ABSTRACT
Panax ginseng, also known as Korean ginseng, has long been used as a broad tonic in Oriental medicine to augment vitality, health, and longevity, particularly in older people. This study investigated the effects of Korean red ginseng (RG) on bone loss in ovariectomized (OVX) mice. C3H/HeN mice (10-weeks-old) were divided into sham and OVX groups. OVX mice were treated with vehicle, 17beta-estradiol (E2), RG (oral administration, 250 mg/kg/day), or RG (intraperitoneal administration, 50 mg/kg/every other day) for 6 weeks. Serum E2 concentration and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were measured. Tibiae were analyzed using microcomputed tomography. Biomechanical properties and osteoclast surface level were measured. There was no significant difference in the degree of grip strength, body weight, uterine weight, mechanical property, tibiae length, or tibiae weight between the OVX and RG-treated groups. Compared with the OVX group, the serum ALP level was significantly lower in the RG-treated groups. Serum E2 levels and osteoclast surface levels did not change between the OVX and RG-treated groups. RG could not preserve trabecular bone volume, trabecular bone number, trabecular separation, trabecular thickness, structure model index, or bone mineral density of the proximal tibiae metaphysic. In conclusion, there was no definite effect of RG on OVX-induced bone loss in C3H/HeN mice.