Osteoprotective effect of extract from Panax ginseng in ovariectomized rats

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of the Panax ginseng extract on serum level of hormones from osteoporosis induced ovariectomized rats. Two month-old rats were ovariectomized (OVX), remained untreated for 8 weeks, and were subsequently administered P. ginseng (200 mg/kg) every day for 8 weeks. We examined the effects of treated P. ginseng every 10 days on ovariectomy-related changes in Insulin-like Growth Factors (IGF), Insulin-like Growth Factor binding protein-3 (IGBF-3), Estrogen, Calcium, and Phosporus After 8 weeks serum levels of IGF-I, -II, and IGFBP-3 were heigher after P. ginseng extract treatment on OVX rats as compared to the other two groups (p < 0.05). Bone alkaline phosphatase levels were increased through P. ginseng extract treatment in OVX rats compared to the other two groups. There were no differences between OVX and P. ginseng extract treated OVX rats in serum levels of estrogen, but estrogen levels for the sham group were higher than for the other two groups. P. ginseng extract is increased to serum levels of IGFs and IGFBP-3 of osteoporosis induced by ovariectomized rats. Thus, the results reveal that the P. ginseng extract is a possible role for improvement of osteoporosis induced-ovariectomized rats and has a great potential as an alternative tool for the treatment of osteoporosis.

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