Ginsenoside Rb1 inhibits cell activation and liver fibrosis in rat hepatic stellate cells

Chronic hepatitis/cirrhosis is the eighth leading cause of death in Taiwan. Excess accumulated extracellular matrix produced by activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is the major cause of liver fibrosis. Ginsenoside Rb1, the most active compound purified from ginseng, has been considered to be hepatoprotective. This study investigated the effects of ginsenoside Rb1 (98.8% purity) on activation, proliferation, and profibrotic factors in rat HSC-T6 cells under H₂O₂ oxidative stress. Rat HSC-T6 cells were activated by 10 nM H₂O₂ and then incubated with different concentrations of ginsenoside Rb1 (5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 μg/mL) for 24 hours. Medium containing 0.08% dimethyl sulfoxide or 5 mM N-acetyl-l-cysteine was used as a negative or positive control, respectively. The results showed that ginsenoside Rb1 at 5-40 μg/mL significantly reduced α-smooth muscle actin levels and at 5-80 μg/mL inhibited cell proliferation in HSC-T6 cells after induction with H₂O₂ (P