title: Effects of ginsenosides-Rb1 on exercise-induced oxidative stress in forced swimming mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The fleshy root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer (ginseng) is one of the most well-known and valued herbs in traditional Chinese medicine. Ginsenosides are considered mainly responsible for the pharmacological activities of ginseng. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of ginsenoside-Rb1 (G-Rb1) on swimming exercise-induced oxidative stress in male mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 48 animals were randomly divided into four groups, with twelve mice in each group. The first, second and third groups were designed as G-Rb1 treatment groups, got 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg bodyweight of G-Rb1, respectively. The fourth group was designed as the control group, got physiologic saline. The mice were intragastrically administered once daily for 4 weeks. The weight-loaded forced swimming test was conducted on the final day of experimentation. Then the exhaustive swimming time, blood lactate, serum creatine kinase (CK), malondialdehyde (MDA) and antioxidant enzymes in liver of mice were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that G-Rb1 could prolong the exhaustive swimming time and improve exercise endurance capacity of mice, as well as accelerate the clearance of blood lactate and decrease serum CK activities. Meanwhile, G-Rb1 could decrease MDA contents and increase superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase activities in liver of mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study suggested that G-Rb1 possessed protective effects on swimming exercise-induced oxidative stress in mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports and Arts, Zhejiang Yuexiu University of Foreign Languages, Shaoxing, Zhejiang 312000, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Physical Education Institute, Xinxiang Polytechnic College, Xinxiang, Henan 453000, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zhiqun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jiangqiong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
keywords: Antioxidant enzymes; blood lactate; exhaustive swimming time; malondialdehyde; serum creatine kinase