Effects of ginseng on the blood chemistry profile of dexamethasone-treated male rats.

Ginseng, a panacea in the Orient, has been widely investigated in the last two decades and found to possess a wide range of pharmacological activities including anti-fatigue properties, a transient regulatory action on metabolism and blood pressure, and an increase in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical activities. However, a panoramic clinical chemistry study including adrenal and thyroid functions has never been done before. Two experiments with the same design but different concentrations of dexamethasone were performed in this study. The results obtained from the two experiments indicated that ginseng administration at this regime did not influence the blood chemistry profiles in normal rats, but significantly decreased AST and ALT levels from those in dexamethasone-treated ones. It implies that ginseng has a liver-protective effect. Meanwhile, ginseng therapy restores the adrenal and thyroid functions of rats inhibited by dexamethasone treatment.