The Effect of Ginseng

on Lumbriculus
variegatus

Nicole Loughry, Johnna Price,

and Kayanna Sayre

HCOP PE 2008
 Ginseng Facts

• History

• Antioxidant

• Ginsenosides

• Dose/response relationship
 Pulsation Rate:
Hypothesis
• Ginseng will lower the pulsation rate
in Lumbriculus variegatus.
 Experimental Design
Pulsation Rate

Control Treatment
(Spring Treatment 2
Water) 1 (Ginseng
(Ginseng 24µg%)
12µg%)
12 worms 12 worms
12 worms

6 worms 6 worms 6 worms 6 worms 6 worms 6 worms

10 20 10 20 10 20
minutes minutes minutes minutes minutes minutes
 Materials and Methods
• N= 12 worms in 1 mL spring water (control
group)
• N= 12 worms in 1 mL 12µg% ginseng
(treatment group 1)
• N=12 worms in 1 mL 24µg% ginseng
(treatment group 2)
• Exposed 6 worms from each group in
ginseng for 10 minutes
• Exposed 6 worms from each group in
ginseng for 20 minutes
 Materials and Methods
Continued
• Individually removed worms and counted
the pulsation rates underneath a
microscope for 10 seconds and multiplied
by 6 to get beats per minute.

• Performed ANOVA (analysis of variance)

• Model variables were treatment, time, and
treatment*time
• Mean comparisons were made using
Student’s t-test
*

Treatment
p=<0.0001

Time p=0.0003

Treatment*Tim
e p=0.0056
 Hypothesis-
Locomotion
• Ginseng will increase locomotion in
Lumbriculus variegatus.
 Experimental Design
p/m=probes
Locomotion per minute

Control
(Spring Treatment
Treatment
Water) 2
1
(Ginseng
(Ginseng
12µg%)
12 worms 6µg%)
12 worms
12 worms
6 6
worms worms 6 6
6 p/m 12 p/m 6 6 worms worms
worms worms 6 p/m 12 p/m
 Material and Methods
Locomotion
• N= 12 worms in 1 mL spring water (control
group)
• N= 12 worms in 1 mL 12µg% ginseng
(treatment group 1)
• N=12 worms in 1 mL 24µg% ginseng
(treatment group 2)
• Constructed a race track for the worms
• Exposed 12 worms in each solution for ten
minutes
• Place one worm on the track and probed
every 5 seconds for one minute and
 Statistical Analysis
• Calculated mean and standard deviation

• Performed ANOVA (analysis of variance)

• Model variables were treatment, time, and

treatment*time

• Mean comparisons were made using

Student’s t-test

• Data reported as means and standard

 Treatment
p=0.9980

Time
p=0.8934
5 seconds
 Chemotaxis Hypothesis

• Ginseng will produce a negative

chemotactic response in Lumbriculus
variegatus.
Experimental Design
Chemotaxis

Control Treatment
Treatment 2
(spring
1 (ginseng
water)
(ginseng 12µg%)
20 6µg%)
20
worms 20 worms
worms
 Materials and Methods
• N=20 worms, individually, added one drop
of spring water at tail and observed
reaction

• N=20 worms, individually, added one drop

of 6 µg% ginseng and observed reaction

• N=20 worms, individually, added one drop

of 12 µg% ginseng and observed reaction

• Recorded data
Chemotactic Test Results
 Conclusion
• In conclusion, when Lumbriculus
variegatus are subjected to a low
concentration (12 µg%) for 10 minutes,
the pulsation rate increases. In support of
our hypothesis, when exposed to 24 µg%
ginseng, pulsation rate decreased.
• Contrary to our hypothesis, ginseng did
not affect the locomotion of California
blackworms.
• Contrary to our hypothesis, ginseng
produced a positive chemotactic response
.
 Discussion
• Although ginseng is prized for its
antioxidant benefits, it appears to
have stimulatory effects on the
vasculature of worms. More research
is needed to determine if this is true
in humans.
 Works Cited
• Drewes, Charles PhD. Those wonderful worms.
Lumbriculus variegatus Lab. Department of
Zoology and Genetics University of Iowa.
Accessed 2008 June 18.

• [Anonymous]. Ginseng: the mystical healer

[Internet]. Disabled World web site. October 23,
2006. Accessed 2008 June 18.

• http://kmsayre.blogspot.com

• http://nlloughry.blogspot.com

• http://johnnaprice.blogspot.com