A review on the medicinal potentials of ginseng and ginsenosides on cardiovascular diseases

Abstract

Ginseng is widely used for its promising healing and restorative properties as well as for its possible tonic effect in traditional medicine. Nowadays, many studies focus on purified individual ginsenoside, an important constituent in ginseng, and study its specific mechanism of action instead of whole-plant extracts on cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Of the various ginsenosides, purified ginsenosides such as Rb1, Rg1, Rg3, Rh1, Re, and Rd are the most frequently studied. Although there are many reports on the molecular mechanisms and medical applications of ginsenosides in the treatment of CVDs, many concerns exist in their application. This review discusses current works on the countless pharmacological functions and the potential benefits of ginseng in the area of CVDs. Results: Both in vitro and in vivo results indicate that ginseng has potentially positive effects on heart disease through its various properties including antioxidation, reduced platelet adhesion, vasomotor regulation, improving lipid profiles, and influencing various ion channels. To date, approximately 40 ginsenosides have been identified, and each has a different mechanism of action owing to the differences in chemical structure. This review aims to present comprehensive information on the traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of ginseng, especially in the control of hypertension and cardiovascular function. In addition, the review also provides an insight into the opportunities for future research and development on the biological activities of ginseng.

Ginsenoside Rg1 Protects Cardiomyocytes Against Hypoxia/Reoxygenation Injury via Activation of Nrf2/HO-1 Signaling and Inhibition of JNK

“…1A) is the pivotal bioactive ingredient responsible for its beneficial pharmaceutical effects. Recently, accumulating evidence has demonstrated that Rg1 exhibits significant cardioprotective activities against I/R injury through numerous mechanisms, primarily attributed to the inhibition of cell apoptosis and resistance to oxidative stress [23]. …”

Natural product as a source of prodrug

“…A-44 (Kobashi, 2004). Ginsenosides produced a variety of pharmacological activities such as antiinflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer and vasorelaxation (Lee and Kim, 2014;Leung and Wong, 2010).…”

Evaluation of Antioxidant Capacity and Identification of Bioactive Compounds of Crude Methanol Extracts of Caesalpinia pulcherrima (L.) Swartz

“…Hyperforin, a triterpenoid, demonstrated to be an effective free radical scavenger, more potent than Trolox and N-acetylcysteine [43] . Ginsenoside Rg2, a triterpenoid commonly found in ginseng, has also been reported to have antioxidant properties by reducing the oxidationinduced damage of erythrocyte membrane [44] . The triterpenoid platycodigenin also showed potent antioxidant capacity against peroxynitrite, with a 2.35-fold increase in total oxidant-scavenging capacity value compared with glutathione [45] .…”