title: Antifatigue effects of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
abstract: The present study investigated the antifatigue effects of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer in 90 subjects (21 men and 69 women) with idiopathic chronic fatigue (ICF) in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled and parallel designed trial. A bespoke 20% ethanol extract of P. ginseng (1 g or 2 g day(-1)) or a placebo was administered to each group for 4 weeks, and then fatigue severity was monitored using a self-rating numeric scale (NRS) and a visual analogue scale (VAS) as a primary endpoint. Serum levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), total glutathione (GSH) contents and glutathione reductase (GSH-Rd) activity were determined. After 4-week, P. ginseng administration decreased the total NRS score, but they were not statistically significant compared with placebo (P>0.05). Mental NRS score was significantly improved by P. ginseng administrations as 20.4 ± 5.0 to 15.1 ± 6.5 [95% CI 2.3 ~ 8.2] for 1 g and 20.7 ± 6.3 to 13.8 ± 6.2 [95% CI -0.1 ~ 4.2] for 2 g compared with placebo 20.9 ± 4.5 to 18.8 ± 2.9 [95% CI 4.1 ~ 9.9, P<0.01]. Only 2 g P. ginseng significantly reduced the VAS score from 7.3 ± 1.3 to 4.4 ± 1.8 [95% CI 0.7∼1.8] compared with the placebo 7.1 ± 1.0 to 5.8 ± 1.3 [95% CI 2.2 ~ 3.7, P<0.01]. ROS and MDA levels were lowered by P. ginseng compared to placebo. P. ginseng 1 g increased GSH concentration and GSH-Rd activity. Our results provide the first evidence of the antifatigue effects of P. ginseng in patients with ICF, and we submit that these changes in antioxidant properties contribute in part to its mechanism.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS) KCT0000048.
authors.affiliation: Liver and Immunology Research Center, Daejeon Oriental Hospital of Daejeon University, Jung-gu, Daejeon, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hyeong-Geug
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jung-Hyo
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Sa-Ra
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Jin-Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jong-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Nam-Hun
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yo-Chan
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Chang-Gue
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Son
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D002374:Catalase / Q000097:blood; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005221:Fatigue / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000097:blood; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010919:Placebos; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000097:blood; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010919:Placebos; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D005978:Glutathione