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Radioprotective ginseng protein fraction was isolated from Korean white ginseng and its cytotoxic effect on CHO-Kl cells was studied by the method of measuring the relative cell survival and total cellular protein content (FRAME method). When ginseng protein at the dose of 300, 600, 900, 1200pg/ml was treated to cells for 24 hrs, the relative survival was significantly decreased at the concentration of above 600pg/ml, indicating the presence of cytotoxic effect of the protein at certain concentration. When cellular protein content was measured after ginseng protein at the dose of 300, 600, 900, 1200 pg/ml was treated, the amount of cellular protein was significantly reduced at the concentration above 600pg/ml in the case of 24 hr treatment and at all concentrations including 300pg/ml in the case of 72 hr treatment. The data suggest that the protein may inhibit cell growth, resulting in the red uction of live cells in culture. ID50 value which is the concentration of ginseng protein that reduces the total cellular protein content to 50% of the control was calculated as 2276.86 and 1323.32 pg/ml in groups treated for 24 and 72 hr, respectively. Since ID50 value of above 1000pg/ml indicates very weak cytotoxicity, the ginseng protein seems to exert very weak cytotoxic effect on CHO-Kl cells.
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