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Xu J, Pan Y, Liu Y, Na S, Zhou H, Li L, Chen F, Song H. A review of anti-tumour effects of ginsenoside in gastrointestinal cancer. J Pharm Pharmacol 2021; 73:1292-1301. [PMID: 33836068 DOI: 10.1093/jpp/rgab048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Gastrointestinal cancer, one of the major causes of cancer-related deaths in the world, refers to malignant conditions of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and other organs. Although conventional therapy has been successful to some extent in cancer treatment, drug resistance and cancer recurrence still limit the therapeutic efficacy. There is increasing evidence indicating that ginsenoside, as a kind of high nutritional value and widely used traditional Chinese medicine, could contribute to the promotion of treatment in GI cancer, which deserves further investigation. KEY FINDINGS Based on previous studies, the possible mechanisms mainly include regulation of autophagy, apoptosis, proliferation, migration and angiogenesis. However, no studies recently have conducted a more in-depth review of the anti-cancer effects of ginsenoside in GI cancer. SUMMARY Therefore, this review will summarise and analyse the latest developments in the anti-tumour effects of ginsenosides in GI cancer, thus may promote further research of the anti-tumour efficacy of ginsenoside.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xu
- School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Yunxia Pan
- School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Yanyan Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.,Institute of Integrative Medicine, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.,Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicinal Formula of Anhui Province, Hefei, China
| | - Sha Na
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.,Institute of Integrative Medicine, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.,Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicinal Formula of Anhui Province, Hefei, China
| | - Hui Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.,Institute of Integrative Medicine, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.,Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicinal Formula of Anhui Province, Hefei, China
| | - Lu Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.,Institute of Integrative Medicine, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.,Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicinal Formula of Anhui Province, Hefei, China
| | - Fengyuan Chen
- School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.,Institute of Integrative Medicine, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.,Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicinal Formula of Anhui Province, Hefei, China
| | - Hang Song
- School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.,Institute of Integrative Medicine, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.,Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicinal Formula of Anhui Province, Hefei, China
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Anti-Cancer Effect of Panax Ginseng and Its Metabolites: From Traditional Medicine to Modern Drug Discovery. Processes (Basel) 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/pr9081344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer incidence and mortality rate are growing worldwide. The effectiveness of cancer therapy depends on the degree of cancer development. Anticancer prevention, screening tests, detection of precancerous conditions or cancers at an early stage of development help to prevent the development of cancer, and in the event of cancer development, they provide the best chance for a full recovery. However, in most cases of advanced cancer, there is no method that can fully cure this disease. Recently, natural products have gained more attention in cancer therapy. Panax ginseng (PG), one of the most popular natural products, is reported to have a wide range of pharmacological activities in cancer. Therefore, the anti-cancer effects and mechanisms of PG and its metabolites (compound K, Ginsenoside Rh1, Rh2, Rh3 and F1) in five major cancers (lung cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer and stomach cancer) are reviewed in this study. It is confirmed that PG and its metabolites regulated apoptosis, epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), angiogenesis, cell cycle arrest and multidrug resistance (MDR) in vitro and in vivo cancer models. In particular, ginsenoside Rh2 showed anticancer effects in all five major cancers. This review could improve the understanding of anticancer mechanisms of PG and its metabolites against major five cancers. Further clinical studies are needed for development anti-cancer drugs using PG and its metabolites.
