Ginseng-enhanced oxidative and phagocytic activities of polymorphonuclear leucocytes from bovine peripheral blood and stripping milk.

This study investigated the effect of a dried ginseng extract on polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNL) in bovine blood and milk. In a test for chemiluminescence (CL), PMNL were pre-incubated in ginseng solution at 37 degrees C in 5% CO2 for 60 min, and then stimulated with bovine serum opsonized zymosan. The CL was about 30% higher for the cells pre-treated with ginseng solutions 100-1,000 micrograms/ml as compared with the non-ginseng-treated cells. In a test for phagocytosis, PMNL and fluorescent microspheres were incubated with ginseng in RPMI-1640 supplemented with 10% bovine serum at 37 degrees C for 60 min. The proportion of actively phagocytic cells in the ginseng-treated group was greater than that in the non-ginseng treated group.