NTU Undergraduates' research April 2014 - Biosciences | Page 102

The Effect of Ginseng on the Growth of Muscle
Stem Cells
Anna L. Lawson
Abstract
The effect of ginseng on cell proliferation and differentiation has been studied extensively due to the
compound’s therapeutic potential and ability to modulate physiological activities. In order to
investigate this effect, the C2C12 mouse myoblast cell line was cultured and treated with six
concentrations of ginseng, ranging from 5μM to 200μM. Several assays including MTT and Neutral
Red were then undertaken in order to determine the viability of cells. It was observed that in cells
treated with Rg3 ginsenoside, cell viability decreased gradually with increasing concentration during
both MTT and Neutral Red assays. In cells treated with crude ginseng there was no significant
decrease in cell viability during the MTT assay until after a concentration of 50μM when a 2.75-fold
decrease in absorbance between 50 and 200μM (p < 0.05) was observed. Interestingly it was evident
from the study that at lower concentrations of both crude ginseng and Rg3 ginsenoside the cells
proliferated, whereas at higher concentrations the cells differentiated into myotubes, determined by
measuring creatine kinase activity. Results from this investigation closely resemble data from in vivo
studies, suggesting that in vitro studies may be beneficial when studying the effect of ginseng on
muscle stem cell lines, however limitations need to be considered.