Lab Anim Res.  2014 Sep;30(3):104-111. 10.5625/lar.2014.30.3.104.

Evaluation of the genotoxicity of ginseng leaf extract UG0712

• Kim JY
• Ri Y
• Do SG
• Lee YC
• Park SJ

• KMID: 2312121
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5625/lar.2014.30.3.104

Abstract

Although ginseng (genus Panax) leaf extract contains high concentrations of bioactive constituents, its effects have been reported in few preclinical studies, and information regarding its toxicity is not sufficient to allow for its clinical use. We evaluated the genotoxicity of UG0712, which is a powdered extract of ginseng leaves. UG0712 did not increase the number of revertant colonies in 4 histidine auxotrophic strains of Salmonella typhimurium (TA100, TA1535, TA98, and TA1537) or in a tryptophan auxotrophic strain of Escherichia coli (WP2uvrA(pKM101)) at any concentration evaluated, either in the absence or presence of the metabolic activation system. There was no significant increase in the number of metaphase cells with structural or numerical aberrations in the UG0712-treated groups compared to the concurrent vehicle control at any dose, regardless of the presence of the metabolic activation system. Oral administration of the extract at doses up to 2,000 mg/kg in male mice did not increase the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes in the bone marrow, and did not result in any significant clinical signs, body weight loss, gross findings, or mortality. These results suggest that UG0712 does not act as a mutagenic or genotoxic material at the concentrations evaluated.

Keyword

UG0712; ginseng leaf extract; bacterial reverse mutation; chromosome aberration; micronucleus

MeSH Terms

Administration, Oral
Animals
Biotransformation
Body Weight
Bone Marrow
Chromosome Aberrations
Erythrocytes
Escherichia coli
Histidine
Humans
Male
Metaphase
Mice
Mortality
Panax*
Salmonella typhimurium
Tryptophan
Histidine
Tryptophan

Figure

• 

  Figure 1 UG0712 dose-response curve for revertant colonies in the presence of the metabolic activation system. Five test strains (S. typhimurium TA98, TA100, TA1535, and TA1537, and E. coli WP2uvrA) were exposed to UG0712 and incubated for 48 h. Data were expressed as the mean values of colonies from 3 plates for each concentration. * is growth inhibition.

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