The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of crude ginseng total saponins (CGS) against airway inflammation (AI) and airway hyperresponsiveness (AH) induced by diesel exhaust particles (DEP) in mice. AI and AH were induced by the intratracheal instillation with 0.1 mg/ml of DEP suspension once a week for 10 weeks combined with ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization. Mice were also treated orally with 75 mg/ml of CGS, 5 days a week for 10 weeks. Oral CGS treatment decreased in the level of serum immunoglobulin (IgE) and histamine increased by DEP and OVA, and declined respiratory resistance. It also dropped an enhanced infiltration of eosinophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of mice, and an increased T helper type 2 cell derived cytokine levels such as of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-13 and IL-5 in the BALF. However, it did not influence T helper type 1 cytokine such as interferon-gamma in the BALF. These results indicate that CGS may alleviate allergen-related AI and AH in mice and may play an important role in the modulation of asthmatic inflammation.