A Role of Ginseng and Its Constituents in the Treatment of Central Nervous System Disorders

Abstract

Ginseng, a perennial plant belonging to the Panax genus of the Araliaceae family, has been used in China, Korea, and Japan as a traditional herbal medicine for thousands of years. Ginseng is recorded to have exhibited a wide variety of beneficial pharmacological effects and has become a popular and worldwide known health supplement and drug. The protective effects of ginseng on central nervous system are discussed in this review. Ginseng species and ginsenosides and their intestinal metabolism and bioavailability are concisely introduced. The molecular mechanisms of the effects of ginseng on central nervous system, mainly focused on the neuroprotection properties of ginseng, memory, and learning enhanced properties, and the effects on neurodegenerative disorders are presented. Thus, ginseng and its constituents are of potential merits in the treatment of cerebral disorders.

Figure 1

Structures of ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg1. Based on the chemical structure, there are two major structural classes: the protopanaxadiol (PPD) and protopanaxatriol (PPT). Ginsenoside Rb1 is an example of PPD type and ginsenoside Rg1 is an example of PPT type.

Figure 2

Multiple therapeutic targets of ginseng and its metabolites in central nervous system. ERK 1/2: extracellular-signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2, NF-κB: nuclear factor-kappa B, NO: nitric oxide, ChAT: choline acetyltransferase, Aβ: β-amyloid, AD: Alzheimer's disease, MPTP: 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, MPP: 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridium, PD: Parkinson's disease, and ALS: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.