Protective Effects of a Ginseng Component, M altol(2- M ethyl-3- Hydroxy-4- Pyrone) against Tissue Damages Induced By Oxygen Radicals

Maltol(2-methyl-3-hydroxy-r-pyrone), a component known to be present in Korean Ginseng root showed an antioxidant action but its potency as an antioxidant was low; about 1150th that of other antioxidants such as p-phenylenediamine , BHA and BHT. However, maltol was able to protect the oxidation adamants in biological systems such as adriamycin-induced membrane damage in isolated cardiomyocytes, parquet-induced toxicities in isolated hepatocytes and repercussion injury in isolated hearts. The antioxidant action of maltol was also shown to be effective in vivo. The antioxidant action of this compound was probably due to the removal of hydroxyl radicals. In view of the roles of oxygen radical in various pathological processes, Korean Ginseng root, which contains several antioxidants including maltol, is expected to have beneficial efforts on the oxygen radical-involved processes. Keywords Maltol, Oxygen free radicals, Lipid preoccupation, Repercussion injury and Korean ginseng