title: Wild ginseng grows in Myanmar.
abstract: Ginseng, the underground parts of plants of Panax species, has been used in oriental traditional medicine for centuries. Unfortunately, because of extensive exploitation over thousands of years, the natural source of these species has been almost exhausted. Recently, we have found a wild ginseng growing in Myanmar. Here, by a combination of chemical composition study and gene sequence analysis, we unambiguously demonstrate that the wild ginseng is actually P. zingiberensis, commonly known as ginger ginseng. This ginseng was an indigenous to the southwestern China. However, now it is seriously threatened to brink of extinction and is put on the highest level of protection in China. Therefore, an appropriate protection measure is highly recommended to preserve this valuable resource, since this Myanmar ginseng might turn out to be the last P. zingiberensis, which could ever be seen in the planet.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Natural Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University.
authors.forename: Quan Le
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: Myint Myint
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Than
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tezuka
authors.forename: Arjun H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Banskota
authors.forename: Kyoji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kouda
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Shu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Katsuko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.forename: Maung Maung
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Thet
authors.forename: Thein
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Swe
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: Shigetoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kadota
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D020459:Genes, rRNA / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D002052:Myanmar; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics*; D012503:Saponins / Q000302:isolation & purification; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
chemical_list: D018749:RNA, Plant; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; D012503:Saponins