Comparative analysis of the neuroprotective effects of ginsenosides Rg1 and Rb1 extracted from Panax notoginseng against cerebral ischemia

Panax notoginseng, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used for thousands of years to treat ischemic patients. More than 20 saponin components have been isolated from P. notoginseng root and identified chemically. However, these different chemical components have different roles. In this study we compared the neuroprotective mechanisms of ginsenosides Rg1, Rb1, Rg1/Rb1, and panax notoginsenoside (PNS) against injuries caused by cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R). Our results show that all of these treatments significantly reduced infarction volume and alleviated neurological deficits caused by cerebral I/R. The increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration was inhibited by these treatments in the hippocampus. The decreased expressions of thioredoxin-1 (Trx-1), copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD-1), protein kinase B (PKB/Akt), and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) caused by cerebral I/R were restored by these treatments. The expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) was enhanced in the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) group, as well as in all of the treatment groups. These results suggest that Rg1 and Rb1 have similar roles in protecting the brain from ischemic damage; however, neither Rg1/Rb1 nor PNS have synergistic effects, thus either Rg1 or the Rb1 monomer should be considered as a pharmacological neuroprotective strategy for use in the case of ischemic stroke.