Ginsenoside의 고cholesterol혈증 억제작용메카니즘을 규명하기 위해 cholesterol 대사에 미치는 ginsenoside혼합물과 정제된 ginsenoside $Rb_1$, $-Rb_2$, -Re, $-Rg_1$ 의 영향을 조사하였다. 고cholesterol식이와 ginsenoside을 함께 투여한 시험군의 간cholesterol농도는 고cholesterol식이만으로 사육한 대조군에 비하여 현저히 낮았으며, acyl-coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase(ACAT)활성은 시험군의 경우 대조군보다 불과 10% 정도 증가하였으나, 간세포의 미크로좀분획을 이용한 ACAT활성에 미치는 ginsenoside의 in vitro 영향은 ginsenoside의 농도가 $1{ imes}10^{-4}{sim}10^{-5}%$ 일 때 크게 증가하였다. 또한 간 파쇄액을 효소원으로 사용하여 cholesterol로부터의 담즙산 합성에 미치는 gisenoside의 영향을 in vitro에서 관찰한 결과 반응 혼합물에서의 ginsenoside의 농도가 $1{ imes}10^{-3}%{sim}10^{-4}%$ 일때 담즙산 합성이 현저히 증가하였다. 이상의 실험결과로부터 ginsenoside는 간에서의 cholesterol 대사를 촉진하여 간세포내 cholesterol농도를 효과적으로 낮춤으로써 cholesterol로 인한 LDL수용체합성억제를 완화하므로써 고cholesterol식이로 인한 고cholesterol혈증유발을 억제하는 것으로 생각된다.
It was demonstrated that liver cholesterol level of high cholesterol diet and ginsenoside administered rat (test group) was considerably lower than that of control group (high cholesterol diet fed rat). Acyl-coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase(ACAT) activity of the test group was found stimulated. The effect of ginsenoside on the biosynthesis of bile acid from cholesterol by rat liver homogenate was also investigated in vitro and found that ginsenoside stimulated the biosyntehsis. It was also observed the effects several amphiphiles such as sodium dodecyl sulfate. Triton X-100, Lubrol-wx as well as ginsenoside mixture or purified ginsenosides on ACAT and found that all of them stimulated the ACAT activity considerably when they were present in an adequate amount respectively suggesting that nonspecific enzyme stimulating effect of the ginsenoside might be due to the surface activity of ginsenoside. From the above experimental results, it seemed that hypocholesterolemic activity of ginsenosides might be due to the lowered liver cholesterol level by enhanced ACAT activity as well as rapid bile acid biosynthesis from cholesterol. Low cholesterol level might also prevent the LDL receptor biosynthesis inhibition induced by high cholesterol diet resulting in a rapid removal of raised palsma LDL level.
