Use of ginseng in medicine with emphasis on neurodegenerative disorders.
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.
Radad
Khaled
K
Department of Pathology and Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Egypt. khaledradad@hotmail.com
Gille
Gabriele
G
Liu
Linlin
L
Rausch
Wolf-Dieter
WD
D000818:Animals; D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000187:drug effects; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D008517:Phytotherapy; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D009435:Synaptic Transmission
D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D036145:Ginsenosides; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents