Comparative Pharmacokinetics of Ginsenoside Rg(3) and Ginsenoside Rh(2) after Oral Administration of Ginsenoside Rg(3) in Normal and Walker 256 Tumor-bearing Rats

BACKGROUND: Ginseng is Chinese traditional herbal medicine, and the ginsenoside Rg(3) is the main bioactive ingredient for the anti-tumor effect. However, there is no study on pharmacokinetics (PKs) of ginsenoside Rg(3) and its main metabolite after oral ginsenoside Rg(3) in tumor-bearing plasma. The aim of this study was to investigate the PK profiles of ginsenoside Rg(3) and ginsenoside Rh(2) after oral administration of pure ginsenoside Rg(3) were administered, and compare the difference of the PK profiles between normal and Walker 256 tumor-bearing rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The concentrations of two ginsenosides in plasma were determined by using a simple and rapid high-performance liquid chromatography. All the rats were divided randomly into two groups (Walker 256 tumor-bearing and normal groups). Each group received oral administration of 50 mg/kg ginsenoside Rg(3). RESULTS: The results showed that ginsenoside Rh(2,) possibly as a glycosylation hydrolysis product of ginsenoside Rg(3), were found in plasma after oral administration of ginsenoside Rg(3) to rats. Ginsenoside Rg(3) had shown better absorption than ginsenoside Rh(2), whether the oral administration of ginsenoside Rg(3), normal rats showed better absorption than tumor-bearing rats. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The PKs properties of the ginsenoside Rg(3) and ginsenoside Rh(2) differed between tumor-bearing rats and normal rats, including area under the plasma level/time curve and concentration maximum (P < 0.05). SUMMARY: Ginsenoside Rh(2) was found in plasma after oral administration of ginsenoside Rg(3) to rats. HPLC could be used to determine simultaneously, the concentration of ginsenoside Rg(3) and ginsenoside Rh(2) in rat plasma after oral administration of ginsenoside Rg(3.) Normal rats showed better absorption than tumor-bearing rats after oral administration of ginsenoside Rg(3.0).