The hepatoprotective effects of the methanol and water extracts of the roots of Panax notoginseng were studied on various animal models. The methanol and water extracts of P. notoginseng showed a significant activity in carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury in rats. However, the methanol extract was found to be more active. The hepatoprotective effects of the methanol extract was further evaluated using D-galactosamine as well as heat-killed Propionibacterium acnes/lipopolysaccharide-induced liver injury models. Two major isolates from the methanol extract, ginsenosides-Re and -Rgl, showed a significant hepatoprotective effect on D-galactos-amine/lipopolysaccharide-induced liver injury in mice.
