Ginseng compound may help prevent heart attacks: report

SEOUL, April 28 (Yonhap) -- Extracts from herbal ginseng roots may help prevent heart attacks, one of the leading causes of deaths in the world, a report by local scientists said Thursday. The research team led by Chonbuk National University veterinary professor Kim Jong-hoon said it has carried out successful tests on pigs and mice that showed ginseng saponin helping to increase cardiac output and inhibit constrictions of the coronary arteries. The ginseng saponin used on the animals was extracted from the herbal root through a special process so it can be absorbed by the body more effectively. The body may not effectively absorb ginseng roots that are eaten whole since the digestive system cannot dissolve so many fibers. "Extensive tests carried out in the past 18 months showed animals given steady doses of saponin exhibiting 18 percent greater cardiac output compared to those that were not given the substance," the veterinary scientist at the state-run university claimed. He added the herbal substance also inhibited coronary constriction by around 20 percent. Clogging of the key arteries can disrupt blood flow, which could lead to heart attacks and severe chest pains. A total of 60 animals were used in the experiments with four groups given different doses of saponin prior to the triggering of artificial heart attacks. One group was not given the ginseng extract. Kim said that results showed clearly that saponin can prevent severe chest pains and heart attacks, and that further animal and human clinical tests could lead to the development of substances that can help prevent the onset of potentially fatal heart disease. He stressed ginseng saponin may help prevent heart attacks from occurring, although it may not be effective in treating people already suffering from heart disease, the third leading cause of death in South Korea. "Because ginseng is widely consumed, getting permission to use the specially prepared herbal extracts should not take that much time," the professor said. He estimated that if all future tests go well and if commercial partners can be found, a product may reach the market in around three years. The latest discovery has been submitted for publication to the European Journal of Pharmacology with details of the findings to be released by the Korean Society of Ginseng on Friday in Seoul.