i.p.) dose-dependently impaired the maze performance. However, the oral administration of Panax ginseng ethanol extract and WSF (2-8 g dried root/kg) 90 min before testing improved the maze performance disrupted by scopolamine (0.3 mg/kg) in a dose-dependent manner, but LSF failed to attenuate the disruption. These data suggest that ginseng extract possesses a beneficial effect regarding spatial cognitive impairment and that the water-soluble fraction of ginseng extract mainly contributes to the effect of the ethanol extract.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacology, Research Institute for Wakan-Yaku (Oriental Medicines, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nitta
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: X H
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D010276:Parasympatholytics; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012601:Scopolamine