Ginseng is a well-known Chinese herbal medicine that has been developed for thousands of years in Asian countries, especially China, with its unique therapeutic and diagnostic theories. Ginseng and its derivatives have received extensive attention in health management as health food or alternative drug supplements, benefiting from their important role in the treatment and prevention of various diseases.
Active Ingredients
Ginseng is composed of various active ingredients such as ginsenosides, nitrogenous substances, carbohydrates, phytosterols, organic acids, essential oils, amino acids, peptidoglycans, repeats, nitrogenous compounds, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and other phenolic compounds.
Ginsenosides are the main active components of ginseng, a group of different steroidal saponins that exhibit the ability to target countless tissues, resulting in a range of pharmacological responses. Ginsenosides can be divided into three groups according to the chemical structure of the aglycone: panaxadiol (A), panaxatriol (B), and oleanane groups such as Ro (C). [1]
Health Benefits
Effects on Central Nervous System Diseases
Central nervous system (CNS) diseases are the most widely studied diseases in terms of the therapeutic effects of ginseng. These include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, cerebral ischemia, depression and many other neurological disorders such as neurodevelopmental disorders. [2]
Effects on Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
The active ingredient, ginsenosides, exhibits broad activity on CVD by inhibiting ROS production, stimulating NO production, improving blood circulation, enhancing vasomotor tone, and regulating lipid profile. [3]
Effects on the immune system
Ginseng has been widely reported to maintain immune system homeostasis and enhance resistance to disease or microbial attack by modulating the immune system. A review discusses in detail how ginseng modulates various types of immune cells, such as macrophages, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, T cells, and B cells. [4]
Anti-fatigue effects
The occurrence of fatigue can lead to various changes in various biomarkers in the organism. The following figure shows the main biomarkers related to fatigue and their mechanisms. Numerous studies have shown that ginseng can enhance the exercise tolerance of animals with changes in biomarkers, especially BUN, MDA, SOD and BLA. In addition, ginseng may exert anti-fatigue effects through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory activity, reducing metabolite accumulation, or managing energy metabolism. [5]
Others
The pharmacological effects of ginseng extract also include antipsychotic effects, sedative effects, prevention of stress ulcers, increased gastrointestinal motility, endocrine effects, enhanced sexual behavior, accelerated metabolism or synthesis of carbohydrates, lipids, RNA and proteins.[6]
References- Anoja SAttele. (1999). "Ginseng pharmacology: Multiple constituents and multiple actions," Biochemical Pharmacology 58(11), 1685-1693.
- Hee Jin Kim. (2013). "A comprehensive review of the therapeutic and pharmacological effects of ginseng and ginsenosides in central nervous system," J Ginseng Res. 37(1), 8–29.
- Chang Ho Lee. (2014). "A review on the medicinal potentials of ginseng and ginsenosides on cardiovascular diseases," Journal of Ginseng Research 38(3), 161-166.
- Soowon Kang. (2012). "Ginseng, the 'Immunity Boost': The Effects of Panax ginseng on Immune System," J Ginseng Res. 36(4), 354–368.
- Guanyu Lu. (2021). "Recent Advances in Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer as a Herb for Anti-Fatigue: An Effects and Mechanisms Review," Foods 2021, 10(5), 1030.
- Mohamad Hesam Shahrajabian. (2019). "A review of Ginseng species in different regions as a multipurpose herb in traditional Chinese medicine, modern herbology and pharmacological science," Journal of Medicinal Plants Research 13(10), 213-226.
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