Effect of Ginseng Extracts on Production of Vacuolating Toxin by Helicobacter pylori

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to survey the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and the incidence of vacuolating toxin producing H. pylori from the gastric biopsy specimens of patients with 178 gastritis, 57 gastric ulcer, 455 gastric cancer and 44 healthy person in Pusan, Korea. Further aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ginseng extract, sofalcone, ginsenosides (F1, Rb3, Re, Rgl), sangwha, green, arrowroot, ginger, and jujube tea on the activity and production of vacuolating toxin by H. pylori in vitro. The isolation rates of H. pylori by culture method from gastric biopsy specimens were 34.1% in healthy person, 42.1% in gastritis, 36.8% in gastric ulcer, and 39.3% in gastric cancer. The isolation rates of vacuolating toxin producing H. pylori from gastric biopsy specimens were 80% in healthy person, 82.7% in gastritis, 81% in gastric ulcer, and 83.8% in gastric cancer. The growth of H. pylori was not influenced by the addition of 10 ug/ml or 100 ug/ml of Ginseng extract and 10 ug/ml of sofalcone in the medium, but the production of vaculating toxin of H. pylori was significantly inhibited by the addition of 100 ug/ml of Ginseng extract and sofalcone. The activity of vacuolating toxin in the culture supernatant of H. pylori was significantly diminished (1/2-1/16 compared to control) by the addition of 10 mg/ml of sangwha, green, arrowroot, and ginger tea, and 1 ug/ml of ginsenosides F1, Rb3, Re, and Rgl. These results suggest that the isolation rates of vacuolating toxin producing H. pylori were significantly higher than that of the foreign reports. Ginseng extract and sofalcone have direct inhibitory effect on the activity of vacuolating toxin production by H. pylori without considerable growth inhibition and sangwha, green, arrowroot, and ginger tea have direct inhibitory effect on the activity of vacuolating toxin of H. pylori.