BACKGROUND Fermentation technology is widely used to alter the effective components of ginseng. This study was carried out to analyze the characteristics and antioxidant activity of ginseng seeds fermented by Bacillus, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus strains. METHODS For ginseng seed fermentation, 1% of each strain was inoculated on sterilized ginseng seeds and then incubated at 30°C for 24 h ...

Asian ginseng is a perennial herb with a taproot resembling the shape of the human body. It grows in northern China, Korea, and Russia; its close relative, Panax quinquefolius, is cultivated in the United States. Because ginseng must be grown for 5 years before it is harvested, it commands a high price, with top-quality roots easily selling for more than $10,000. Dried, unprocessed ginseng root...

BACKGROUND Panax ginseng is a famous traditional medicine in Korea for its beneficial effect on obesity, cardiac and liver associated diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the metabolite in Panax ginseng (P. ginseng, Aralicaceae) berries depending on the ripen stages and evaluate its potential inhibition on adipocyte differentiation in 3 T3-L1 cells. METHODS Different ripening st...

Obesity and diabetes are growing health problems worldwide. In this study, dietary provision of Chinese ginseng (0.5 g/kg diet) prevented body weight gain in high-fat (HF) diet-fed mice. Dietary ginseng supplementation reduced body fat mass gain, improved glucose tolerance and whole body insulin sensitivity, and prevented hypertension in HF diet-induced obese mice. Ginseng consumption led to re...

BACKGROUND Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng) is one of the most important medicinal plants in the Orient. Among nine cultivars of P. ginseng, Chunpoong commands a much greater market value and has been planted widely in Korea. Chunpoong has superior quality "Chunsam" (1st grade ginseng) when made into red ginseng. METHODS A rapid and reliable method for discriminating the Chunpoong cultivar was ...

Invited Review: Ginseng is actually a collection of 11 distinct species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, but Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer (Araliaceae) or Korean ginseng is the main one. The root of P. ginseng is a traditional medicine in Korea, China and Japan that has been shown to produce a variety of medicinal effects. The reported pharmacological activities of ginseng and its...

BACKGROUND Wild ginseng, Panax ginseng Meyer, is an endangered species of medicinal plants. In the present study, we analyzed variations within the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) cluster to gain insight into the genetic diversity of the Oriental ginseng, P. ginseng, at artificial plant cultivation. METHODS The roots of wild P. ginseng plants were sampled from a nonprotected natural population of the Ru...

Ginseng root is used more often than other parts such as leaf stem although extracts from ginseng leaf-stem also contain similar active ingredients with pharmacological functions. Ginseng's leaf-stems are more readily available at a lower cost than its root. This article reviews the pharmacological effects of ginseng leaf-stem on some diseases and adverse effects due to excessive consumption. G...

Ginseng is a slow-growing, deciduous perennial plant that belongs to the Araliaceae family and the Panax genus. There are a variety of species but the two main types are Panax ginseng C.A Meyer (Asian ginseng) and Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng). Asian ginseng is further subdivided by drying method of the root into either red or white ginseng. Traditionally, both Asian and American ginse...

Ginseng, the root of Panax species, is a well-known folk medicine. It has been used as traditional herbal medicine in China, Korea and Japan for thousands of years and today is a popular and worldwide used natural medicine. The active ingredients of ginseng are ginsenosides which are also called ginseng saponins. Recently, there is increasing evidence in the literature on the pharmacological an...