이상이 되면 ALDH반응은 오히려 억제되었다. 2) ALDH의 acetaldehyde에 대한 Km은 $1{ imes}10^{-7}%$의 인삼 사포닌 존재시 최소의 값 (1.67mM)이였으며 (Control의 Km은 2.74mM) 인삼 사포닌에 의한 ALDH반응의 촉진은 ALDH의 acetaldehyde에 대한 Km의 저하에 기인하는 것으로 추측된다. 시토졸 분획의 ALDH반응도 인삼 사포닌에 의하여 촉진되었다. 3) 인삼 사포닌에 의한 alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH, EC 1. 1. 1. 1) 반응의 촉진현상은 ethanol-1-$^{14}C$을 사용한 본 연구에서도 확인되었으며 적당량의 인삼 사포닌은 ADH 반응과 ALDH반응을 다같이 촉진함으로서 체내에서의 ethanol 산화와 유독한 acetalde-hyde의 제거를 원만히 진행하는 것으로 생각된다.
It was attempted in this study to observe the effect of ginseng saponins, one of the major components of Korean ginseng root, on rat hepatic aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH, EC 1. 2. 1. 3) to understand some physiological role of the saponin on the alcohol metabolism in the body and the following results were obtained: 1) It was realized that mitochondrial ALDH was stimulated by the saponin, the concentration of which were around $1{ imes}10^{-8}%-1{ imes}10^{-6}%$ in the assay mixture but inhibited when the saponin concentration was over $1{ imes}10^{-4}%$. 2) Km of mitochondrial ALDH for acetaldehyde reached the lowest value at $1{ imes}10^{-7}%$ of the saponin suggesting that the saponin stimulation of the ALDH might be brought by Km lowering for acetaldehyde of ALDH. Cytosolic ALDH was also found stimulated by the saponin. 3) Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH, EC 1. 1. 1. 1.) stimulation by moderate amounts of the saponin was confirmed in the present experiment using radioactive ethanol-1-1-$^{14}C$ and it has been suggested that the moderate amount of the saponin accelerated ethanol oxidation to acetate by stimulating both ADH and ALDH.
