Antifatigue Effects of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Kim, Hyeong-Geug; Cho, Jung‐Hyo; Yoo, Sa-ra; Lee, Jin-Seok; Han, Jong-Min; Lee, Nam-Hun; Ahn, Yo-Chan; Son, Chang‐Gue

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0061271

Cited by 93 publications

(112 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Our results confirm the results of previous studies using PG in noncancer populations. 17,52,53 Panax ginseng significantly improved QOL scores possibly as a result of its effects on CRF and related symptoms such as pain, sleep disturbances, and anorexia. Prior studies in animal models have shown that PG modulates proinflammatory cytokines [54][55][56] owing to the effects of the active ingredients such as ginsenosides and polysaccharides contained in the ginseng extract.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High-Dose Asian Ginseng (Panax Ginseng) for Cancer-Related Fatigue

et al. 2015

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Introduction and Objective. Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is the most common and severe symptom in patients with cancer. The number and efficacy of available treatments for CRF are limited. The objective of this preliminary study was to assess the safety of high-dose Panax ginseng (PG) for CRF. Methods. In this prospective, open-label study, 30 patients with CRF (≥4/10) received high-dose PG at 800 mg orally daily for 29 days. Frequency and type of side effects were determined by the National Cancer Institute’s Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0. Scores on the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Fatigue (FACIT-F) scale, Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were assessed at baseline, day 15, and day 29. Global Symptom Evaluation (GSE) was assessed at day 29. Results. Of the 30 patients enrolled, 24 (80%) were evaluable. The median age was 58 years; 50% were females, and 84% were white. No severe (≥grade 3) adverse events related to the study drug were reported. Of the 24 evaluable patients, 21 (87%) had an improved (by ≥3 points) FACIT-F score by day 15. The mean ESAS score (standard deviation) for well-being improved from 4.67 (2.04) to 3.50 (2.34) ( P = .01374), and mean score for appetite improved from 4.29 (2.79) to 2.96 (2.46) ( P = .0097). GSE score of PG for fatigue was ≥3 in 15/24 patients (63%) with median improvement of 5. Conclusion. PG is safe and improves CRF fatigue as well as overall quality of life, appetite, and sleep at night. Randomized controlled trials of PG for CRF are justified.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High-Dose Asian Ginseng (Panax Ginseng) for Cancer-Related Fatigue

et al. 2015

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“…Therefore, natural products including ginseng have been studied with the aim of developing anti-fatigue drugs to improve athletic ability, delay fatigue, and enhance the elimination of fatigue in humans. [2][3][4][5][6] Ginseng (the root of Panax ginseng C.A. MEYER, Araliaceae) has been widely used as a traditional Chinese medicine for enhancing body strength, recovering physical balance, and stimulating metabolic function in Asian countries.…”

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confidence: 99%

Anti-fatigue Effects of 20(<i>S</i>)-Protopanaxadiol and 20(<i>S</i>)-Protopanaxatriol in Mice

Kim²,

Choi

et al. 2015

Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin

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Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. MEYER, Araliaceae), which contains protopanaxadiol-type and protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides, has been used for inflammation, fatigue, stress, and tumor in Asian countries. Orally administered ginsenosides are metabolized to their aglycones 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (PPD) and 20(S)-protopanaxatriol (PPT) by gut microbiota. However, their anti-fatigue effects have not been studied thoroughly. Therefore, we investigated the anti-fatigue activities of PPD and PPT in mice, using the weightloaded swimming (WLS) and the rota-rod tests. Ginseng water extract (GW), ginseng saponin fraction (GWS) and ginseng polysaccharide fraction (GWP) at concentrations of 50 and 100 mg/kg and PPD and PPT at 5 and 10 mg/kg were orally administered to mice once daily for 5 d. GW, GWS, and PPT significantly increased the WLS time, however, GWP and PPD did not cause any significant change. PPT induced the most significant increase in WLS time. PPD (10 mg/kg) and PPT (5 and 10 mg/kg) inhibited the WLS-induced increase in corticosterone, lactate, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and creatinine levels as well as the reduction in glucose level. PPT increased the riding time in the rota-rod test, and also inhibited corticosterone, lactate, and creatinine levels. These findings suggest that the anti-fatigue effect of ginseng may be attributable to its saponins, particularly PPT, rather than to its polysaccharides. Key words Panax ginseng; 20(S)-protopanaxadiol; 20(S)-protopanaxatriol; fatigueFatigue is described as the lack of energy and motivation to initiate and sustain voluntary physical and mental activities.1) Physical fatigue is the transient inability of a muscle to maintain physical performance and is made more severe by physical stress. Mental fatigue is a transient decrease in cognitive performance. Most cases of fatigue may be attributed to lifestyle factors such as alcohol abuse and excessive physical activity, medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease, or psychological problems such as anxiety and stress. Therefore, natural products including ginseng have been studied with the aim of developing anti-fatigue drugs to improve athletic ability, delay fatigue, and enhance the elimination of fatigue in humans. [2][3][4][5][6] Ginseng (the root of Panax ginseng C.A. MEYER, Araliaceae) has been widely used as a traditional Chinese medicine for enhancing body strength, recovering physical balance, and stimulating metabolic function in Asian countries. It contains various active constituents such as ginsenosides, polysaccharides, polyacetylenes, phenolic compounds, and peptides. 7)Of constituents, ginsenosides have been reported to show biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, anti-stress, and anti-tumor activities. [8][9][10][11][12] The ginsenosides are classified as protopanaxadiols or protopanaxatriols. Orally administered protopanaxadiol-type and protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides are metabolized to 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (PPD) via compound K and 20(S)-protopanax...

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“…Many investigators have found that ginseng may increase the duration of exercise to exhaustion during forced exercise trials [14,21]. In absence of experimental data, this was believed to be due to a general adaptogenic activity of ginseng supplementation [43].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In animal studies the G115 extract exerted a dose dependent inhibition of the formation of free radicals in rats subjected to physical stress exercise on a treadmill [20]. A clinical study [21] suggests that the beneficial effect of 4 weeks ginseng administration observed in patients with idiopathic chronic fatigue (ICF) may be partly attributed to its antioxidant properties, and oxidative stress is considered as a main contributor to the pathology of chronic fatigue [22]. Moreover, animal studies with the extract G115 show enhancement of glucose transportation in the cells [23], and its pre-treatment increased the production of the Toll like receptor 4 in mice during physical stress [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%