Studies On The Anti-apoptotic And Antiaging Effects Of Ginsenoside Rg1 And Its Mechanism Of Action

Apoptosis, or programmed cell death (PCD), is the process by which a cell will actively commit suicide under tightly controlled circumstances. PCD is required for maintaining homeostasis and is essential in many aspects of development , differentiation, immunity and aging. Defective regulation of PCD may play a part in the etiology of cancer, AIDS, auto immune diseases and degenerative diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). The pharmacological manipulation of PCD offers new possibility for the prevention and treatment of these illnesses. Ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) has been used as a tonic in Chinese Traditional Medicine for two thousand years. It is very useful to restore the deteriorated func- tions of aged persons and animals. Ginsenoside Rg1 (Rg1) is one of the important active principles of ginseng and shares many pharmacological effects of this plant, such as, facilitating learning and memory and alleviating many ailments associated with aging. In order to elucidate the anti aging activity of Rgl and the relationship between aging and apoptosis, I concentrated my research on the antiapoptotic and antiaging effects of ginsenoside Rgl and its mechanism of action. The experiment results are as follows:...