Open research questions in Ginseng Biological Effects and Applications

What the literature leaves open

• research into effective protective interventions against aluminum toxicity - investigating the protective potential of Panax ginseng against other toxic substances

  Protective effect of Panax ginseng on AlCl₃-induced liver, kidney, and testis toxicity in male albino rats: biochemical, histopathological, and molecular study · 2026 · DOI

• There is a need to evaluate the protective effects of Panax ginseng against aluminum chloride-induced toxicity - There is a lack of understanding of the mechanisms underlying aluminum toxicity and the potential of Panax ginseng as a treatment

  Protective effect of Panax ginseng on AlCl₃-induced liver, kidney, and testis toxicity in male albino rats: biochemical, histopathological, and molecular study · 2026 · DOI

• There is a need to systematically evaluate the antidepressant-like effects of ginsenosides in animal models. The existing evidence base lacks a definitive hierarchy of antidepressant potency.

  Systematic review and meta-analysis of the antidepressant-like effects of ginsenosides in animal models: comparative behavioral profiles and exploratory dose-stratified analysis · 2026 · DOI

• The literature is limited and often lacks necessary details. Other molecules providing anti-oxidant effects for example might not be preserved by such treatment. The elevated temperature used during drying has been shown to be compatible with the extraction of ginsenoside and various compounds from L. alpinum, but might not be compatible with other compounds.

  Hairy Roots Cultures from the Slow-Growing and Protected Panax ginseng, Leontopodium alpinum and Gynostemma pentaphyllum as an Alternative Source of Antimicrobials · 2026 · DOI

• The literature is limited and often lacks necessary details on the antimicrobial properties of hairy root cultures. There is a need for alternative methods for the production of antimicrobials, as traditional methods may lead to undesired phenomena.

  Hairy Roots Cultures from the Slow-Growing and Protected Panax ginseng, Leontopodium alpinum and Gynostemma pentaphyllum as an Alternative Source of Antimicrobials · 2026 · DOI

• While previous studies have demonstrated that ginsenoside Rh2 induces apoptosis in TNBC cells, the specific molecular targets and underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.

  Ginsenoside Rh2 regulates triple-negative breast cancer proliferation and apoptosis via the IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway · 2025 · DOI

• This constraint has driven the development of biocatalytic synthesis approaches, yet robust enzymes capable of efficient production remain elusive.

  Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction and Semirational Engineering of Glycosyltransferase for Efficient Synthesis of Rare Ginsenoside Rh1 · 2025 · DOI

• Fermentation of ginseng extract is limited by the low concentration of compound K (CK), a bioactive ginsenoside.

  Enhanced production of ginsenoside compound K by synergistic conversion of fermentation with Aspergillus tubingensis and commercial cellulase · 2025 · DOI

• ginseng ), a commonly used remedy for UC in TCM, exemplifies this potential, although the specific components and mechanisms through which its therapeutic effects are exerted remain to be fully elucidated, highlighting the need for further research to unlock its full potential as a treatment option.

  Network pharmacology and in vivo study: Unraveling the therapeutic mechanisms of Panax ginseng in potentially treating ulcerative colitis · 2025 · DOI

• The clinical application of saponins is limited by their low bioavailability and short half-life, resulting in fluctuating plasma concentrations.

  Advancements and challenges in pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic research on the traditional Chinese medicine saponins: a comprehensive review · 2024 · DOI

• However, the use of gypenoside in the treatment of gastric cancer has not been studied.

  Gypenoside induces apoptosis by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and enhances T-cell antitumor immunity by inhibiting PD-L1 in gastric cancer · 2024 · DOI

• Despite high interest in biotechnological production, little is known about the main factors affecting cell growth and ginsenoside biosynthesis of this species under in vitro conditions.

  Suspension cell cultures of Panax vietnamensis as a biotechnological source of ginsenosides: growth, cytology, and ginsenoside profile assessment · 2024 · DOI

• The involvement of TE expression in regulating cell differentiation and gypenoside biosynthesis warrant further exploration.

  Single-cell transcriptome profiling reveals the spatiotemporal distribution of triterpenoid saponin biosynthesis and transposable element activity in Gynostemma pentaphyllum shoot apexes and leaves · 2024 · DOI

• Composite fungicides are an effective means to improve the biocontrol effect of fungicides, but the effect of Pp-7250 in combination with its symbiotic bacteria on ginseng needs to be further investigated, and its mechanism of action has not been elucidated.

  Effects of a co-bacterial agent on the growth, disease control, and quality of ginseng based on rhizosphere microbial diversity · 2024 · DOI

• pentaphyllum remain unexplored, and their regulatory role in gypenoside biosynthesis remains poorly elucidated.

  Genome-wide characterization of the bHLH gene family in Gynostemma pentaphyllum reveals its potential role in the regulation of gypenoside biosynthesis · 2024 · DOI

• However, the influence of cultivation age on the ecological processes in assembling plant microbiomes at various ecological niches remains unclear.

  Influence of cultivation duration on microbial taxa aggregation in Panax ginseng soils across ecological niches · 2024 · DOI

• However, no studies have been conducted on microbial communities related to disease occurrence before the initial occurrence of diseases in crop monoculture.

  Ecological shifts in soil microbiota and root rot disease progress during ginseng monoculture · 2024 · DOI

• However, the comparative efficacy and underlying mechanisms of these compounds in hyperlipidemia prevention remain inadequately explored.

