STUDIES ON INSULIN-LIKE SUBSTANCE IN PANAX GINSENG

It was found that water extract of Panax ginseng strongly inhibited adrenaline-induced lipolysis in isolated fat cells of rat epididymal adipose tissue. An antilipolytic action of the water extract was easily inactivated by treatment with pronase, suggesting that the active principle might be a protein or a peptide. Experiments were designed to purify the antilipolytic substance, or insulin-like substance, of the water extract. The water extract was dialyzed against disti'led water. The outer dialysate was subjected to DEAE-cellulose column chromatography, gelfuaration on sephadex G-50 column, avicel cellulose column chromatography and phospho-cellulose column chromatography, successively. The finally purified substance gave one spot on thin layer chromatography. The molecular weight was found to be around 1000. Experiments are now in progress to elucidate the structure of this insulin-like peptide.