Related Research -- Studies on Wild American Ginseng



Research 6

	Studies on Organic Germanium	Studies on Rb1, Rb2	Studies on Rc, Rd, Re
	Studies on Rg1, Rg2 and Rg3	Studies on Rh1, Rh2	Studies on Wild American Ginseng

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Related Research -- Studies on Wild American Ginseng

More Studies on wild American ginseng (> 10 articles):

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Search&db=pubmed&term=wild%20American%20ginseng

More Studies on American ginseng (> 147 articles):

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Search&db=pubmed&term=American%20ginseng

More Studies on ginseng (> 2480 articles):

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Search&db=pubmed&term=ginseng

Study One

Effects of American Ginseng and Chinese Herbal Powder, Alone and in Combination, on Human Breast Cancer MCF-7 Cells In Vitro.

Murphy, Laura L.,Ph.D.; Zong, Wuying; Rice, Jennifer A., Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL 62901

In traditional Chinese medicine, herbals have been utilized in the treatment regimen for human cancers. Ginseng is often included in herbals used for the prevention and treatment of cancer. We have recently reported that a water extract of cultivated American ginseng root (Panax quinquefolium) inhibited the proliferation of human breast cancer MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells in culture. In the current study, we examined the effects of a Chinese herbal powder (CHP; a gift from American WildSenergy, Inc., New York, NY) currently used in the treatment of human cancers, on MCF-7 cell proliferation. The effects of CHP alone and in combination with American ginseng root extract were studied. The CHP and 10 year-old woods grown ginseng root powder (American WildSenergy, Inc.) were individually water-extracted, lyophilized, and stored at -20°C. MCF-7 cells were plated (5x104 cells) in DMEM mediasupplemented with 10% FBS and antibiotics and 24h later were treated with ginseng extract or CHP in doses of 0.01-2.5 mg/ml. Cells were treated every 2 days and, on day 6, trypsinized cells were counted using a hemocytometer. Treatment with either CHP or ginseng alone produced a significant dose-dependent decrease in MCF-7 cell proliferation when compared to media-only controls. The IC50 for CHP and ginseng was 0.4 and 0.5 mg/ml, respectively. Whereas doses of 1 mg/ml or higher of CHP killed all cells, ginseng did not appear to have cytotoxic effects at any dose. In the next study, MCF-7 cells were treated as described above with a wide range of ginseng doses (0.01-1.0 mg/ml) in combination with 0.4 mg/ml CHP. The IC50 for the ginseng+CHP combination was 0.02 mg/ml. These results indicate that either ginseng or CHP alone inhibits MCF-7 cancer cell proliferation, but that a combination of ginseng with CHP dramatically increases the potency of either compound alone. Thus, co-administration of American ginseng with cancer therapeutic drugs or herbals may increase the overall efficacy of treatment. (supported in part by the USAMRMC and American WildSenergy, Inc.)

A Letter from Prof. Linda Murphy, Ph.D.

Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL:

“When combining wild ginseng and CHP, the Wildsenergy capsules, the potency was increased by 25 times. Also, older ginseng root (10 years or more) is twice as potent as the 5 year old root.”

Dear Mr. Lam:

I would like to thank you for sending me the fine samples of American wild ginseng and also the Chinese herbal powder for testing. I am sending you the results of the studies I have finished. We powderized the different ginseng roots, prepared individual water extracts of the powdered root, freeze-dried them, and individually tested them in our cancer cell bioassay. We prepared several different doses of each ginseng extract and treated human breast cancer MCF-7 cells with the extract for 6 days. You will see in the first graph that all of the extracts decreased the number of proliferating cancer cells, relative to control, non-treated (vehicle) cells, in a nice, dose-related manner. The IC50 value (dose of ginseng that inhibits cell proliferation by 50%) for the 18 yr. old root revealed that it was 2X more potent than the 5 yr. old root and that the 10 yr. old root was approximately as potent as the 18 yr. old root. I have tested several other roots that were sent to me and have found the results with your 5 yr. old root to be consistent with other 5-7 yr. old, woods grown roots. I have received only one other wild root sample that was > 18 yr. old and it was a little more potent than your sample. It was a root from Kentucky.

