Cytoprotective activity of pectic polysaccharides from the root of panax ginseng

An acidic polysaccharide fraction, GRA-4, of the root extract of Panax ginseng, when administered from 50 to 200 mg/kg orally, inhibited gastric lesions induced by HCl-ethanol or absolute ethanol, in a dose-dependent manner. The cytoprotective activity of GRA-4 decreased after its treatment with periodate but not after protein digestion, indicating that the carbohydrate moiety of this acidic polysaccharide contributes to this activity.