Cognitive function improvement effects of gintonin-enriched fraction in subjective memory impairment: An assessor- and participant-blinded placebo-controlled study

Emerging evidence that ginseng components improve cognition in subjective memory impairment, mild cognitive impairment, and early Alzheimer's disease dementia

“…A single dose of ginseng extract demonstrated prolonged effects on memory function, even after 2 weeks [ [20] , [21] , [22] ]. Another set of studies aimed to examine the effects of long-term treatment with ginseng extract, mainly on SMI, MCI, and early AD dementia [ [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] ]. These studies include the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-cog), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and other cognition-related neuropsychological tests, as described below.…”

“…Interestingly, the effects of GEF on ADAS improvement were dose-dependent, as 600 mg intake led to rapid ADAS improvement after 4 weeks compared to 300 mg administration, which showed ADAS improvement after 8 weeks. These reports indicate that the number of participants involved in clinical tests could be an important factor in GEF-mediated cognitive improvement [ 24 ].…”

“…The second type encompasses straightforward non-standardized ginseng extracts derived from Korean white ginseng or Korean red ginseng [ [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] ]. The third type involves the utilization of standardized gintonin (GEF), which contains approximately 0.2% LPAs as the active ingredient [ 23 , 24 ]. For Korean and American ginseng ( Panax quinquifolius L.) preparations, dosages range from 100 to 600 mg/day, primarily targeting acute effects on cognitive function [ [20] , [21] , [22] , 31 , 41 , 42 ].…”

“…The dosages of non-standardized ginseng extracts obtained from Korean white and red ginseng range from 4.5 to 9.0 g/day and were administered over a period of 12–24 weeks [ [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] ]. In the case of ginseng GEF, dosages vary from 300 to 600 mg/day and are administered for a duration of 8 weeks [ 23 , 24 ] ( Table 2 ).…”

“…In humans, both standardized and non-standardized ginseng total extracts have been shown to enhance immediate cognitive performance after acute single dosages, as well as to improve cognitive functions in the elderly and individuals with early AD dementia through long-term intake [ [20] , [21] , [22] , [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] , [31] , [32] ]. Although these studies have established the effects of standardized and non-standardized ginseng total extracts on neuropsychological parameters linked to human cognition, it remains unclear whether long-term ginseng intake can reduce the accumulation of senile amyloid plaques in the AD brain, similarly to recent AD medicines [ 43 , 44 ].…”