Regarding the Chinese herbal powder (CHP) study, we water-extracted the powder and performed the same kind of dose-response experiments as described above. As you can see on the second graph, we obtained another nice dose-response curve that demonstrated that the CHP had an IC50 of 0.4 mg/ml. At the highest dose of CHP, almost all of the cancer cells were dead. When we combined the American wild ginseng (10 yr. old root) with the CHP (0.4mg/kg), the potency was increased 25X. Therefore, a combination of CHP and ginseng very dramatically increased the potency of either compound alone. Furthermore, you will see that the highest ginseng dose tested, when combined with CHP, actually killed all of the cells. It is interesting that the ginseng just stops cells from proliferating (cytostatic), whereas the CHP was cytotoxic, in that it actually killed cells. This is the method by which most of the known cancer chemotherapy drugs act. I have enclosed an abstract describing this study that I am also sending to Dr. Li and Mr. Zeng.

Please let me know if I can provide you any more information.

Sincerely,

Laura L. Murphy, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Physiology

Study Two

American ginseng improves glucose tolerance in diabetics and nondiabetics

Vuksan V, Stevenpiper JL, Koo VYY, et al. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2000; 160: 1009-1013

A small, randomized clinical study showed that treatment with American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) helped improve glucose tolerance in nondiabetic people as well as those with type II diabetes mellitus. For the study, 10 nondiabetic people and 9 people with type II diabetes received treatment with 3 g ginseng or placebo capsules either 40 minutes before or in combination with an oral glucose challenge. In nondiabetic participants, no difference was observed in glycemia between placebo and ginseng when the substances were administered along with glucose, but significant reductions were seen when ginseng was taken 40 minutes before the glucose challenge. However, compared with placebo, both ginseng dosage regimens improved glucose tolerance in the people with diabetes. The researchers cautioned that for nondiabetics, "to prevent unintended hypoglycemia, it may be important that the American ginseng be taken with meals." They also noted that the 3 g dose of ginseng used in their study is higher than that used in most other clinical studies, which is typically 1.5 g or less.

A report on wild American ginseng:

SIUC researcher probes ginseng as breast cancer remedy
By Anne Marie Tavella

In one of the many laboratories housed in Life Science III, incubators resembling miniature refrigerators are keeping live cancer cells warm - or more precisely - keeping them the same temperature as the human body.To the naked eye, the live breast cancer cells appear to be a harmless pink liquid. Under the microscope, the diluted fruit punch-like substance does not appear threatening. However, cells resembling these will cause the death of 40,800 women and 400 men in the year 2000.This year, 182,800 women and 1,400 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Laura Murphy hopes her research will someday bring that number down.Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that develops from the cells of the breast. There are several different types of breast cancer, often varying in severity. The cancers can develop in the lobules and the ducts of the breast.

About three years ago, Murphy, an assistant professor in physiology, decided to look into the effects of American ginseng on breast cancer."This is really something that could have potential merit, something that will really help humankind," Murphy said.Murphy got the idea after looking into ginseng's properties as a hormone. Murphy and her students tested ginseng's effect on the libido of male rats."It did enhance their libido and their performance," Murphy said.

Murphy, who is also an endocrinologist, knew that cancer cells, especially breast cancer cells, seem to be affected by hormones. She decided to see what effect the ginseng would have on live cancer cells.With her students, Murphy created a ginseng extract and added it to human breast cancer cells. It stopped the growth of the cells.

She continued to work on the project and submitted a grant proposal to the U.S. Department of Defense."It was a shot in the dark," Murphy said. "It was a matter of putting together preliminary data to arouse [the granting body's] curiosity."It worked, and in September 1999, Murphy received a $295,701 grant from the Department of Defense.

Murphy is close to positively identifying the component in American ginseng that affects the cancer cells and is beginning to test prostate and other types of cancer cells. The likely component in ginseng is called Ginsenoside Rc, which Murphy is able to obtain commercially for her tests.

