The effects of the ethanol extracts from Gynostemma pentaphyllum (GP extracts) on body weights, grip strengths,
endurances and catecholamine levels after electric footshock (EF) stress in mice and rats were investigated. The animals were
treated with GP extracts (50 mg/kg/day, p.o.) for 21 days before exposure to EF (duration and interval 10 sec for 3 min, 2 mA)
once a day. The increases in body weights were delayed by 13.1% of the control levels by EF-induced stress in mice, which
were recovered to 24.1% of the control levels in GP extract-treated groups. The grip strengths were significantly decreased by
EF stress in mice and the EF-stressed groups treated with GP extracts increased grip strengths to 115.2% compared to control
levels. The endurance times by forced swimming, which reduced significantly by EF stress, were also maintained similar to
control levels by GP extracts in rats. In addition, the levels of norepinephrine and epinephrine in serum and brain, and dopamine
in brain were significantly increased to 17.5-95.0% of the control levels after exposure of EF stress in mice. However, EF stressinduced
increases in norepinephrine and epinephrine in serum were reduced to 17.1-17.3% of the control levels by treatments
of GP extracts, and those in dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine in brain were also reduced to 5.0-19.5%. These results
suggest that GP extracts showed the protective effects on EF stress-induced physiological functions and can be developed as
the promising anti-stress agents.