American ginseng: potential structure-function relationship in cancer chemoprevention.
Ginseng has a prominent position on the list of best-selling herbal products in the world, and its main active constituents are thought to be ginsenosides. Compared with the long history of use and widespread research on Asian ginseng, studies of American ginseng are relatively limited, especially regarding cancer chemoprevention. In recent studies of American ginseng, steaming or heating altered the ginsenoside profile and thereby increased anticancer effects. Yet the ginsenoside structures and their activities have not been systematically elucidated. In this commentary, we introduce the different ginsenosides in American ginseng, both the naturally occurring compounds and those resulting from steaming or biotransformation. We briefly review American ginseng's reported anticancer effects and their mechanisms of action, and explore the possible structural-function relationship with a focus on sugar molecules, hydroxyl groups and stereoselectivity in ginsenosides. Understanding these relationships may produce insights into chemical and pharmacological approaches for enhancing the chemopreventive effects of ginsenoside and for developing novel anticancer agents.
Qi
Lian-Wen
LW
Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, Department of Anesthesia & Critical Care, The Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC 4028, Chicago, IL 60637, United States.
Wang
Chong-Zhi
CZ
Yuan
Chun-Su
CS
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001688:Biological Products; D018890:Chemoprevention; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D012306:Risk
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001688:Biological Products; D036145:Ginsenosides