Ginsenosides: the need to move forward from bench to clinical trials

Abstract

Panax ginseng , known as Koran ginseng, one of the most commonly used traditional plants, has been demonstrated to show a wide range of pharmacological applications. Ginsenosides are the major active ingredients found in ginseng and are responsible for the biological and pharmacological activities, such as antioxidation, antiinflammation, vasorelaxation, and anticancer actions. Existing studies have mostly focused on identifying and purifying single ginsenosides and investigating pharmacological activities and molecular mechanisms in cells and animal models. However, ginsenoside studies based on clinical trials have been very limited. Therefore, this review aimed to discuss the currently available clinical trials on ginsenosides and provide insights and future directions for developing ginsenosides as efficacious and safe drugs for human disease.

Hormesis and Ginseng: Ginseng Mixtures and Individual Constituents Commonly Display Hormesis Dose Responses, Especially for Neuroprotective Effects

“…Furthermore, a long-term (90 day) oral consumption of ginseng extract markedly reduced the susceptibility of both young (6-month-old) and intermediate-aged (18-month-old) rats to acute ischemia reperfusion injury following a preconditioning exposure [163]. Therefore, these examples indicate that there is convincing evidence that the statement by Yu et al [158] relating to oral ginseng not reaching biological targets to have many exceptions and can not therefore be seen as reflecting a reliable generalization.…”

“…It has been widely emphasized that ginsenosides and their metabolites have poor bioavailability and cannot reach the intended biological targets when administered orally [158]. However, there are a large number of studies demonstrating that orally administrated ginseng mixtures/constituents have biologically significant responses at doses that are in the low to moderate range, affecting a broad range of organs and endpoints.…”

Ginsenoside-Rb1 for Ischemic Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Preclinical Evidence and Possible Mechanisms

“…Ginsenosides, the major active pharmacological constituents of ginseng, are usually divided into the 20 (S)protopanaxatriol group (ginsenosides Re, Rf, Rg1, Rg2, and Rh1) and the 20 (S)-protopanaxadiol group (ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, Rg3 and Rh2) (Ong et al, 2015;Jin et al, 2019). G-Rb1 is considered to be the major ginsenoside (Kim, 2018), which is enriched in the roots and is also present in stems and leaves (Yu et al, 2019). A recent study illustrated that in the human body, G-Rb1 shows a longer half-life and a higher plasma concentration, compared to other ginsenosides, when taking red ginseng extract for 2 weeks, suggesting a stable absorption and slow elimination process (Jin et al, 2019).…”

ROS-Mediated Therapeutic Strategy in Chemo-/Radiotherapy of Head and Neck Cancer

“…Besides, ginsenosides can activate the body's immunity through different ways to fight against cancer [246]. Some kinds of ginsenosides are undergoing clinical trials [247]. Ro, a kind of ginsenoside monomer, can activate estrogen receptor 2 (ESR2), which leads to the activation of neutrophil cytosolic factor 1 (NCF1), a subunit of NADPH oxidase, and then leads to the elevation of ROS production.…”