Abstract
The effect of ginseng methanol extract on hepatic drug metabolizing enzyme in rat was investigated. The ginseng methanol extract (100mg/kg) was administered orally to Sprague Dawley rats for 7days and the contents of cytochrome $P_{450}$ and NADPH cytochrome c reductase in liver were measured by the method of Stanton et al. and Mazel respectively. The content of liver cytochrome $P_{450}$ and NADPH cytochrome c reductase in the rats treated with ginseng methanol extract (100mg/kg) were increased by 21.9% and l6.6% respectively and their increases were statistically significant. Single i.p. injection of phenobarbital (100mg/kg) to the rats produced approximately 25% increase in cytochrome $P_{450}$ content in this investigation and further stimulation was produced in the rats pretreated with ginseng methanol extract (100mg/kg). On the other hand, single i.p. injection of 95% $CCl_{4}$ (0.5ml/kg) showed 29% decrease in cytochrome $P_{450}$ content and 10.5% decrease in NADPH cytochrome c reductase activity. The degree of inhibition of cytochrome $P_{450}$ content in the rats pretreated with ginseng methanol extract (100mg/kg) was similar to that observed in the $CCl_{4}$ alone treated group, but NADPH cytochrome c reductase activity was increased by 65% in the rats pretreated with ginseng methanol extract (100mg/kg). These results suggest that ginseng is the hepatic drug metabolizing enzyme inducing agent in the rat and the effect is similar to phenobarbital.