There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.
Abstract
Panax ginseng is used in traditional Chinese medicine to enhance stamina and capacity
to cope with fatigue and physical stress. Major active components are the ginsenosides,
which are mainly triterpenoid dammarane derivatives. The mechanisms of ginseng actions
remain unclear, although there is an extensive literature that deals with effects
on the CNS (memory, learning, and behavior), neuroendocrine function, carbohydrate
and lipid metabolism, immune function, and the cardiovascular system. Reports are
often contradictory, perhaps because the ginsenoside content of ginseng root or root
extracts can differ, depending on the method of extraction, subsequent treatment,
or even the season of its collection. Therefore, use of standardized, authentic ginseng
root both in research and by the public is to be advocated. Several recent studies
have suggested that the antioxidant and organ-protective actions of ginseng are linked
to enhanced nitric oxide (NO) synthesis in endothelium of lung, heart, and kidney
and in the corpus cavernosum. Enhanced NO synthesis thus could contribute to ginseng-associated
vasodilatation and perhaps also to an aphrodisiac action of the root. Ginseng is sold
in the U.S. as a food additive and thus need not meet specific safety and efficacy
requirements of the Food and Drug Administration. Currently, such sales amount to
over $300 million annually. As public use of ginseng continues to grow, it is important
for this industry and Federal regulatory authorities to encourage efforts to study
the efficacy of ginseng in humans by means of appropriately designed double-blind
clinical studies.