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Won HJ, Kim HI, Park T, Kim H, Jo K, Jeon H, Ha SJ, Hyun JM, Jeong A, Kim JS, Park YJ, Eo YH, Lee J. Non-clinical pharmacokinetic behavior of ginsenosides. J Ginseng Res 2019; 43:354-360. [PMID: 31308806 PMCID: PMC6606970 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgr.2018.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Ginsenosides, the major active ingredients of ginseng and other plants of the genus Panax, have been used as natural medicines in the East for a long time; in addition, their popularity in the West has increased owing to their various beneficial pharmacological effects. There is therefore a wealth of literature regarding the pharmacological effects of ginsenosides. In contrast, there are few comprehensive studies that investigate their pharmacokinetic behaviors. This is because ginseng contains the complicated mixture of herbal materials as well as thousands of constituents with complex chemical properties, and ginsenosides undergo multiple biotransformation processes after administration. This is a significant issue as pharmacokinetic studies provide crucial data regarding the efficacy and safety of compounds. Moreover, there have been many difficulties in the development of the optimal dosage regimens of ginsenosides and the evaluation of their interactions with other drugs. Therefore, this review details the pharmacokinetic properties and profiles of ginsenosides determined in various animal models administered through different routes of administration. Such information is valuable for designing specialized delivery systems and determining optimal dosing strategies for ginsenosides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyo-Joong Won
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Il Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Taejun Park
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeongmin Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kanghee Jo
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyojin Jeon
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seo Jun Ha
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Min Hyun
- Department of Pharmaceutical Industry Management, The Graduate School of Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Aeri Jeong
- Department of Pharmaceutical Industry Management, The Graduate School of Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Sik Kim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Industry Management, The Graduate School of Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ye Jin Park
- Department of Pharmaceutical Industry Management, The Graduate School of Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun Ho Eo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Industry Management, The Graduate School of Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaehwi Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Pharmaceutical Industry Management, The Graduate School of Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Riaz M, Rahman NU, Zia-Ul-Haq M, Jaffar HZ, Manea R. Ginseng: A dietary supplement as immune-modulator in various diseases. Trends Food Sci Technol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tifs.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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Prevention of Gastric Cancer: Eradication of Helicobacter Pylori and Beyond. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18081699. [PMID: 28771198 PMCID: PMC5578089 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18081699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Revised: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Although its prevalence is declining, gastric cancer remains a significant public health issue. The bacterium Helicobacter pylori is known to colonize the human stomach and induce chronic atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, and gastric cancer. Results using a Mongolian gerbil model revealed that H. pylori infection increased the incidence of carcinogen-induced adenocarcinoma, whereas curative treatment of H. pylori significantly lowered cancer incidence. Furthermore, some epidemiological studies have shown that eradication of H. pylori reduces the development of metachronous cancer in humans. However, other reports have warned that human cases of atrophic metaplastic gastritis are already at risk for gastric cancer development, even after eradication of these bacteria. In this article, we discuss the effectiveness of H. pylori eradication and the morphological changes that occur in gastric dysplasia/cancer lesions. We further assess the control of gastric cancer using various chemopreventive agents.
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Yoo HS, Kim JM, Jo E, Cho CK, Lee SY, Kang HS, Lee MG, Yang PY, Jang IS. Modified Panax ginseng extract regulates autophagy by AMPK signaling in A549 human lung cancer cells. Oncol Rep 2017; 37:3287-3296. [PMID: 28440448 DOI: 10.3892/or.2017.5590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Panax ginseng has been used worldwide as a traditional medicine for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. The antiproliferative activity of ginseng has been increased after enzymatic processing of ginseng saponin, which may result in the accumulation of minor saponins, such as Rh2, Rg3, compound K and protopanaxatriol type (PPT) in modified regular ginseng extract (MRGX). In the present study, the anticancer activity and the associated mechanisms of MRGX were investigated using A549 human lung cancer cells. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the effects of MRGX, we performed a microarray analysis of gene expression in the A549 cells. Molecular mechanisms that were associated with the anticancer activity of MRGX were studied, with a special focus on the autophagy-related multiple signaling pathways in lung cancer cells. Microarray analyses elucidated autophagy-related genes affected by MRGX. Administration of MRGX at 100 µg/ml induced punctate cytoplasmic expression of LC3, Beclin-1 and ATG5 and increased expression of endogenous LC3-II whereas 50 µg/ml did not inhibit the proliferation of A549 cells. Compared to the control cells, in cells treated with MRGX at 100 µg/ml, the level of p-Akt was increased, while that of mTOR-4EBP1 was decreased. Downregulation of mTOR and 4EBP1 in the MRGX-treated cells was found not to be a p-Ulk (S757)-dependent pathway, but a p-Ulk (S317)-dependent autophagic pathway, using AMPK. These data suggest that MRGX regulates AMPK and induces autophagy in lung cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hwa-Seung Yoo
