South China ginseng

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• South China ginseng
• notoginseng
• san-qi ginseng
• sanchi ginseng
• tienchi ginseng

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Panax pseudoginseng var. notoginseng
• Aralia quinquefolia var. notoginseng

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 is placed in the order Apiales and the family Araliaceae. Finally, it is categorized under the genus Panax, specifically as the species Panax notoginseng.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is primarily distributed across specific regions of East and Southeast Asia. In China, its presence is noted throughout the South-Central territories. It is also found extensively within the Southeast regions of China. Beyond Chinese borders, the species extends into the Indo-China peninsula. Specifically, it can be located within the geographical boundaries of Vietnam.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Panax notoginseng is characterized by its classification as a hemicryptophyte, a life form where the perennating buds are located at or just below the soil surface, protected by the leaf litter or soil layer. This survival strategy allows the plant to endure seasonal fluctuations by maintaining its vital organs at the ground level, facilitating a perennial growth cycle. As a hemicryptophyte, it functions through a developmental pattern that balances underground storage with seasonal aerial emergence, ensuring resilience against environmental stressors. This life history pattern enables the plant to establish a robust presence in its natural habitat, utilizing its specialized physiological structures to navigate through varying climatic conditions over multiple growing seasons.

Life form :

hemicryptophyte

Morphology

The morphology of Panax notoginseng is characterized by its growth habit as a non-climbing, terrestrial herb. Unlike climbing species, it is strictly self-supporting and does not exhibit any climber tendencies, whether obligatory or facultative. It functions as an independent organism, showing no parasitic behavior toward other plants. As a terrestrial plant, it lacks epiphyte qualities, growing entirely within the soil substrate rather than on other vegetation. In terms of its structural composition, the plant is categorized as non-woody, consisting of succulent or herbaceous tissues rather than woody stems, which is typical for its perennial herbaceous lifecycle.

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

woody

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Panax notoginseng has 7 reported plant parts identified across 113 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include root, leaf, flower, stem, rhizome.

Root

1. Current microbiology
2. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
3. Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Current protein & peptide science
5. BMC plant biology

Leaf

1. Steroids
2. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
3. Journal of ginseng research
4. Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry
5. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Flower

1. Phytochemistry
2. BMC genomics
3. Journal of natural products
4. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
5. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Stem

1. Journal of ginseng research
2. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
3. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
4. Cells
5. Chinese journal of biotechnology

Rhizome

1. Phytochemistry
2. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
3. Functional plant biology : FPB
4. Guang pu xue yu guang pu fen xi = Guang pu
5. Journal of ginseng research

Seed

1. Environmental microbiome
2. Functional plant biology : FPB

Fruit

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

Chemicals

Panax notoginseng has 294 reported phytochemicals identified across 113 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Saponins, Notoginsenoside R1, Ginsenosides, SAPONIN, PANAX NOTOGINSENG SAPONINS.

Saponins

1. Zhongguo yao li xue bao = Acta pharmacologica Sinica
2. Current protein & peptide science
3. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
4. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica
5. Phytochemistry

Notoginsenoside R1

1. PloS one
2. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
3. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
4. Genes
5. Gene

Ginsenosides

1. Dr. Duke
2. Current protein & peptide science
3. BMC genomics
4. Oncology letters
5. European journal of medicinal chemistry

SAPONIN

1. Current microbiology
2. BMC plant biology
3. Chinese medicine
4. Environmental microbiome
5. Journal of the American Heart Association

PANAX NOTOGINSENG SAPONINS

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
2. Frontiers in plant science
3. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
4. Zhongguo yao li xue bao = Acta pharmacologica Sinica
5. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

RB1

1. Chinese medicine
2. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
3. Journal of ginseng research
4. Journal of medicinal food
5. Journal of chromatography. A

RG1

1. Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Chinese medicine
3. Frontiers in plant science
4. Journal of AOAC International
5. Gene

Ginsenoside RG1

1. PloS one
2. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
3. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
4. Genes
5. Frontiers in plant science

Ginsenoside rb1

1. PloS one
2. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
3. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
4. Genes
5. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica

RD

1. Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Chinese medicine
3. Gene
4. Journal of ginseng research
5. Journal of medicinal food

Activities

Panax notoginseng has 227 reported activities identified across 113 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Neuroprotective, Antioxidant, Antifungal, Antitumor, Cardioprotective.

Neuroprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ginseng research
3. Heliyon
4. European journal of medicinal chemistry
5. Frontiers in pharmacology

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of medicinal food
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. Free radical research
5. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antifungal

1. Biochemical and biophysical research communications
2. The international journal of biochemistry & cell biology
3. Planta medica
4. Journal of ginseng research

Antitumor

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Cardioprotective

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
2. European journal of medicinal chemistry
3. Frontiers in pharmacology
4. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. European journal of medicinal chemistry
3. Current medicinal chemistry

Antidepressant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
3. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antihypertensive

1. Dr. Duke
2. Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology. Supplement
3. Food chemistry: X

Cytotoxic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ginseng research
3. Natural products and bioprospecting

Medicinal Uses

Panax notoginseng has 119 reported medicinal uses identified across 113 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include cardiovascular diseases, apoptosis, cancer, inflammation, obesity.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations