Hypoglycemic constituents of Panax ginseng.

Abstract

This article reviews the recent progress in the identification of hypoglycemic and insulino-mimetic principles in ginseng. Hitherto five types of substances have been discovered. They include five glycans designated panaxans A to E, adenosine, a carboxylic acid, a peptide with a molecular weight of 1400 and lacking in basic amino acid residues, and a fraction designated DPG-3-2 prepared from the water extract of ginseng. The structure of panaxan A has been partially elucidated and the glycans have been demonstrated to elicit hypoglycemia in both normal and diabetic mice. DPG-3-2 exerted its hypoglycemic action or provoked insulin secretion in diabetic and glucose-loaded normal mice while having no effect on normal mice. Adenosine, the carboxylic acid and the mol. wt 1400 peptide inhibited catecholamine-induced lipolysis in rat epididymal fat pads. EPG-3-2, a fraction related to DPG-3-2, also exhibited antilipolytic activity.

• Authors: T B Ng, H W Yeung
• Journal: General pharmacology (Gen Pharmacol) Vol. 16 Issue 6 Pg. 549-52 ( 1985) ISSN: 0306-3623 [Print] England
• PMID: 3910515 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Carboxylic Acids
• Catecholamines
• Glycosides
• Hypoglycemic Agents
• Insulin
• Peptides
• Plant Extracts
• Polysaccharides
• Adenosine

Topics

• Adenosine (pharmacology)
• Animals
• Carboxylic Acids (pharmacology)
• Catecholamines (antagonists & inhibitors)
• Chemical Phenomena
• Chemistry
• Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental (metabolism)
• Glycosides (pharmacology)
• Hypoglycemic Agents (isolation & purification)
• Insulin (biosynthesis, metabolism)
• Lipolysis (drug effects)
• Mice
• Molecular Weight
• Panax (analysis)
• Peptides (pharmacology)
• Plant Extracts (pharmacology)
• Plants, Medicinal
• Polysaccharides (pharmacology)
• Rats
• Solubility