- East-West Cancer Center, Dunsan Oriental Hospital of Daejeon University, Daejeon 302-122, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Min Kim
- NAR Center, Inc. & Genoplan Korea, Inc., Seoul 06221, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunbi Jo
- Division of Bioconvergence Analysis, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-333, Republic of Korea
| | - Chong-Kwan Cho
- East-West Cancer Center, Dunsan Oriental Hospital of Daejeon University, Daejeon 302-122, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Yeul Lee
- Division of Bioconvergence Analysis, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-333, Republic of Korea
| | - Hwan Su Kang
- Division of Bioconvergence Analysis, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-333, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Goo Lee
- Department of Physiology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Pei-Ying Yang
- Departments of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ik-Soon Jang
- Division of Bioconvergence Analysis, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-333, Republic of Korea
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Jeong MK, Cho CK, Yoo HS. General and Genetic Toxicology of Enzyme-Treated Ginseng Extract: Toxicology of Ginseng Rh2. J Pharmacopuncture 2016; 19:213-224. [PMID: 27695630 PMCID: PMC5043085 DOI: 10.3831/kpi.2016.19.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Ginseng Rh2+ is enzyme-treated ginseng extract containing high amounts of converted ginsenosides, such as compound k, Rh2, Rg3, which have potent anticancer activity. We conducted general and genetic toxicity tests to evaluate the safety of ginseng Rh2+. METHODS An acute oral toxicity test was performed at a high-level dose of 4,000 mg/kg/day in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. A 14-day range-finding study was also conducted to set dose levels for the 90-day study. A subchronic 90-day toxicity study was performed at dose levels of 1,000 and 2,000 mg/kg/day to investigate the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of ginseng Rh2+ and target organs. To identify the mutagenic potential of ginseng Rh2+, we conducted a bacterial reverse mutation test (Ames test) using amino-acid-requiring strains of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli (E. coli), a chromosome aberration test with Chinese hamster lung (CHL) cells, and an in vivo micronucleus test using ICR mice bone marrow as recommended by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. RESULTS According to the results of the acute oral toxicity study, the approximate lethal dose (ALD) of ginseng Rh2+ was estimated to be higher than 4,000 mg/kg. For the 90-day study, no toxicological effect of ginseng Rh2+ was observed in body-weight changes, food consumption, clinical signs, organ weights, histopathology, ophthalmology, and clinical pathology. The NOAEL of ginseng Rh2+ was established to be 2,000 mg/kg/day, and no target organ was found in this test. In addition, no evidence of mutagenicity was found either on the in vitro genotoxicity tests, including the Ames test and the chromosome aberration test, or on the in vivo in mice bone marrow micronucleus test. CONCLUSION On the basis of our findings, ginseng Rh2+ is a non-toxic material with no genotoxicity. We expect that ginseng Rh2+ may be used as a novel adjuvant anticancer agent that is safe for long-term administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi-Kyung Jeong
- East West Cancer Center, Dunsan Korean Medicine Hospital of Daejeon University, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Chong-Kwan Cho
- East West Cancer Center, Dunsan Korean Medicine Hospital of Daejeon University, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Hwa-Seung Yoo
- East West Cancer Center, Dunsan Korean Medicine Hospital of Daejeon University, Daejeon, Korea
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Hwang IH, Kwon YK, Cho CK, Lee YW, Sung JS, Joo JC, Lee KB, Yoo HS, Jang IS. Modified Panax ginseng Extract Inhibits uPAR-Mediated α5β1-Integrin Signaling by Modulating Caveolin-1 to Induce Early Apoptosis in Lung Cancer Cells. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CHINESE MEDICINE 2016; 44:1081-97. [PMID: 27430913 DOI: 10.1142/s0192415x16500609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Urokinase receptor (uPAR) is enhanced in many human cancer cells and is frequently an indicator of poor prognosis. Activation of [Formula: see text]1-integrin requires caveolin-1 and is regulated by uPAR. However, the underlying molecular mechanism responsible for the interaction between uPAR and [Formula: see text]1-integrin remains obscure. We found that modified regular Panax ginseng extract (MRGX) had a negative modulating effect on the uPAR/[Formula: see text]1-integrin interaction, disrupted the uPAR/integrin interaction by modulating caveoline-1, and caused early apoptosis in cancer cells. Additionally, we found that siRNA-mediated caveoline-1 downregulation inhibited uPAR-mediated [Formula: see text]1-integrin signaling, whereas caveoline-1 up-regulation stimulated the signaling, which suppressed p53 expression, thereby indicating negative crosstalk exists between the integrin [Formula: see text]1 and the p53 pathways. Thus, these findings identify a novel mechanism whereby the inhibition of [Formula: see text]1 integrin and the activation of p53 modulate the expression of the anti-apoptotic proteins that are crucially involved in inducing apoptosis in A549 lung cancer cells. Furthermore, MRGX causes changes in the expressions of members of the Bcl-2 family (Bax and Bcl-2) in a pro-apoptotic manner. In addition, MGRX-mediated inhibition of [Formula: see text]1 integrin attenuates ERK phosphorylation (p-ERK), which up-regulates caspase-8 and Bax. Therefore, ERK may affect mitochondria through a negative regulation of caspase-8 and Bax. Taken together, these findings reveal that MRGX is involved in uPAR-[Formula: see text]1-integrin signaling by modulating caveolin-1 signaling to induce early apoptosis in A549 lung-cancer cells and strongly indicate that MRGX might be useful as a herbal medicine and may lead to the development of new herbal medicine that would suppress the growth of lung-cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- In-Hu Hwang
