Life Extension - Treatment using Supplements

Ginseng - updated: 03 February 2009

Use of ginseng in medicine with emphasis on neurodegenerative disorders

J Pharmacol Sci. 2006 Mar;100(3):175-86.

Radad K, Gille G, Liu L, Rausch WD.

Ginseng, the root of Panax species, is a well-known herbal medicine. It has been used as a traditional medicine in China, Korea, and Japan for thousands of years and is now a popular and worldwide used natural medicine. The active ingredients of ginseng are ginsenosides which are also called ginseng saponins. Recently, there is increasing evidence in the literature on the pharmacological and physiological actions of ginseng. However, ginseng has been used primarily as a tonic to invigorate weak bodies and help the restoration of homeostasis. Current in vivo and in vitro studies have shown its beneficial effects in a wide range of pathological conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, immune deficiency, and hepatotoxicity. Moreover, recent research has suggested that some of ginseng's active ingredients also exert beneficial effects on aging, central nervous system (CNS) disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. In general, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and immune-stimulatory activities are mostly underlying the possible ginseng-mediated protective mechanisms. Next to animal studies, data from neural cell cultures contribute to the understanding of these mechanisms that involve decreasing nitric oxide (NO), scavenging of free radicals, and counteracting excitotoxicity. In this review, we focus on recently reported medicinal effects of ginseng and summarize the current knowledge of its effects on CNS disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.

Publication Types:

• Review

Neuroprotective effects of ginsenosides

Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars). 2006;66(4):369-75

Rausch WD, Liu S, Gille G, Radad K.

Ginseng, the root of the Panax species, is a well-known herbal medicine. Traditionally it has been used in Korea, China and Japan for thousands of years. Nowadays it has become a popular and worldwide known health drug. Current scientific studies demonstrate in vivo and in vitro its beneficial effects in a wide range of pathological conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, immune deficiency and hepatotoxicity. Ginsenosides or ginseng saponins as the active ingredients have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and immunostimulant properties, which raised speculations that these compounds could positively affect neurodegenerative disorders and delay neuronal aging. Conclusive clinical data in humans are still missing. However, results from animal studies and neuronal cell culture experiments indicate that ginsenosides can counteract and attenuate factors promoting neuronal death as environmental toxins, excitotoxic action of glutamate and rises in intracellular calcium, excessive release of free radicals and apoptotic events. Thus, neuroprotective actions of ginsenosides could come about as a valuable option to slow down neurodegenerative diseases.

Publication Types:

• Review

Anti-amnestic and anti-aging effects of ginsenoside Rg1 and Rb1 and its mechanism of action

Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2005 Feb;26(2):143-9

Cheng Y, Shen LH, Zhang JT.

In the present paper, we overview the discovery of new biological activities induced by ginsenoside Rg1 and Rb1 and discuss possible mechanisms of action. Both compounds could increase neural plasticity in efficacy and structure; especially Rg1, as one small molecular drug, can increase proliferation and differentiation of neural progenitor cells in dentate gyrus of hippocampus of normal adult mice and global ischemia model in gerbils. This finding has great value for treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders which is characterized by neurons loss. Increase of expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor, Bcl-2 and antioxidant enzyme, enhanced new synapse formation, inhibition of apoptosis and calcium overload are also important neuron protective factors. Rg1 and Rb1 have common effects, but there are some differences in pharmacology and mechanism. These differences may attribute to their different chemical structure. Rg1 is panaxtriol with two sugars, while Rb1 is panaxtriol with four sugars.

Publication Types:

• Review

American ginseng compound liquor on retarding-aging process

Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 1991 Aug;11(8):457-60, 451

Cui J, Chen KJ.

71 cases with age over sixty were randomly divided into treated group and control group, and observed by single-blind method. 36 cases were administered with American ginseng compound liquor as a treated group, 35 cases were administered with American ginseng liquor only as a control group. The total effective rates of the treated group and the control group on symptoms associated with aging were 88.89% and 68.57% respectively (P less than 0.05). The effective rates of the treated group for Kidney-Yang, Kidney-Qi and Kidney-Yin deficiencies were 85.71%, 100% and 87.50% respectively. The effective rates of the control group were 81.82%, 100% and 61.53% respectively. The above results indicated that the symptoms of Kidney-Yang deficiency in the treated group were improved much better than those of the control group (P less than 0.05). Obviously, SOD activity of erythrocyte and SOD/LPO ratio increased remarkably and serum content of LPO decreased significantly in both groups (P less than 0.001). In the treated group, the functional months of age (physiological age) decreased from 751.77 +/- 5.215 to 743.53 +/- 5.144, the effective rate was 68.57%. It showed that these two recipes both had the efficiency on prolonging the functional age (P less than 0.05).

Publication Types:

• Study

Publication Types:

• Review