Comparisons of Antidiabetic Effect between Ginseng Radix Alba, Ginseng Radix Rubra and Panax Quinquefoli Radix in MLD STZ-induced Diabetic Rats

This study was designed to compare the antidiabetic activities between Ginseng Radix Alba (GRA), Ginseng Radix Rubra (GRR) and Panax Quinquefoli Radix (PQR) in multiple low dose (MLD) streptozotocin (STZ) (20 mg/kg i.p injection for 5 days) induced diabetic rats. In the glucose tolerance test, 500 mg/kg of each ginseng ethanol extract was administered intraperitoneally 30 min before glucose challenge. While GRA failed to lower blood glucose level, GRR and PQR both significantly prevented the hyperglycemia when compared with the control group. In the MLD STZ-induced diabetic rats, 300 mg/kg of each ginseng ethanol extract was administered intraperitoneally for 2 weeks. Plasma glucose and insulin levels were markedly improved in all treatment groups. While GRR showed the highest antidiabetic activity, and GRA and PQR revealed somewhat equipotent antidiabetic activities, but less than that in GRR-treated group as far as blood parameters and diabetic symptoms such as polyphagia and polydipsia are concerned. Blood glucose levels were closely associated with plasma insulin levels, and this result may suggest that ginseng ethanol extracts showed the activity to enhance insulin secretion as well as preventing destruction of pancreatic islet cells. To elucidate the relationship between antidiabetic activity and ginsenoside profiles, seven major ginsenosides were quantified by HPLC. We figured out the fact that protopanaxatriol (PPT): proptopanaxadiol (PPD) ratio might play an important role in its hypoglycemia effects.