Intervention effects of ginseng on spleen-qi deficiency in rats revealed by GC–MS-based metabonomic approach

Panax ginseng C. A. Mey. (Ginseng) is a famous Chinese medicine with tonifying middle and replenishing qi effects and has been applied for the treatment of spleen-qi deficiency for many years. However, its potential therapeutic mechanisms have not been thoroughly studied. In this study, the metabolomic technique was applied to explore the therapeutic effect of ginseng on the spleen-qi deficiency. A rat model of spleen-qi deficiency was generated via the fatigue swimming method. After 3 weeks of treatment with ginseng, the entire metabolic changes in rat serum were profiled by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The metabolic profiles in serum taurine and hypotaurine metabolism significantly differed among groups, in which a total of 17 metabolites were identified. Ginseng reversed the metabolic changes in the difference involving some metabolic pathways. Among them, beta-alanine metabolism, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, and the pentose phosphate pathway are the key metabolic pathways. The therapeutic effects of ginseng on spleen-qi deficiency rats could be achieved by regulating multiple metabolic pathways, metabolites can be used as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of spleen-qi deficiency.