Korean ginseng

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Asian Ginseng
• Korean Ginseng
• Asiatic ginseng
• Chinese ginseng
• Manchurian ginseng
• Oriental ginseng

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Aralia ginseng
• Panax schin-seng var. coraiensis
• Panax verus
• Aralia quinquefolia var. ginseng
• Panax quinquefolius var. ginseng

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it falls under the order Apiales and the family Araliaceae. Its taxonomic identity is further defined by its membership in the genus Panax.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is primarily distributed across several key regions within Eastern Asia. In the Russian Far East, it can be found growing in the Khabarovsk and Primorye territories. Its range extends into China, specifically throughout the Manchuria and China North-Central regions. Additionally, the species is widely recognized as being native to Korea. Together, these locations define the specific ecological niche where this medicinal species thrives.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Panax ginseng is characterized by its preference for specific, undisturbed environments, primarily thriving within the shaded understories of deciduous and mixed forests. It is most commonly found in mountainous regions where the terrain provides the necessary drainage and microclimates required for its slow growth. Within these ecosystems, the plant establishes itself in areas populated by shrubs and dense vegetation, which provide the essential dappled sunlight and protection from extreme environmental fluctuations. These shrubberies and forest floors offer a layer of leaf litter that maintains high soil moisture and nutrient availability, creating a stable, cool habitat essential for the plant's long-term survival and development.

Habitat :

forest, mountains, shrubberies

Life history

The life history of Panax ginseng is characterized by its status as a perennial species, meaning it lives for multiple years and undergoes repeated growth cycles. Structurally, the plant is classified as a hemicryptophyte, a life form where the perennating buds are located at or just below the soil surface, protected by leaf litter or organic debris during unfavorable seasons. This growth strategy allows the plant to persist in its natural forest habitats, relying on its underground rhizome and root system to survive dormancy periods before emerging again to complete its vegetative and reproductive phases.

Life form :

hemicryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Panax ginseng is characterized by its growth form as a perennial herb, exhibiting a non-climbing, self-supporting habit. As a terrestrial species, it grows independently without parasitic or epiphytic requirements. The plant typically displays a woody nature, particularly in its root system, and reaches a modest stature with a plant height ranging from a minimum of 0.3 m to a maximum of 0.7 m, maintaining an average height of approximately 0.45 m.

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

0.7 m

Plant height mean:

0.45 m

Plant height min:

0.3 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiological development of Panax ginseng is characterized by specific foliar dimensions that reflect its vegetative growth patterns and photosynthetic capacity. The leaves exhibit a measurable range of sizes, with a mean leaf length of 10 cm, though individual leaves can vary from a minimum of 8 cm to a maximum length of 12 cm. Complementing these longitudinal dimensions, the leaf width shows significant morphological variability, maintaining a mean width of 4 cm. The breadth of the foliage fluctuates between a minimum width of 3 cm and a maximum width of 5 cm. These structural parameters in leaf length and width are critical indicators of the plant's surface area availability for light interception and gas exchange, which directly influence its overall metabolic vigor and the accumulation of bioactive compounds within its tissues.

Leaf length max:

12 cm

Leaf length mean:

10 cm

Leaf length min:

8 cm

Leaf width max:

5 cm

Leaf width mean:

4 cm

Leaf width min:

3 cm

Reproduction

The reproduction of Panax ginseng is characterized by a specific seasonal flowering period and the development of small fleshy fruits. The flowering process typically commences in July and concludes within the same month, though the timing can be variable. Following successful pollination, the plant produces fruits with distinct morphological dimensions. These fruits exhibit a mean length of 0.45 cm, ranging from a minimum of 0.4 cm to a maximum of 0.5 cm. In terms of width, the fruits have a mean measurement of 0.65 cm, with a minimum width of 0.6 cm and reaching a maximum width of 0.7 cm.

Flowering time :

Jul

Fruit length max:

0.5 cm

Fruit length mean:

0.45 cm

Fruit length min:

0.4 cm

Fruit width max:

0.7 cm

Fruit width mean:

0.65 cm

Fruit width min:

0.6 cm

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Panax ginseng has 7 reported plant parts identified across 154 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include root, leaf, stem, flower, rhizome.

Root

1. Plant & cell physiology
2. Planta medica
3. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin
4. Journal of ethnopharmacology
5. BMC plant biology

Leaf

1. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters
2. Journal of nanoscience and nanotechnology
3. European journal of pharmacology
4. Artificial cells, nanomedicine, and biotechnology
5. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica

Stem

1. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters
2. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica
3. PloS one
4. Analytica chimica acta
5. Journal of chromatography. A

Flower

1. Journal of ginseng research
2. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica
3. PloS one
4. Journal of chromatographic science
5. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Rhizome

1. Current issues in molecular biology
2. The American journal of Chinese medicine
3. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica
4. International journal of molecular sciences
5. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry

Fruit

1. Journal of Asian natural products research
2. BMC plant biology
3. Journal of chromatography. A
4. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Fitoterapia

Seed

1. The American journal of Chinese medicine
2. Journal of chromatography. A
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Chemicals

Panax ginseng has 717 reported phytochemicals identified across 154 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Ginsenosides, Ginsenoside rb1, GINSENOSIDE, RG1, RB1.

