A pilot study of the effect of American ginseng administration on glycemic control in dogs with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus

Background. Despite numerous preventative strategies and a wide array of conventional medications available for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, prevention and treatment of this disease remains unsatisfactory and the disease remains a serious health care problem in people and companion animals. There remains a need for development of new primary and adjunctive medical therapies to treat this disease. If left untreated or poorly regulated, diabetic patients are at high risk for the development of serious acute and chronic complications. Acute complications of diabetes mellitus in cats, dogs and people include the development of diabetic ketoacidosis, non-ketotic hyperosmolar diabetic ketoacidosis, and hypoglycaemia from an insulin overdose. Chronic complications in people include blindness from diabetic retinopathy, hypertension and related cardiovascular disease, renal failure from diabetic nephropathy, peripheral neuropathies, increased risk of secondary infections and a variety of dermatologic problems. Similar chronic complications can occur in diabetic dogs and cats but with the exception of diabetic cataracts in dogs, the incidence is much lower. To prevent such complications and to improve or maintain a diabetic patient's quality of life, many diabetic people and owners of diabetic pets turn to alternative medicines, including herbal remedies such as ginseng. Emerging evidence from human and experimental animal models for the use of American ginseng (AG) in the control of diabetes and high blood pressure has been encouraging.

Design. A placebo-controlled, blinded, crossover design study involving 8 dogs with well controlled insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus was performed to evaluate whether administration of a commercially available American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) product has any antihyperglycemic and antihypertensive effects.

Results. In dogs with well controlled insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, no statistically significant differences in glycemic control or systemic blood pressure parameters were detected between placebo and American ginseng when either treatment was administered as an adjunct to the dog's prescribed insulin.

Conclusion. American ginseng did not demonstrate antihyperglycemic or antihypertensive effects in dogs with type I diabetes mellitus.