Ruaa Aziz Jassim1 
,
Zinah Essam Hameed Alshaya2,
Anmar Adham Issa3
For correspondence:- Ruaa Jassim Email: ruaa.aziz@albayan.edu.iq Tel:+964-7815996067
Received: 5 January 2026 Accepted: 14 May 2026 Published: 31 May 2026
Citation: Jassim RA, Alshaya ZE, Issa AA. Metabolic and anti-obesity effects of Panax ginseng root extract in mice. Trop J Pharm Res 2026; 25(5):665-672 doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v25i5.8
© 2026 The authors.
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Purpose: To determine the anti-obesity effect of Panax ginseng root extract and isolates. Methods: Thirty Swiss albino mice, randomly divided into three groups of ten mice each, were used. Group 1 (E1) received sterilized crude aqueous ginseng extract (50 mg/kg/day), while Group 2 (E2) mice received sterilized saponin isolate (20 mg/kg/day) intravenously, for 30 days. Control group did not receive any treatment. Metabolic and obesity parameters evaluated include animal weight, insulin and leptin levels, which were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: After the 30-day monitoring period, there was a distinct trend in weight gain across groups. The control animals showed a linear upward increase, starting at 25 g and reaching 35 g at the end of the study (p < 0.05). On the other hand, groups 1 and 2 showed a significant decrease from 25 g to 19 g (p < 0.05). The E1 group showed a non-significant decline in the concentrations of insulin and leptin after treatment (p > 0.05). However, in the E2 group, both insulin and leptin levels decreased significantly (p < 0.05), revealing a relationship between increased metabolic activity and weight loss. Conclusion: This study offers preliminary report that intravenous administration of crude aqueous ginseng extract leads directly to reduction in body weight and decreased circulating insulin and leptin levels in mice.
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