title: Hepatoprotective effect of 20(S)-ginsenosides Rg3 and its metabolite 20(S)-ginsenoside Rh2 on tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced liver injury.
abstract: To evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of Red Ginseng (RG), we isolated a main constituent 20(S)-ginsenoside Rg3 from RG, and its metabolite 20(S)-ginsenoside Rh2 by human intestinal microflora, and investigated their hepatoprotective activities in tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-induced hepatotoxicity of HepG2 cells and mice. When HepG2 cells were treated with t-BHP, its cytotoxicity was significantly increased. 20(S)-Ginsenoside Rh2 potently protected its cytotoxicity, but 20(S)-ginsenoside Rg3 weakly protected it. Intraperitoneally and orally administered 20(S)-ginsenoside Rh2 to t-BHP-injured mice significantly inhibited the increase of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities. Orally administered 20(S)-ginsenoside Rg3 also showed the inhibition against the increase of ALT and AST of t-BHP-induced mice. However, intraperitoneally administered 20(S)-ginsenoside Rg3 could not inhibit the elevation of serum ALT and AST activities. These results suggest that 20(S)-ginsenoside Rg3 a main component of RG may be a prodrug for hepatotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University; Seoul 130-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Hae-Ung
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eun-Ah
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Myung Joo
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Dong-Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000293:injuries; D051379:Mice; D020122:tert-Butylhydroperoxide / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D036145:Ginsenosides; C097367:ginsenoside Rg3; C055305:ginsenoside Rh2; D020122:tert-Butylhydroperoxide