A review for discovering bioactive minor saponins and biotransformative metabolites in Panax quinquefolius L.

Abstract

Panax quinquefolius L. has attracted extensive attention worldwide because of its prominent pharmacological properties on type 2 diabetes, cancers, central nervous system, and cardiovascular diseases. Ginsenosides are active phytochemicals of P. quinquefolius, which can be classified as propanaxdiol (PPD)-type, propanaxtriol (PPT)-type, oleanane-type, and ocotillol-type oligo-glycosides depending on the skeleton of aglycone. Recently, advanced analytical and isolated methods including ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem with mass detector, preparative high-performance liquid chromatography, and high speed counter-current chromatography have been used to isolate and identify minor components in P. quinquefolius, which accelerates the clarification of the material basis. However, the poor bioavailability and undetermined bio-metabolism of most saponins have greatly hindered both the development of medicines and the identification of their real active constituents. Thus, it is essential to consider the bio-metabolism of constituents before and after absorption. In this review, we described the structures of minor ginsenosides in P. quinquefolius, including naturally occurring protype compounds and their in vivo metabolites. The preclinical and clinical pharmacological studies of the ginsenosides in the past few years were also summarized. The review will promote the reacquaint of minor saponins on the growing appreciation of their biological role in P. quinquefolius.

Comprehensive Investigation of Ginsenosides in the Steamed Panax quinquefolius with Different Processing Conditions Using LC-MS

“…Panax quinquefolius (PQ) belongs to the genus Panax in the family Araliaceae. It has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, dietary supplements, and functional food [1,2]. It is native to the south of Canada and the northern USA, and has been widely planted in China.…”

Ameliorative effect of Panax quinquefolius on sodium arsenite induced toxicity in Charles Foster rats

“…The major bioactive components of P. ginseng are the ginsenosides, a group of saponins with a dammarane triterpenoid structure (Huang 1999). Almost 40 ginsenosides have been isolated from P. ginseng root (white and red ginsengs), and novel structures continue to be identified, particularly from Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng) and Panax japonica (Japanese ginseng) as well as their berries (Attele et al 2002;Christensen 2009; Cong et al, 2020;Yang et al, 2022). Hence, the present study aimed to discover the ameliorative effect of Panax quinquefolius root extract against hepatorenal toxicity caused by sodium arsenite in Charles Foster rat model.…”