Ginsenosides

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plant & cell physiology
3. Journal of chromatography. A
4. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
5. Postgraduate medical journal

Ginsenoside rb1

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
2. Zhongguo yao li xue bao = Acta pharmacologica Sinica
3. International journal of molecular sciences
4. Ultrasonics sonochemistry
5. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie

GINSENOSIDE

1. Dr. Duke
2. International journal of molecular sciences
3. BMC plant biology
4. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
5. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

RG1

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
2. Journal of ginseng research
3. Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology
4. Arzneimittel-Forschung
5. Nan fang yi ke da xue xue bao = Journal of Southern Medical University

RB1

1. International journal of molecular sciences
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
3. Journal of ginseng research
4. Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology
5. Nan fang yi ke da xue xue bao = Journal of Southern Medical University

Ginsenoside RG1

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
2. Life sciences
3. Phytotherapy research : PTR
4. Zhongguo yao li xue bao = Acta pharmacologica Sinica
5. Frontiers in pharmacology

Saponins

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ginseng research
3. Current protein & peptide science
4. Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology
5. Vaccine

RE

1. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
3. Journal of ginseng research
4. Arzneimittel-Forschung
5. Nan fang yi ke da xue xue bao = Journal of Southern Medical University

RD

1. Journal of ginseng research
2. Arzneimittel-Forschung
3. Zhongguo yao li xue bao = Acta pharmacologica Sinica
4. Sheng wu gong cheng xue bao = Chinese journal of biotechnology
5. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

Ginsenoside Re

1. Dr. Duke
2. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
3. Food & function
4. Ultrasonics sonochemistry
5. Planta medica

Activities

Panax ginseng has 780 reported activities identified across 154 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Neuroprotective, Anticancer, Antitumor, Antidiabetic.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society
3. Alternative medicine review : a journal of clinical therapeutic
4. Heliyon
5. Nutritional neuroscience

Neuroprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Immunopharmacology and immunotoxicology
3. Journal of biotechnology
4. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
5. Nutritional neuroscience

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Current medicinal chemistry
3. Journal of biotechnology
4. International journal of nanomedicine
5. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Antitumor

1. Dr. Duke
2. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica
3. Frontiers in pharmacology
4. Ai zheng = Aizheng = Chinese journal of cancer
5. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Eksperimental'naia i klinicheskaia farmakologiia
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Pharmaceutical biology
5. Patologicheskaia fiziologiia i eksperimental'naia terapiia

Antimicrobial

1. Journal of biotechnology
2. Artificial cells, nanomedicine, and biotechnology
3. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin
4. International wound journal
5. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie

Aphrodisiac

1. Dr. Duke
2. Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology
3. Andrologia
4. British journal of urology
5. Indian journal of urology : IJU : journal of the Urological Society of India

Antidepressant

1. Dr. Duke
2. International journal of molecular sciences
3. Nutrients
4. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
5. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Cardioprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Frontiers in pharmacology
3. Molecular medicine reports
4. Food technology and biotechnology
5. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie

Hypoglycemic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Chinese journal of integrative medicine
3. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
4. Journal of ginseng research
5. Journal of pharmacobio-dynamics

Conditions

Panax ginseng has 373 reported investigations on conditions identified across 154 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include cancer, oxidative stress, Alzheimer's disease, depression, fatigue.

Cancer

1. Journal of ginseng research
2. Biochemical pharmacology
3. Current medicinal chemistry
4. Journal of plant biology = Singmul Hakhoe chi
5. Alternative medicine review : a journal of clinical therapeutic

Oxidative stress

1. British journal of pharmacology
2. Gene
3. Journal of ginseng research
4. Frontiers in pharmacology
5. Plant signaling & behavior

Alzheimer's disease

1. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
3. Frontiers in pharmacology
4. Current topics in medicinal chemistry
5. Degenerative neurological and neuromuscular disease

Depression

1. The Kaohsiung journal of medical sciences
2. International journal of molecular sciences
3. Nutrients
4. Frontiers in psychiatry
5. Indian journal of experimental biology

Fatigue

1. American journal of health-system pharmacy : AJHP : official journal of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
2. Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. Urologie (Heidelberg, Germany)
5. Nutrients

Inflammation

1. Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Toxicology & pharmacology : CBP
2. Journal of plant biology = Singmul Hakhoe chi
3. Biochemical pharmacology
4. Metabolites
5. Food & function

Hyperlipidemia

1. Zhongguo yao li xue bao = Acta pharmacologica Sinica
2. Journal of the science of food and agriculture
3. Journal of ginseng research
4. The American journal of Chinese medicine
5. Journal of medicinal food

Obesity

1. World journal of gastroenterology
2. Journal of pharmacological sciences
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. International journal of molecular sciences
5. Frontiers in pharmacology

Hypertension

1. British journal of pharmacology
2. Immunopharmacology and immunotoxicology
3. Neurochemical research
4. Journal of ginseng research
5. Nitric oxide : biology and chemistry

Cognitive impairment

1. Life sciences
2. Nutrients
3. Fitoterapia
4. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
5. Frontiers in psychiatry

Preparations

Panax ginseng has 225 reported preparations identified across 154 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include extract, root, ginseng extract, extracts, Extracts.

Extract

1. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin
2. The American journal of Chinese medicine
3. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Archives of pharmacal research
5. Panminerva medica

Root

1. Biochemical pharmacology
2. Chemistry & biodiversity
3. European journal of pharmacology
4. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin
5. International journal of oncology

Ginseng extract

1. The American journal of Chinese medicine
2. Planta medica
3. The Journal of international medical research
4. General pharmacology
5. Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology

Extracts

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Biofizika
4. Fish physiology and biochemistry

Extracts

1. Acta neurochirurgica. Supplement
2. Nutrients
3. Immunopharmacology

Ethanol extracts

1. Analytica chimica acta
2. TSitologiia i genetika
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Roots

1. Mycobiology
2. International journal of molecular sciences
3. Biological trace element research

Water extract

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Planta medica
3. Japanese journal of pharmacology

Pg extract

1. Molecular neurobiology
2. Planta medica

Panax ginseng extract

1. Journal of applied microbiology
2. International wound journal