A large part of the success of the project is due to the work of students in her lab, Murphy said.Students are responsible for a number of duties involved in the experiments. They extract ginseng, maintain the different types of cancer cells growing in the lab and prepare the treatments given to the cells. Different cells receive different treatments, and the cells are then counted under a microscope."It's a very student oriented, student-driven project," Murphy said.

So far Murphy has only tested ginseng on human cancer cells. If the tests continue to be successful the next step will be to treat animals with the ginseng. If the results are positive, humans would be next.

There are a few different methods in which the ginseng may be used to assist breast cancer patients and those at high-risk. Ginseng may someday join the ranks of other drugs currently used in breast cancer prevention. In 1998, the drug tamoxifen was shown to reduce breast cancer cases by 50 percent in four years during a large research study of high-risk women. However, the risks, side effects and benefits vary for each woman. Another possible use would be to use ginseng in combination with treatments already being used. Murphy said this may be especially useful with chemotherapy drugs, which can often have severe side effects.

"If we combine low doses of those drugs with Ginsenoside, can we lower that toxic effect that occurs and yet increase the efficacy of the chemotherapy?" Murphy asked.One of the largest obstacles Murphy faces is getting others in her field interested in her work.

Murphy said one of the problems is Americans as a whole are a little weary about herbal medicine used for therapeutic treatments, especially for a disease as serious as cancer. Murphy presented her data at a national meeting for cancer research last April and will again this December. She also plans to publish her findings in the spring."It's just a matter of getting enough people interested, finding what [ginseng] truly does and how it works, and that is going to take some time," Murphy said.Jennifer Rice, a researcher who has been working with Murphy for about a year and half on the project, graduated from SIUC last May with a degree in physiology.Rice works in the lab, treating and counting the cells and then graphing the results. Rice said she finds the work very rewarding because cancer is something that affects so many people."If we find something here that inhibits cancer growth - that's huge," Rice said.One of the best parts of the research is actually watching the cancer cells decrease in growth, Rice said."Doing this research is a way that I can help us to maybe find a cure," she said.Murphy shares Rice's excitement about the project. Although Murphy acknowledges there is still a long road ahead, she is optimistic about the future and pleased with what has been accomplished."I'm really enthusiastic about this," Murphy said. "I really enjoy this research."

www.cancer.org

(Source: Daily Egyptian)

Study Three

American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L) Reduces Postprandial Glycemia in Nondiabetic Subjects and Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Vladimir Vuksan, PhD; John L. Sievenpiper, BASc; Vernon Y. Y. Koo, MSc; Thomas Francis, PhD; et al. Arch Intern Med. 2000;160:1009-1013

Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, and Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre, and St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario

Background Despite a lack of medical evidence to support its therapeutic efficacy, the use of herbal medicine has increased considerably. Ginseng, one of the most widely used herbs, is hypothesized to play a role in carbohydrate metabolism and diabetes mellitus. We therefore undertook a preliminary short-term clinical study to assess whether American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L) affects postprandial glycemia in humans.

Design On 4 separate occasions, 10 nondiabetic subjects (mean [SD] age, 347 years; mean [SD] body mass index [BMI], 25.6 3 kg/m2) and 9 subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (mean [SD] age, 62 7 years; mean [SD] BMI, 29 5 kg/m2; mean [SD] glycosylated hemoglobin A1c, 0.080.005) were randomized to receive 3-g ginseng or placebo capsules, either 40 minutes before or together with a 25-g oral glucose challenge. The placebo capsules contained corn flour, in which the quantity of carbohydrate and appearance matched the ginseng capsules. A capillary blood sample was taken fasting and then at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 (only for subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus) minutes after the glucose challenge.

Results In nondiabetic subjects, no differences were found in postprandial glycemia between placebo and ginseng when administered together with the glucose challenge. When ginseng was taken 40 minutes before the glucose challenge, significant reductions were observed (P<.05). In subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus, the same was true whether capsules were taken before or together with the glucose challenge (P<.05). Reductions in area under the glycemic curve were 18%31% for nondiabetic subjects and 1922% and 2217% for subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus administered before or together with the glucose challenge, respectively.