ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Korean ginseng (KG) has been used as a general tonic in oriental society. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of total saponin (TS), a major extract of KG, and non-saponin components of KG on penile erection for evaluation of the possibility of developing KG as an pharmacological agent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Strips of rabbit corpus cavernosum were mounted in organ chambers to measure isometric tension, with the treatment of TS and non-saponin components including methanol extracts, ethylacetate extract and H2O extract. We observed the relaxing effect of TS and non-saponin components, which were represented by % relaxation compared to 10-3M sodium nitroprusside-induced relaxation. In adult Sprague Dawley rats, we observed the increase of intracavernous pressure (delta ICP) and duration of tumescence (DT) by intracavernosal injection of TS. RESULTS: TS (1-4mg/cc) significantly relaxed the strips precontracted with phenylephrine (10(-5)M) in dose dependent manner (%relaxation: 5.8-36.7%). Intracavernous injections of TS (0.05mg-3.2mg/0.1cc) induced penile erection (delta ICP: 1.3-21.3mmHg, DT: 0.3-5.2min) in dose dependent manner. The cumulative additions of all non-saponin components at concentrations from 0.5mg/cc to 4mg/cc relaxed the strips in concentration-dependent manner. The maximal relaxing effect were 14.7% in methanol extract, 16.9% in H2O extract, 18.2% in ethylacetate extract. CONCLUSIONS: With the results, ginseng induces penile erection by relaxing corpus cavernosum and suggest that ginseng is not doing its action as a single component but ginseng is doing rather its action as complexes with saponin and non-saponin components.