Ginsenosides Deemed Responsible for Ginseng's Anti-Inflammatory Activity

Researchers have used sophisticated separation and analytical tools to demonstrate that ginseng possesses significant anti-inflammatory activity, which is due to steroid-like constituents known as ginsenosides.

Investigators at the University of Hong Kong (China) employed HPLC (high pressure liquid chromatography) to isolate nine distinct ginsenosides from 70% ethanol-water extracts of ginseng. They used these compounds individually or in various combinations to treat human promonocytic U937 cells growing in cultures containing the inflammatory substance TNF-alpha (tumor necrosis factor-alpha).

A global gene expression profile was obtained using genechip analysis. Quantitative RT-PCR and ELISA were used to measure specific cytokine expression. Activation of signaling kinases was examined by Western blot analysis.

Results published in the May 14, 2009, online edition of the Journal of Translational Medicine revealed that a mixture of seven out of the nine ginsenosides could significantly inhibit TNF-alpha-induced CXCL-10 (an immunoinflammatory cytokine) expression in U937 cells with a potency comparable to that of the whole extract. However, the CXCL-10 suppressive effect of individual ginsenosides was less than that of the crude extract or the mixture of ginsenosides.

"The anti-inflammatory role of ginseng may be due to the combined effects of these ginsenosides, targeting different levels of immunological activity, and so contributing to the diverse actions of ginseng in humans," said senior author Dr. Allan Lau, Professor of pediatrics and adolescent medicine at the University of Hong Kong. "Further studies will be needed to examine the potential beneficial effects of ginsenosides in the management of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases in humans."

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