本文综述了近年各国文献中各种人参对哺乳动物细胞和人周围血淋巴细胞的放射保护作用.不同文献所采用LD50、克隆形成单位法、非同位素的原位DNA末端标记技术、磷酸盐活性和脂质过氧化水平、空斑形成单位法和细胞因子阻滞的微核法等体内外实验结果表明,不同人参制品有显著的放射保护作用,其水溶性提取物的保护作用优于单体成分.人参除抗肿瘤作用外,对放射治疗的肿瘤病人是一个有效的放射保护剂. ","Ginseng refers to the roots of the species of the genus Panax.As a medicinal herb,ginseng has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for its wide spectrum of medicinal effects,such as tonic,immunomodulatory,adaptogenic,and anti-aging activities.Many of its medicinal effects are attributed to the triterpene glycosides known as ginsenosides[saponins].Based on the surprisingly limited quantitative information in the liter ature,this review addresses the issue of the radioprotective effects of ginseng on mammalian cells obtained from different rodent species and human peripheral blood lymphocytes. The significant radioprotective effects of different ginseng preparations were demonstrated in vivo and ex vivo by LD50,mortality rate within 60 days, jejunal crypt survival assay,colony - forming - units assay, nonisotopic in situ DNA end-labeling assay,neutral elution assay,phosphatase activity and lipid peroxidation level,and the cytokinesis-blocked micronuclei assay.Results indicate that the water-soluble extract of whole ginseng appears to give a better protection against radiation - induced damage than does the isolated ginsenoside fractions.Although the exact underlying radioptrotective mechanism of ginseng is unclear, it could be through its antioxidantative capability by scavenging free radicals responsible for DNA damage.Ginseng is a natural product with worldwide distribution, and in addition to its anti-tumor properties, appears to be a promising radioprotector, especially for cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.