Hypoglycemic effects of malonyl-ginsenosides extracted from roots of Panax ginseng on streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

Hypoglycemic effects of malonyl-ginsenosides (MGR), extracted from roots of Panax ginseng, were examined in streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced diabetic mice. Animals received daily intravenous injections of MGR in doses of 30, 60, 120 mg/kg. At a dose of 120 mg/kg, MGR reduced the fasting blood glucose level of diabetic mice by 77.8% (76.7 +/- 8.5 mg/dl versus 345.2 +/- 35.8 mg/dl, P < 0.01). The same dose also showed a marked improvement in glucose tolerance of 80% (75.3 +/- 10.8 mg/dl versus 375.6 +/- 43.3 mg/dl, P < 0.01) in diabetic mice after four days. The alkali hydrolysis productions of MGR, ginseng panaxadiol (PDS), malonic acid and a mixture of malonic acid with PDS, showed no effects on fasting blood glucose levels indicated the hypoglycemic effect of MGR relied on their unique esterified chemical structures. The findings from this study suggest that MGR extracted from Panax ginseng may be prescribed as adjunct to drug treatment for controlling diabetes mellitus.