Ginseng, the roots and rhizomes of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, is used not only as a herbal medicine but also as a functional food to support body functions. Ginsenoside Rg3 (GRg3) is a major bioactive component in ginseng. In this study, the beneficial effects of GRg3 on rats with Alzheimer's disease (AD) were evaluated via the behavioral experiment and antioxidant capacity. Moreover, metabolomic analysis based on UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS and apoptosis analysis was used to obtain the change between AD and GRg3-administrated rats to assess the underlying mechanisms on improving mitochondrial dysfunction. Results showed that GRg3 could prevent the cognitive impairment of AD rats by improving the mitochondrial dysfunction. The potential mechanisms were related to regulate the abnormality of energy metabolism, electron transport chain, amino acid metabolism, purine metabolism, and antiapoptosis. These findings support the exploitation of GRg3 as an effective complementary and functional food to prevent and delay AD.
Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; apoptosis; ginsenoside Rg3; metabolomics; mitochondrial dysfunction.