Key results
APMCG-1 is precipitated by alkaline protease-assisted extract from mountain-cultivated ginseng with 30% ethanol, which has a strong scavenging effect on hydroxyl radicals. In palmitic acid-induced H9c2 cells, APMCG-1 greatly enhanced cell viability while reducing reactive oxygen species generation and lactate dehydrogenase levels. Additionally, it reduced endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial dysfunction by increasing the Ca2+ level and membrane potential of mitochondria in H9c2(2-1) cells. In C2C12 cells that had been exposed to palmitic acid, APMCG-1 boosted glucose uptake while lowering creatine kinase levels. More significantly, 5 days after fertilization Tg (kdrl:EGFP) zebrafish and 1-month-old wild-type zebrafish with type 2 diabetic symptoms both had lower blood sugar and lipid levels attributed to APMCG-1. Further, APMCG-1 was identified as a glycopeptide containing O-linked glycopeptide bonds.