ABSTRACT
Since the widespread application of hyperbaric oxygenation in clinical medicine, the problems of oxygen toxicity have been attracting a deep interest from the researchers on hyperbaric medicine as a practical issue. Among extensive research trials, the study on the protective agents oxygen toxicity occupied one of the most challenging field. As the mechanisms of oxygen toxicity, the role of the oxygen free radicals produced by peroxidation process are strongly accepted by the leading researchers on oxygen toxicity, the probable protective effects of antioxidant against oxygen toxicity are sustaining a sufficient rational. Maltol(2-methyl-3-hydroxy-gamma-pyrone) which is known to be a component of Korean red ginseng has been reporting to have an antioxidant action. But, further study is needed to provide definite evidence for this compound to be an antioxidant, since the action was based on the results which were obtained under in vitro experiment. In this study, the author attempted to evaluate the effect of maltol as protective agent against oxygen toxicity through the observation of death rate, convulsion rate, time to convulsion and microscopic pathological changes in some organs of experimental rats exposed to various conditions. The findings observed are as follows: 1) The death rate, convulsion rate, time to convulsion, lung/weight ratio and microscopic pathological finding of lung were identified as reliable objective and quantitative indices for oxygen toxicity. 2) Maltol showed excellent protective effect against pulmonary oxygen toxicity as an antioxidant.