Ginseng Preparations Research Articles

Non-organ specific cancer prevention of ginseng: a prospective study in Korea.

A number of studies have reported that increased consumption of natural products reduced the risk of cancer. Our previous case-control studies have shown a significant reduction in the risk of cancer development among those who regularly consumed ginseng. We conducted a prospective cohort study to evaluate the preventive effect of ginseng against cancer on a population residing in a ginseng cultivation area on the basis of the result of case-control studies. This study was conducted in Kangwha-eup from August 1987 to December 1992. We studied 4634 people over 40 years old who completed a questionnaire on ginseng intake. In an attempt to obtain detailed information about ginseng intake, we asked them to specify their age at initial intake, their frequency and duration of ginseng intake, the kind of ginseng, etc. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate relative risks (RR) when controlling simultaneously for covariates. Ginseng consumers had a decreased risk (RR = 0.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] : 0.28-0.56) compared with non-consumers. On the type of ginseng, the RR was 0.31 (95% CI: 0.13-0.74) for fresh ginseng extract consumers and 0.34 (95% CI: 0.20-0.53) for consumers of multiple combinations. There was no cancer death among 24 red ginseng consumers. There was a decreased risk with a rise in the frequency of ginseng intake, showing a dose-response relationship. The RR of ginseng consumers were 0.33 (95% CI: 0.18-0.57) in gastric cancer and 0.30 (95% CI : 0.14-0.65) in lung cancer. Among ginseng preparations, fresh ginseng extract consumers were significantly associated with a decreased risk of gastric cancer (RR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.12-0.88). These results strongly suggest that Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer has non-organ specific preventive effect against cancer, providing support for the previous case-control studies.

Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric determination of 20(S)-protopanaxadiol and 20(S)-protopanaxatriol for study on human urinary excretion of ginsenosides after ingestion of ginseng preparations.

An improved gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method (GC-MS) with a fast solid-phase extraction on a newly introduced C18 microcolumn, was applied to study the urinary excretion 20(S)-protopanaxadiol and 20(S)-protopanaxatriol glycosides in man after oral administration of ginseng preparations. Using panaxatriol as internal standard, 20(S)-protopanaxadiol and 20(S)-protopanaxatriol (the aglycones of ginsenosides) could be determined at a detection level of a few ng per ml urine by GC-MS with selected-ion monitoring after their release from glycosides which occur in urine. The extraction recovery of ginsenosides from urine was more than 80% and the intra-assay coefficient of variation was less than 5.0%. The results after intake of single doses of ginseng preparations demonstrated a linear relation between the amounts of ginsenosides consumed and the 20(S)-protopanaxatriol glycosides excreted in urine. About 1.2% of the dose was recovered in five days.

A double-masked study of the effects of ginseng on cognitive functions

The effects of a pure ginseng preparation on a variety of cognitive functions was compared with those of placebo in a double-masked, randomized, test-retest design. The subjects were healthy volunteers older than 40 years of age who were given the ginseng preparation or placebo for 8 to 9 weeks. Of the 112 subjects who completed the study, 55 received ginseng and 57 received placebo. The ginseng group showed a tendency to faster simple reactions and significantly better abstract thinking than the controls. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in concentration, memory, or subjective experience.

Enhanced thermogenesis in rats by Panax ginseng, multivitamins and minerals.

Substances which enhance endurance for physical and mental work and increase non-specific resistance to stress during a prolonged stay in physiologically adverse habitats are called 'adaptogens'. Panax ginseng is well known for its anti-stress and adaptogenic properties. In the present study, adaptogenic activity by the intake of a herbo-vitamin-mineral preparation (HVMP) containing P. ginseng and multivitamin-mineral preparation (MVMP) was evaluated using the cold-hypoxia-restrained (C-H-R) animal model. The aim was to determine whether the cold tolerance and recovery from acute hypothermia mediated by P. ginseng was modified by simultaneous intake of additional vitamins and minerals. Results suggest that the adaptogenic effect of HVMP was more or less the sum total of its two components P. ginseng and MVMP. In HVMP, P. ginseng was found to be effective for developing resistance to cooling and MVMP helped in stimulating faster recovery from acute hypothermia.

Pulmonary Protective and Vasodilator Effects of a StandardizedPanax GinsengPreparation Following Artificial Gastric Digestion

We have previously demonstrated that purified ginsenosides produce pulmonary vasodilation and prevent effects of free radical injury on the lung. We examined the effect of artificially digested standardized ginseng preparation G115 in perfused rabbit lungs. G115 was incubated in artificial gastric juice (0.03 M NaCl+0.08 M HCl) 37°C for 1 h, and artificial intestinal juice (0.05 M KH2PO4+0.02 M NaOH) 37°C for 5 h, neutralized with NaOH and lyophilized. Pulmonary vasoconstriction was induced with U46619, and cumulative additions of G115 in undigested, gastric digested and gastric and intestinal digested forms were made to the perfusate. In separate experiments, oxygen free radical injury by electrolysis was produced in the presence of G115 in the perfusate and ACh-induced vasodilation assessed before and after injury. Undigested, gastric digested and combined gastric and intestinal digested G115 significantly dilated lungs (44%, undigested; 26%, gastric digested; 45%, gastric and intestinal digested). In addition, both undigested (−27±5% vs. −24±5%) as well as gastric and intestinal digested G115 (−23±3% vs. −16±2%) preserved ACh-induced vasodilation following injury. Artificially digested G115 is a pulmonary vasodilator which protects against free radical injury, suggesting that oral G115 has the same effects.

