Anti-amnestic and anti-aging effects of ginsenoside Rg1 and Rb1 and its mechanism of action

Abstract

In the present paper, we overview the discovery of new biological activities induced by ginsenoside Rg1 and Rb1 and discuss possible mechanisms of action. Both compounds could increase neural plasticity in efficacy and structure; especially Rg1, as one small molecular drug, can increase proliferation and differentiation of neural progenitor cells in dentate gyrus of hippocampus of normal adult mice and global ischemia model in gerbils. This finding has great value for treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders which is characterized by neurons loss. Increase of expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor, Bcl-2 and antioxidant enzyme, enhanced new synapse formation, inhibition of apoptosis and calcium overload are also important neuron protective factors. Rg1 and Rb1 have common effects, but there are some differences in pharmacology and mechanism. These differences may attribute to their different chemical structure. Rg1 is panaxtriol with two sugars, while Rb1 is panaxtriol with four sugars.

Water Extract of Korean Red Ginseng Stimulates Angiogenesis by Activating the PI3K/Akt-Dependent ERK1/2 and eNOS Pathways in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells

“…12,13,22,23) The major active components of ginseng are ginsenosides. More than forty ginsenosides have, so far, been isolated and each ginsenoside possesses different pharmacological effects.…”

Brain Metabolomics Study on the Protective Effects of Ginsenosides Rg1 and Rb1 in an Alzheimer’s Disease Mouse Model

“…The treatment of high dose of GRg1 and GRb1 can partly restore the disorder of sphingolipids metabolim with little difference that the level of dihydrosphingosine, hexadecasphinganine, phytosphingosine and ceremide was significantly altered in high-dose of GRg1 treated mice,while there was no significant change in the level of dihydrosphingosine, hexadecasphinganine in the GRb1 treated groups. The reason account for It was possibly due to their different chemical structures that GRg1 is protopanaxatriol with two sugars, while GRb1 is protopanaxadiol with four sugars [43].…”

The Efficacy of Ginseng on the Cognitive Function

“…5) First, the cholinergic system in the central nervous system might be potentiated by ginsenoside. Both Rg 1 and Rb 1 enhanced cholinergic system's function through increas-ing density of central M-cholinergic receptors and increasing level of Ach in the CNS by enhancement on choline acetyltransferase activity and inhibition on acetylcholine esterase activity.…”