Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius : From pharmacology to toxicology

Abstract

The use of Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius in traditional Chinese medicine dates back to about 5000 years ago thanks to its several beneficial and healing properties. Over the past few years, extensive preclinical and clinical evidence in the scientific literature worldwide has supported the beneficial effects of P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius in significant central nervous system, metabolic, infectious and neoplastic diseases. There has been growing research on ginseng because of its favorable pharmacokinetics, including the intestinal biotransformation which is responsible for the processing of ginsenosides - contained in the roots or extracts of ginseng - into metabolites with high pharmacological activity and how such principles act on numerous cell targets. The aim of this review is to provide a simple and extensive overview of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius, focusing on the clinical evidence which has shown particular effectiveness in specific diseases, such as dementia, diabetes mellitus, respiratory infections, and cancer. Furthermore, the review will also provide data on toxicological factors to support the favorable safety profile of these medicinal plants.

Trends in use, pharmacology, and clinical applications of emerging herbal nutraceuticals

“…These have been well‐reviewed (e.g. Mancuso & Santangelo, ). In certain groups of patients, there are contra‐indications to the use of ginseng, such as those with hypertension and some CNS disorders.…”

“…Similar compounds are found in other species of Panax, in varying amounts. Ginseng is usually steamed, otherwise processed, fermented or aged, affecting the ginsenoside pattern of the final botanical product (Mancuso & Santangelo, 2017).…”

“…Rg1 is linked to many different targets and pathways, including PPAR, MAPK, toll-like receptors, arachidonic acid metabolism and apoptosis (Mancuso & Santangelo, 2017). In the area of cognition, Rg1 has shown memory-enhancing and neuroprotective effects in models of Alzheimer's disease and amyloidogenesis (Smith et al, 2014).…”

Pharmacodynamic material basis of traditional Chinese medicine based on biomacromolecules: a review

“…Modern research has shown that the tonic effect of TCM is mainly the immune regulation of the body; thus, research on the immune polysaccharides and proteins of tonic Chinese medicine has been more in-depth. The use of Panax ginseng (P. ginseng) in TCM dates back to approximately 5000 years ago thanks to its several beneficial and healing properties [27]. Over the past few years, extensive amounts of preclinical and clinical evidence in the scientific literature worldwide have supported the beneficial effects of P. ginseng in significant central nervous system, metabolic, infectious and neoplastic diseases.…”

New Insights into Bioactive Compounds of Traditional Chinese Medicines for Insulin Resistance Based on Signaling Pathways

“…This group of compounds existing in ginseng (Panax), which has a long history in traditional medicine treatment. As a large class of compounds, ginsenosides exhibit a variety of difficult to characterize biological effects in isolation and purification ( Figure , Tables and ) . The investigations on pharmacological effects of ginseng compounds are still ongoing.…”