title: Protective effect of ginsenoside-Rb2 from Korean red ginseng on the lethal infection of haemagglutinating virus of Japan in mice.
abstract: Korean red ginseng has been shown to possess a variety of biological activities. However, little is known about antiviral activity of ginsenosides of Korean red ginseng. Here, we investigated the protective effect by oral administration of various ginsenosides on the lethal infection of haemagglutinating virus of Japan (HVJ) in mice. In a lethal infection model in which almost all mice infected with HVJ died within 15 days, the mice were administered orally (per os) with 1 mg/mouse of dammarane-type (ginsenoside-Rb1, -Rb2, -Rd, -Re, and -Rg2) or oleanolic acid-type (ginsenoside-Ro) ginsenosides 3, 2, and 1 d before virus infection. Ginsenoside-Rb2 showed the highest protective activity, although other dammarane-type and oleanolic acid-type ginsenosides also induced a significant protection against HVJ. However, neither the consecutive administration with a lower dosage (300 μg/mouse) nor the single administration of ginsenoside-Rb2 (1 mg/mouse) was active. In comparison of the protective activity between ginsenoside-Rb2 and its two hydrolytic products [20(S)- and 20(R)-ginsenoside-Rg3], 20(S)-ginsenoside-Rg3, but not 20(R)-ginsenoside-Rg3, elicited a partial protection against HVJ. The protective effect of ginsenoside-Rb2 and 20(S)-ginsenoside-Rg3 on HVJ infection was confirmed by the reduction of virus titers in the lungs of HVJ-infected mice. These results suggest that ginsenoside-Rb2 is the most effective among ginsenosides from red ginseng to prevent the lethal infection of HVJ, so that this ginsenoside is a promising candidate as a mucosal immunoadjuvant to enhance antiviral activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon 302-718, Korea.
authors.forename: Yung Choon
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Junglim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seok Rae
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Ki Yeul
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Young Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Jae Eul
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Choi
keywords: Ginsenoside-Rb2; Haemagglutinating virus of Japan; Mucosal adjuvant; Panax ginseng; Red ginseng