Oxygen free radicals are highly reactive molecules with unpaired electrons, which are produced with in aerobic cells in the course of normal metabolic events. Normally, aerobic cells are protected from the damage of free radicals by antioxidative enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione (GSH) peroxidase, GSH S-transferase and GSH reductase which scavenge free radicals as well as nonenzymatic antioxidants such as ceruloplasmin, albumin and nonprotein-SH including GSH. We have investigated the effects of total sap; nin of red ginseng on the endogenous antioxidants in order to elucidate antioxidative mechanisms of red ginseng.
The treatment with total saponin of red ginseng significantly decreased the contents of malondialdehyde and total free radicals in the liver. On the other hand, total saponin of red ginseng significantly increased the activities of SOD, ca talase and GSH reductase and nonprotein-SH level.
These results suggest that total saponin of red ginseng exerts an antioxidative effect by increasing endogenous anti-oxidants.
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