Determination of aglycones of ginsenosides in ginseng preparations sold in Sweden and in urine samples from Swedish athletes consuming ginseng

Recently developed gas chromatographic and gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric methods were used to characterize 17 different commercial ginseng preparations sold in Sweden. The contents of total ginsenosides per capsule or per tablet varied from 2.1 to 13.3 mg. Unlike the other preparations, a red ginseng and three liquid ginseng preparations (after releasing the sugar moieties from ginsenosides) were shown also to contain significant amounts of 20-epimers of 20(S)-protopanaxadiol and 20(S)-protopanaxatriol as well as their corresponding 24,25-hydrated compounds. In addition to the genuine and artificial sapogenins mentioned above, two epimeric pairs of prosapogenines (ginsenoside Rg3 and 20(S)-Rg3, ginsenoside Rh1 and 20(R)-Rh1) were also found in the liquid formulations. These results suggest that hydrolysis, epimerization and hydration in the side-chain of the aglycone moiety of ginsenosides may occur in the liquid formulations under weak acidic conditions (pH 3.0-3.5 with 9-10% of alcohol at room temperature). The new method was also used to determine the aglycones of ginsenosides in urine samples from Swedish athletes stating that they had consumed ginseng preparations within 10 days before urine collection. Out of the 65 samples analysed, 60 were found to contain 20(S)-protopanaxatriol. The concentrations of 20(S)-protopanaxatriol ginsenosides varied from 2 to 35 ng ml-1 urine. This is the first demonstration of uptake of ginsenosides in humans after oral administration of ginseng preparations.

Identification and quantification of ginsenosides in various commercial ginseng preparations

Recently developed accurate GC and GC-MS methods were used to characterize various commercial ginseng preparations purchased from pharmacies or well reputed health stores in seven European countries, Argentina, Canada, China and the USA. The methods used are based on quantification of the aglycones (20s-protopanaxadiol, 20s-protopanaxatriol and oleanolic acid) of the ginsenosides after oxidative cleavage in alkali. The most pure ginseng preparations ( n = 14) contained from 1.9% to 8.1% (w/w) ginsenosides (using ginsenoside Rg 1, Rb 1 and Ro as calibrators and panaxatriol as internal standard). The content of ginsenosides in different ginseng extracts (in 20 ginseng extract preparations) varied from 4.9% to 13.3% (w/w). Some liquid formulations as well as some preparations of red ginseng were shown to contain artifacts (epimerization and hydration products of 20s-protopanaxadiol and 20s-protopanaxatriol). The latter compounds are not likely to be detected by the common HPLC analysis of intact ginsenosides. American ginseng and San-chi ginseng were also analyzed. The present method is suitable for evaluation of different types of ginseng preparations.

Antitumoral activity of Panax ginseng extracts.

Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer ( Araliacea ) has been known for thousands of years in the Far East as a remedy effective against a multitude of ailments. Recently ginseng preparations have been tested for antineoplastic properties by Soviet and American investigators. Lazarev (1) reported that an extract of ginseng roots inhibited the growth of the murine Ehrlich carcinoma by 15 to 48%, while Yaremenko (2) obtained variable results in tests with Ehrlich cells, and no effect against the Walker tumor of rats. Abbott and co-workers (3) tested water and ethanol extracts of Panax quinquefolius L. (American ginseng) against murine tumors sarcoma 180 (S 180), adenocarcinoma 755 (Ca 755), and leukemia 1210 (L 1210) with negative results. A sample of Formosan Panax ginseng was ineffective in various test system (J. Hartwell, personal communication). The source of ginseng roots may be related to their pharmacologic effectiveness, as slight differences have been reported (4) in the composition of ginseng root varieties from different localities.

ANTITUMOR AL ACTIVITY OF PANAX GINSENG EXTRACTS

Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer (Araliacea) has been known for thousands of years in the Far East as a remedy effective against a multitude of ailments. Recently ginseng preparations have been tested for antineoplastic properties by Soviet and American investigators. Lazarev (1) reported that an extract of ginseng roots inhibited the growth of the murine Ehrlich carcinoma by 15 to 48%, while Yaremenko (2) obtained variable results in tests with Ehrlich cells, and no effect against the Walker tumor of rats. Abbott and co-workers (3) tested water and ethanol extracts of Panax quinquefolius L. (American ginseng) against murine tumors sarcoma 180 (S 180), adenocarcinoma 755 (Ca 755), and leukemia 1210 (L 1210) with negative results. A sample of Formosan Panax ginseng was ineffective in various test system (J. Hartwell, personal communication). The source of ginseng roots may be related to their pharmacologic effectiveness, as slight differences have been reported (4) in the composition of ginseng root varieties from different localities.