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Review
. 2019 Jul 3;24(13):2443.
doi: 10.3390/molecules24132443.

Chemical Structures and Pharmacological Profiles of Ginseng Saponins

Ze-Yu Shi  1 , Jin-Zhang Zeng  2 , Alice Sze Tsai Wong  3
Affiliations
Review

Chemical Structures and Pharmacological Profiles of Ginseng Saponins

Ze-Yu Shi et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Ginseng is a group of cosmopolitan plants with more than a dozen species belonging to the genus Panax in the family Araliaceae that has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Among the bioactive constituents extracted from ginseng, ginseng saponins are a group of natural steroid glycosides and triterpene saponins found exclusively throughout the plant. Studies have shown that these ginseng saponins play a significant role in exerting multiple therapeutic effects. This review covers their chemical structure and classification, as well as their pharmacological activities, including their regulatory effects on immunomodulation, their anticancer effects, and their functions in the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. The general benefits of ginseng saponins for boosting physical vitality and improving quality of life are also discussed. The review concludes with fruitful directions for future research in the use of ginseng saponins as effective therapeutic agents.

Keywords: chemical structure; ginseng saponins; pharmacological action.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical structures of three ginseng saponin types: (a) protopanaxadiol type (PPD); (b) protopanaxatriol type (PPT); and (c) oleanolic acid type.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Main metabolic processes of (a) 20(S)-protopanaxadiol- and (b) 20(S)-protopanaxatriol-type ginseng saponins. The changed carbohydrate moieties are highlighted in red. For the daughter ginseng saponin comes from two different parental ginseng saponins, one of the changed carbohydrate moieties is highlighted in red and the other is highlighted in blue.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Main metabolic processes of (a) 20(S)-protopanaxadiol- and (b) 20(S)-protopanaxatriol-type ginseng saponins. The changed carbohydrate moieties are highlighted in red. For the daughter ginseng saponin comes from two different parental ginseng saponins, one of the changed carbohydrate moieties is highlighted in red and the other is highlighted in blue.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Pharmacological profiles and mechanisms of ginseng saponins.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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