Glycopeptide from mountain-cultivated ginseng attenuates oxidant-induced cardiomyocyte and skeletal myoblast injury

Background: and purpose In Asian traditional medicine, ginseng has been referred to as the “King of Herbs” because to its extensive therapeutic and pharmacologic characteristics, particularly in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus and illnesses connected to diabetes. Experimental approach The 80% ethanol extracts of cultivated, red, and mountain-cultivated ginseng were liquid partitioned with hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol, respectively. The residues produced were processed with enzyme-assisted extraction by different enzymes. Cardiomyocytes, skeletal myoblasts, wild-type AB line zebrafish and Tg (kdrl:EGFP) zebrafish were used to screen and verify the protective effect of extracts. Key results APMCG-1 is precipitated by alkaline protease-assisted extract from mountain-cultivated ginseng with 30% ethanol, which has a strong scavenging effect on hydroxyl radicals. In palmitic acid-induced H9c2 cells, APMCG-1 greatly enhanced cell viability while reducing reactive oxygen species generation and lactate dehydrogenase levels. Additionally, it reduced endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial dysfunction by increasing the Ca2+ level and membrane potential of mitochondria in H9c2(2-1) cells. In C2C12 cells that had been exposed to palmitic acid, APMCG-1 boosted glucose uptake while lowering creatine kinase levels. More significantly, 5 days after fertilization Tg (kdrl:EGFP) zebrafish and 1-month-old wild-type zebrafish with type 2 diabetic symptoms both had lower blood sugar and lipid levels attributed to APMCG-1. Further, APMCG-1 was identified as a glycopeptide containing O-linked glycopeptide bonds. Conclusions and implications As a PI3K/AKT activator, APMCG-1 protects the dysfunction of oxidant induced cardiomyocytes and skeletal myoblasts in type 2 diabetes, and is a potential therapeutic drug for diabetes.