Anti-Obesity effects of protopanaxdiol types of Ginsenosides isolated from the leaves of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) in mice fed with a high-fat diet.

Effects of protopanaxdiol (PDG) and protopanaxatriol (PTG) types of ginsenosides isolated from the leaves of American ginseng on porcine pancreatic lipase activity were determined in vitro. PDG inhibited the pancreatic lipase activity in a dose-dependent manner at the concentrations of 0.25-1mg/ml. It inhibited hydrolysis of about 83.2% of triolein at about 1mg/ml of PDG. However, PTG showed no inhibitory activity. Therefore, anti-obesity activity of PDG was evaluated in mice fed a high-fat diet. The results demonstrated that PDG was effective in preventing and healing obesity, fatty liver and hypertriglyceridemia in mice fed with a high-fat diet.