EFFECTS OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION OF LIPOPHILIC FRACTION FROM PANAX-GINSENG ON CGMP AND CAMP IN RAT PLATELETS AND ON BLOOD-COAGULATION

We have studied the effect of dietary supplementation with 25 mg (0.00 25% of the total diet) of a lipophilic fraction (LF) from Panax ginsen g on rat platelet aggregation induced by collagen or thrombin, and on blood coagulation. When platelets prepared from 15% corn oil plus LF-a dministered rats (COLF) were stimulated by thrombin (0.1 units/ml) and collagen (100 mu g/ml), the cGMP level was significantly increased as compared with those from 15% corn oil only-administered rats (CO). Th e levels of cAMP in COLF were decreased by thrombin, but was increased by collagen. Furthermore, the levels of both cGMP and cAMP were also increased by the exogenous addition of LF to thrombin- and collagen-st imulated platelets. These results mean that LF increases cGMP directly and cAMP indirectly, and thus inhibits thrombin- or collagen-induced rat platelet aggregation. Both the thrombin time (TT) and activated pa rtial thromboplastin time (APTT) were prolonged more in citrated plate let-poor plasma from COLF than in that from CO. The level of lipids su ch as triglyceride, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-choles terol and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol was decreased in serum f rom COLF more than in that of CO. Thus, these results suggest that die tary LF regulates the levels of cGMP and cAMP, and prolongs the time i nterval (TT, APTT) between the conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin. Acc ordingly, our data demonstrate that dietary LF has an antithrombotic e ffect in vivo.