Ginseng berry extract enhances metformin efficacy against obesity and hepatic steatosis in mice fed high-fat diet through increase of metformin uptake in liver

Ginseng berry extract contains plenty of ginsenosides showing anti-obesity and anti-hyperglycemic activities. Regarding that long-term intakes of herbal products to control metabolic disorders as popular alternatives have become popular, ginseng berry extract plus metformin is an attractive item for long-term glycemic control. Herein, we investigated the effect of ginseng berry extract (GBE) or its combination with metformin against obesity and hepatic steatosis in high-fat diet fed mice. GBE altered abnormal features (e.g. body weight, serum profiles, hepatic steatosis/inflammation and fat mass). Concomitantly, GBE increased mRNA levels of adiponectin and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein. All these changes were observed in metformin alone and GBE plus metformin. Moreover, in GBE plus metformin intake, GBE increased organic cation transporter-mediated metformin uptake in liver and mRNA of AMP-activated protein kinase together, which additively ameliorated obesity and hepatic steatosis. Therefore, GBE itself and GBE plus metformin could be useful to regulate metabolic disorders.