• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.23 no.3 s.55
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• pp.172-175
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• 1999

The effect of Korean red ginseng extract on the pharmacokinetics of ethanol was examined in 14 male rats and 10 healthy male volunteers. Aqueous red ginseng extract (200 mg/kg), or an equivalent volume of water was administered orally to the rats and followed immediately by treatment with $50\%$ (v/v) ethanol orally (3.2 g/kg). The area under the curve (AVC) and elimination rate constant (Ke) of ethanol were $29.2{\pm}6.2\;g{\cdot}min{\cdot}dl^{-},\;0.51{\pm}0.06\;mg{\cdot}dl^{-}{\cdot}min.^{-}$ in ginseng-treated group and $28.0{\pm}5.6\;g{\cdot}min.{\cdot}dl^{-},0.5{\pm}0.1\;mg{\cdot}dl^{-}{\cdot}min.^{-}$ in control group. These differences were not significant. The volunteers were given orally with 3g of aqueous ginseng, or an equivalent volume of water, followed immediately by Korean alcoholic beverage, Soju (2.4 ml/kg). The AUC and Ke of ethanol for volunteers were $10.6{\pm}2.0\;g{\cdot}min.{\cdot}dl^{-}$ and $0.21{\pm}0.05\;mg{\cdot}dl^{-}{\cdot}min.^{-}$ in ginseng-treated group and $11.0{\pm}2.2\;g{\cdot}min.{\cdot}dl^{-}$ and $0.22{\pm}0.04\;mg{\cdot}dl^{-}{\cdot}min.^{-}$ in control group. These differences were not also significant. These results suggest that an application of red ginseng extract does not have any clinically significant effect on the pharmacokinetics of ethanol.