Panax Quinquefolius (American Ginseng) and Panax Notoginseng (Notoginseng) in Cancer Chemoprevention

Abstract

The clinical management of cancer invariably involves diverse conventional modalities, including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. However, the complexity of human cancer requires some alternative management to improve the therapeutic efficacy of conventional treatment and/or the quality of life of cancer patients. Medicinal botanicals have recently gained more attention for cancer management. Numerous effective anticancer drugs have been developed from botanicals, and identifying new herbal sources to develop ideal chemoprevention remains an essential step in advancing the treatment of cancer. In this chapter, potential roles of ginseng herbs, especially American ginseng and notoginseng, in cancer chemoprevention are presented. The major pharmacologically active constituents of ginsengs are ginsenosides, which can be mainly classified into protopanaxadiol and protopanaxatriol groups. The recognized active anticancer compounds from American ginseng and notoginseng are ginsenosides Rg3, Rh2, and protopanaxadiol. The structure-activity relationship between their chemical structures and pharmacological activities is discussed. Sugar molecules within a ginsenoside have a high impact on cancer cells. Anticancer activities increase with the decrease of sugar number. In addition, various steaming temperatures and time treatments of the ginseng herbs can change their ginsenoside profiles and enhance their anticancer activities. This heat treatment process may increase the role and efficacy of American ginseng and notoginseng in cancer chemoprevention.