팽화발효홍삼이 당뇨쥐의 혈당관련 지표에 미치는 영향을 조사하고자 SD계 수컷 흰쥐에게 STZ로 당뇨를 유발시킨 후 당뇨대조군(DC), 일반홍삼군(300 ㎎/㎏, RG), 팽화 후 유산균 Bifidobacterium breve와 Lactobacillus delbrueckii의 혼합균주로 발효한 팽화발효홍삼군-1(300 ㎎/㎏, BL) 및 Enterococcus faecalis로 발효한 팽화발효홍삼군-2(300 ㎎/㎏, EF)로 나누어 각 실험시료를 5주간 경구투여한 결과, 실험기간 동안 BL군의 혈당은 DC, RG군보다 유의적으로 낮은 수준을 유지하였으며(p<0.05), 실험 5주째의 경우 DC, RG군뿐만 아니라 EF군보다도 유의하게 낮았다(p<0.05). 경구당부하 검사 결과에서도 BL군이 통계적으로 가장 낮은 혈당수준을 유지하였고(p<0.05), 혈당 곡선하면적(AUC)은 DC군에 비해 BL군이 유의하게 낮았다(p<0.05). 실험종료 후 공복혈당은 BL군이 DC, RG군보다 유의하게 낮았고(p<0.05), 혈청 인슐린 농도 역시 BL군이 DC군과 유의적 차이를 보이며 낮게 나타났으며(p<0.05), 인슐린저항성은 DC군에 비해 BL, EF군이 유의하게 낮았고(p<0.05), 그중 BL군은 더욱 낮은 것으로 나타났다(p<0.05). 당화혈색소(HbA1c) 함량은 BL군이 DC, RG군보다 유의하게 낮았다(p<0.05). 혈청 총콜레스테롤(TC) 농도는 DC군에 비해 RG, BL, EF군이 통계적으로 낮았고(p<0.05), LDL-콜레스테롤 농도는 BL군이 DC군보다 유의한 감소를 나타내었다(p<0.05). 이상에서 B. breve와 L. delbrueckii의 혼합균주를 사용하여 제조한 팽화발효홍삼은 혈당농도를 낮추고 혈당관련 지표성분 및 혈청 지질농도 개선에도 다소간의 효과를 확인할 수 있었다.
This study was performed to investigate the effects of puffed and fermented red ginseng on blood glucose-related biomarkers in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Male Sprague-Dawley diabetic rats were orally injected with 0.85% NaCL as a diabetic control (DC), 300 ㎎/㎏ general red ginseng (RG), 300 ㎎/㎏ puffing red ginseng fermented by mixed strain culture of Bifidobacterium breve and Lactobacillus delbrueckii (BL), and 300 ㎎/㎏ puffing red ginseng fermented by Enterococcus faecalis (EF) for 5 weeks. The blood glucose level of group BL was significantly lower maintained than in groups DC and RG for the experimental period (p<0.05). It was also significantly lower than in groups DC, RG, and EF at the 5th week (p<0.05). In the oral glucose tolerance test, the blood glucose of group BL was maintained the lowest level (p<0.05), and the area under the blood glucose curve (AUC) was also significantly lower in group BL than in group DC (p<0.05). The fasting blood glucose and insulin levels after the experiment were significantly low in group BL (p<0.05), and the HOMA-IR was more significantly low in groups BL and EF than in group DC (p<0.05). Also, the HbA1c content of group BL was significantly low than in groups DC and RG (p<0.05). The serum TC level was significantly decreased in groups RG, BL, and EF than in group DC (p<0.05), and the LDL-C content was significantly low in group BL than in group DC (p<0.05). From the findings, it was shown that the puffed and fermented red ginseng made using a mixed strain culture of B. breve and L. delbrueckii could improve blood glucose-related biomarkers.