Effects of ginseng on TNF-α, leptin and plasma lipid levels of rats fed a cholesterol-rich diet

Abstract

This study assessed the effects of ginseng root powder on plasma total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, leptin, and TNF-α levels of adult rats fed a cholesterol-rich diet. In this study, 48 healthy adult male Wistar Albino rats were divided into three groups: a control group (K), a cholesterol group (C), and a cholesterol+ginseng group (CG). The K group was fed a standard rat diet, whereas the C and CG groups were fed the same standard diet containing 5% cholesterol and 5% cholesterol+1 g/kg Panax ginseng root powder, respectively. Blood samples were taken on days 20 and 40 of the study. On days 20 and 40, the CG group had lower plasma total cholesterol levels than the C group (p