Efficacy of Panax ginseng Meyer Herbal Preparation HRG80 in Preventing and Mitigating Stress-Induced Failure of Cognitive Functions in Healthy Subjects: A Pilot, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial

Abstract

Background: The aim of this pilot study was to compare the efficacy of hydroponically cultivated red Panax ginseng Meyer root preparation (HRG80) and traditionally harvested six-year-old white P. ginseng standard preparation (PGS) with placebo in preventing symptoms of stress. Methods: The effects of HRG80, PGS, and placebo capsules were studied in 50 tired healthy subjects in a three-arm, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover trial. Efficacy-outcome measures included the accuracy of processing the d2 test for cognitive functions, obtained accuracy score in a computerized memory test, and the perceived-stress (PS) score. Results: A statistically significant interaction effect between time and treatment (p < 0.0001) was observed in the attention d2 and memory tests, indicating that HRG80 treatment was more beneficial than that with a placebo. The effects of PGS were better than those of the placebo, but the difference was not statistically significant. There was significant difference between the effects of HRG80 and PGS (p < 0.0001) that were observed after single (Day 1) and repeated administrations on Days 5 and 12 of treatment. Conclusion: Overall, HRG80 treatment was significantly superior compared to that with the PGS and placebo regarding attention, memory, and PS scores after single and repeated administrations for 5 and 12 days.

Evolution of the adaptogenic concept from traditional use to medical systems: Pharmacology of stress‐ and aging‐related diseases

“…It was concluded that metabolites of ginsenosides produced by gut microbiota might be more biologically active than their precursors 2 . The results of recent studies 624,625 are in line with this conclusion: the ginseng preparation with a higher content of rare ginsenosides was more active in its ability to prevent symptoms of stress such as fatigue, impaired memory, reduced concentration, and attention deficit related to daily work in healthy subjects 624 as well as enhanced long‐term potentiation in rat hippocampal slices 625 . An active ginseng metabolite may differ in distribution and clearance from its parent compound, and the parent compound and its metabolite may be bioactive by similar or different mechanisms 342 …”

Can Nutrients and Dietary Supplements Potentially Improve Cognitive Performance Also in Esports?

“…In the case of esports, the dominant role is played by cognitive processes, particularly executive functions, which help maintain long-term performance [ 22 ] and affect the achievement of satisfactory results [ 23 ]. To date, cognitive functions have been extensively studied for the prevention and support of treatments in neurodegenerative diseases [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ], as well as to support healthy people [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ]. Despite the high popularity of esports, there are still no publications in the field of physical culture sciences that explicitly and directly indicate the mechanism underlying the influence of nutrients and dietary supplements on the cognitive abilities and concentration of players.…”

Network Pharmacology of Ginseng (Part II): The Differential Effects of Red Ginseng and Ginsenoside Rg5 in Cancer and Heart Diseases as Determined by Transcriptomics

“…Recently, we have demonstrated that both hydroponically cultivated red ginseng root powder HRG80 TM (HRG) and white ginseng (WG) preparations were effective in preventing and mitigating the stress-induced deterioration of cognitive functions in healthy subjects [ 16 ] and elderly patients with mild cognitive disorders [ 17 ] at daily doses of 418 mg HRG (64 mg of total ginsenosides, 1.2 mg Rg5) and 764 mg WG (19.6 mg of total ginsenosides, 0.16 mg Rg5). Both HRG and WG preparations substantially impacted brain activity, affecting various brain regions depending on the mental load during relaxation and cognitive tasks associated with memory, attention, and mental performance.…”