Key result
Co-treatment of ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg3 (9:1 ratio) synergistically induced the maximal expression levels of adipogenic and insulin signaling pathway mRNAs in 3T3-L1 cells.
Why the study?
It was unclear whether the insulin-sensitizing anti-diabetic effects of red ginseng are mediated by individual ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg3 or by their combination.
Does the combination of ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg3 improve adipogenic and insulin signaling pathways in 3T3-L1 cells?
Does the combination of ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg3 improve adipogenic and insulin signaling pathways in 3T3-L1 cells?
The anti-diabetic activity of red ginseng is partly mediated by synergistic actions of ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg3 on adipogenic and insulin signaling pathways.
May inform ginseng-based metabolic therapies; hypothesis-generating and requires clinical validation.
Although ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg3 have been identified as the significant ginsenosides found in red ginseng that confer anti-diabetic actions, it is unclear whether insulin-sensitizing effects are mediated by the individual compounds or by their combination. To determine the effect of ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg3 on adipocyte differentiation, 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were induced to differentiate the standard hormonal inducers in the absence or presence of ginsenosides Rb1 or Rg3. Additionally, we determined the effects of Rb1, Rg3, or their combination on the expression of genes related to adipocyte differentiation, adipogenic transcription factors, and the insulin signaling pathway in 3T3-L1 cells using semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Rb1 significantly increased the expression of CEBPα, PPARγ, and aP2 mRNAs. However, Rg3 exerted its maximal stimulatory effect on these genes at 1 μM concentration, while a high concentration (50 μM) showed inhibitory effects. Similarly, treatment with Rb1 and Rg3 (1 μM) increased the expression of IRS-1, Akt, PI3K, GLUT4, and adiponectin. Importantly, co-treatment of Rb1 and Rg3 (9:1) induced the maximal expression levels of these mRNAs. Our data indicate that the anti-diabetic activity of red ginseng is, in part, mediated by synergistic actions of Rb1 and Rg3, further supporting the significance of minor Rg3.
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Hong et al. (2021) studied Diabetes (in vitro model). Ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg3 vs. Absence of ginsenosides was evaluated on Expression of genes related to adipocyte differentiation and insulin signaling pathway. Co-treatment of ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg3 (9:1 ratio) synergistically induced the maximal expression levels of adipogenic and insulin signaling pathway mRNAs in 3T3-L1 cells.
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