- Department of Physiology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 136-705, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Kyun Kwon
- East-West Cancer Center, Daejeon University, Daejeon 302-120, Republic of Korea
| | - Chong-Kwan Cho
- East-West Cancer Center, Daejeon University, Daejeon 302-120, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeon-Weol Lee
- East-West Cancer Center, Daejeon University, Daejeon 302-120, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Suk Sung
- Department of Life Science, Dongguk University, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do 10326, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Cheon Joo
- Department of Sasang Constitutional Medicine, Wonkwang University Oriental Medical Hospital, Jeonju 54887, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Bok Lee
- Division of Bioconvergence, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-333, Korea
| | - Hwa-Seung Yoo
- East-West Cancer Center, Daejeon University, Daejeon 302-120, Republic of Korea
| | - Ik-Soon Jang
- Division of Bioconvergence, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-333, Korea
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Anticancer Activities of Protopanaxadiol- and Protopanaxatriol-Type Ginsenosides and Their Metabolites. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2016; 2016:5738694. [PMID: 27446225 PMCID: PMC4944051 DOI: 10.1155/2016/5738694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Recently, most anticancer drugs are derived from natural resources such as marine, microbial, and botanical sources, but the low success rates of chemotherapies and the development of multidrug resistance emphasize the importance of discovering new compounds that are both safe and effective against cancer. Ginseng types, including Asian ginseng, American ginseng, and notoginseng, have been used traditionally to treat various diseases, due to their immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, antioxidative, and antitumor activities. Accumulating reports have shown that ginsenosides, the major active component of ginseng, were helpful for tumor treatment. 20(S)-Protopanaxadiol (PDS) and 20(S)-protopanaxatriol saponins (PTS) are two characteristic types of triterpenoid saponins in ginsenosides. PTS holds capacity to interfere with crucial metabolism, while PDS could affect cell cycle distribution and prodeath signaling. This review aims at providing an overview of PTS and PDS, as well as their metabolites, regarding their different anticancer effects with the proposal that these compounds might be potent additions to the current chemotherapeutic strategy against cancer.
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Kang H, Park BR, Yoo HS, Kwon KR, Kang IC. Anti-angiogenic function of a Korean Ginseng and Toad venom complex, Doksamsumsu-dan (DSSSD) analyzed by a forwarded phase antibody microarray. BIOCHIP JOURNAL 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s13206-015-9308-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Yu J, Sun S, Lee K, Kwon K. Single-dose Toxicity of Water-soluble Ginseng Pharmacopuncture Injected Intramuscularly in Rats. J Pharmacopuncture 2015; 18:76-85. [PMID: 26120491 PMCID: PMC4481402 DOI: 10.3831/kpi.2015.18.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Radix Ginseng has been traditionally used as an adaptogen that acts on the adrenal cortex and stimulates or relaxes the nervous system to restore emotional and physical balance and to improve well-being in cases of degenerative disease and/or old age. Radix Ginseng has been used for a long time, but the safety of ginseng pharmacopuncture needs testing. This study was done to analyze the single-dose toxicity of water-soluble ginseng pharmacopuncture (GP) intramuscular injections in rats. METHODS All experiments were performed at Biotoxtech, an institution authorized to perform non clinical studies under the regulations of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP). Each group contained 10 Sprague-Dawley rats, 5 males and 5 females. GP was prepared in a sterile room at the Korean Pharmacopuncture Institute under regulations of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). GP dosages were 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mL for the experimental groups; normal saline was administered to the control group. The animals general condition was examined daily for 14 days, and the rats were weighed on the starting day and at 3, 7 and 14 days after administration of the pharmacopuncture. Hematological and biochemistry tests and autopsies were done to test the toxicological effect of GP after 14 days. This study was performed with approval from the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee of Biotextech. RESULTS No deaths were found in this single-dose toxicity test of intramuscular injections of GP, and no significant changes in the general conditions, body weights, hematological and biochemistry tests, and autopsies were observed. The local injection site showed no changes. Based on these results, the lethal dose was assumed to be over 1.0 mL/animal in both sexes. CONCLUSION These results suggest that GP is relatively safe. Further studies, including a repeated toxicity test, are needed to provide more concrete evidence for the safety of GP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junsang Yu
- Department of Sasang Constitutional Medicine, Sangji University College of Korean Medicine, Wonju, Korea
| | - Seungho Sun
- Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Sangji University College of Korean Medicine, Wonju, Korea
| | - Kwangho Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Sangji University College of Korean Medicine, Wonju, Korea
| | - Kirok Kwon
- Research Center of the Korean Pharmacopuncture Institute, Seoul, Korea
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