Chemical constituents and biological activities of the berry of Panax ginseng

Abstract

Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer belongs to a member of the Araliaceae family and is a perennial plant in Korea and northern China. P. ginseng commonly known as Korean ginseng has a long history worldwide as an important medicinal plant. The root of ginseng is commonly used as herbal medicine. Extensive research works have been carried out chemical constituents and biological activities of the root of P. ginseng. However, recently some studies show that the berry of P. ginseng exhibits potential biological and pharmacological activities. P. ginsengberry has not been extensively explored and studied compared to the root of P. ginseng. In this review, we summarize previous and current information regarding chemical constituents and biological activities of the berry of P. ginseng and provide new insights for future study in this discipline. Key words: Ginseng berry, biological activity, chemical constituent, Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer.