Effect of Ginseng on Penile Erection: A combined in vitro and in vivo study

Jung, Hee Chang; Yu, Jin Wook; Park, Jong Min; Shin, Hong Seok; Moon, Ki Hak; Kim, Won Jun; Park, Tong Choon

Abstract

PURPOSE
Korean ginseng (KG) has been used as a general tonic in oriental society. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of total saponin (TS), a major extract of KG, and non-saponin components of KG on penile erection for evaluation of the possibility of developing KG as an pharmacological agent.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Strips of rabbit corpus cavernosum were mounted in organ chambers to measure isometric tension, with the treatment of TS and non-saponin components including methanol extracts, ethylacetate extract and H2O extract. We observed the relaxing effect of TS and non-saponin components, which were represented by % relaxation compared to 10-3M sodium nitroprusside-induced relaxation. In adult Sprague Dawley rats, we observed the increase of intracavernous pressure (delta ICP) and duration of tumescence (DT) by intracavernosal injection of TS.
RESULTS
TS (1-4mg/cc) significantly relaxed the strips precontracted with phenylephrine (10(-5)M) in dose dependent manner (%relaxation: 5.8-36.7%). Intracavernous injections of TS (0.05mg-3.2mg/0.1cc) induced penile erection (delta ICP: 1.3-21.3mmHg, DT: 0.3-5.2min) in dose dependent manner. The cumulative additions of all non-saponin components at concentrations from 0.5mg/cc to 4mg/cc relaxed the strips in concentration-dependent manner. The maximal relaxing effect were 14.7% in methanol extract, 16.9% in H2O extract, 18.2% in ethylacetate extract.
CONCLUSIONS
With the results, ginseng induces penile erection by relaxing corpus cavernosum and suggest that ginseng is not doing its action as a single component but ginseng is doing rather its action as complexes with saponin and non-saponin components.