Anti-diabetic Effects of Ginsenosides Rh2 and F1 in the Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Mice Model

Abstract

Rh2 and F1, compounds derived from Panax ginseng, are the final metabolites of panaxadiol and panaxatriol ginsenosides. Although ginseng is reported to have an anti-diabetic effect, the active components have yet to be clearly identified. In this study, the effects of ginsenosides Rh2 and F1 on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were investigated in db/db mice. For nine weeks, animals were administered ginsenosides Rh2 and F1 orally at dosage levels of 5 and 20 mg/kg, respectively, in contrast to a vehicle for the control group. To evaluate the effects of Rh2 and F1, we assessed the biochemical and histological parameters related to the control of the blood glucose level. Compared with the control group, Rh2 and F1 lowered the levels of fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobinA1c, and the amount of water intake. The Rh2 5 mg/kg group had lower levels of the area under the curve in an oral glucose tolerance test than that of the control group. F1 20 mg/kg group had lower levels of serum triglyceride and higher levels of serum adiponectin than those of the control group. In addition, Rh2 and F1 showed protective effects on the histology of pancreatic β-cells by suppressing the mRNA expressions of the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 6. Moreover, F1 activated the mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha. In conclusion, ginsenosides Rh2 and F1 may exert biological activities that suppress the severity of T2DM, showing their potential for use as new anti-diabetic compounds for the prevention of T2DM.