  Ginsenoside Rb1, Compound K and 20(S)-Protopanaxadiol Attenuate High-Fat Diet-Induced Hyperlipidemia in Rats via Modulation of Gut Microbiota and Bile Acid Metabolism · 2024 · DOI

• However, the mechanisms by which CK modulates gut microbiota to ameliorate IBD remain poorly understood.

  Ginsenoside CK Alleviates DSS-Induced IBD in Mice by Regulating Tryptophan Metabolism and Activating Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor via Gut Microbiota Modulation · 2024 · DOI

• In agricultural planting, soil environments of different geographical origins lead to obvious differences in the quality of ginseng, but the potential mechanism of the differences remains unclear.

  Untargeted Metabolomics and Soil Community Metagenomics Analyses Combined with Machine Learning Evaluation Uncover Geographic Differences in Ginseng from Different Locations · 2024 · DOI

• Our previous study found that ginsenoside Rk3 (Rk3), a natural bioactive substance derived from ginseng, can effectively alleviate obesity-induced colitis, while its impact on the improvement of the lipid metabolism disorder remains unclear.

  Ginsenoside Rk3 Ameliorates Obesity-Induced Colitis by Modulating Lipid Metabolism in C57BL/6 Mice · 2024 · DOI

• However, how the LWG regulates gut microbiota to enhance immunity remains unclear.

  Low-Medium Polarity Ginsenosides from Wild Ginseng Improves Immunity by Activating the AhR/MAPK Pathway through Tryptophan Metabolism Driven by Gut Microbiota · 2024 · DOI

• However, the exact molecular mechanisms underlying these protective effects remain unclear.

  Ginsenoside-Rh2 Promotes Functional Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury by Enhancing TFEB-Mediated Autophagy · 2024 · DOI

• However, the extent to which ginsenosides accumulate in ginseng garden soil and persist beyond harvest is poorly documented.

  The properties of ginsenosides in ginseng garden soil: accumulation, persistence and behaviour · 2024 · DOI

• While an ecological role for ginsenosides in maintenance of the sparse density growth habit of wild ginseng populations can be inferred, the consequence of ginsenoside accumulation in densely populated commercial ginseng gardens remains unknown.

  The properties of ginsenosides in ginseng garden soil: accumulation, persistence and behaviour · 2024 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Ginseng Biological Effects and Applications

• Botanical characteristics, pharmacological effects and medicinal components of KoreanPanax ginsengC A Meyer · Acta Pharmacologica Sinica · 2008 · 540 citations
• A Formula for the Gini Coefficient · The Review of Economics and Statistics · 1979 · 471 citations
• Panax ginseng · Drug Safety · 2002 · 322 citations
• Dichotomy of gingipains action as virulence factors: from cleaving substrates with the precision of a surgeon’s knife to a meat chopper-like brutal degradation of proteins · Periodontology 2000 · 2010 · 316 citations
• Anti-amnestic and anti-aging effects of ginsenoside Rg1 and Rb1 and its mechanism of action · Acta Pharmacologica Sinica · 2005 · 295 citations
• American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L) Reduces Postprandial Glycemia in Nondiabetic Subjects and Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus · Archives of Internal Medicine · 2000 · 263 citations
• Comparison of the pharmacological effects ofPanax ginsengandPanax quinquefolium · Acta Pharmacologica Sinica · 2008 · 236 citations
• Molecular and cell biology of the gingiva · Periodontology 2000 · 2000 · 183 citations
• Ginsenoside Rg1 protects against ischemic/reperfusion-induced neuronal injury through miR-144/Nrf2/ARE pathway · Acta Pharmacologica Sinica · 2018 · 159 citations
• Interaction of Ginseng with Phenelzine · Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology · 1987 · 130 citations

Most recent work

• AFG Ameliorates Diabetic Retinopathy through AMPK-Dependent Autolysosomal Pathway: From Network Pharmacology to In Vivo and In Vitro Validation · Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry · 2026
• Panax notoginseng saponins attenuate oxidative stress-mediated platelet apoptosis in hyperlipidemic conditions via up-regulating cAMP/PKA signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo · Journal of Future Foods · 2026
• Protopanaxatriol restores cognitive function in okadaic acid-treated mice via direct inhibition of pathological CDK5 activity · Acta Pharmacologica Sinica · 2026
• Ginsenoside Rg1 as a Multifunctional Therapeutic Agent: Pharmacological Properties, Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Perspectives in Complementary Medicine · Food Science & Nutrition · 2026
• Biotechnological advances in key regulatory genes of phenylpropanoid and terpenoid biosynthesis pathways in Panax ginseng: Current insights and future prospects · Biotechnology Advances · 2026
• The effects of a composition of ginseng polysaccharides and Houttuynia cordata essential oil on the growth performance, slaughter performance, serum biochemistry and intestinal health of Arbor Acres broilers · Frontiers in Veterinary Science · 2026
• Panax notoginseng Saponins Ameliorate High‐Fat Diet‐Induced Liver Injury via Mechanisms Involving TLR4 ‐Mediated Signaling and Lipid Metabolism · Food Science & Nutrition · 2026
• The effect of ginseng extract on fatigue in cancer survivors: a randomized double-blind clinical trial · Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
• Ginsenoside Rg1 delays the senescence of adipose-derived stem cells: network pharmacology and experimental validation · Hereditas · 2026
• Panax ginseng—Polygonum cuspidatum is beneficial for alleviating atherosclerosis in ApoE−/− mice by modulating the composition of gut microbiota and related metabolites · Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine · 2026

Related topics in Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology