Black ginseng extracts ameliorates hypercholesterolemia in rats

Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) is a well characterized medicinal herb listed in the classic oriental herbal dictionary as “Shin-nong-bon-cho-kyung”. Ginseng bears diverse pharmacologic and therapeutic properties. Black ginseng (BG, Ginseng Radix Nigra) is produced by repeatedly steaming fresh ginseng nine times. Studies of BG have shown that prolonged heat-treatment enhances the antioxidant activity with increased radical scavenging activity. Several recent studies have showed the effects of black ginseng on increased lipid profiles in mice.