American
Ginseng
The root is used medicinally. Panax quinquefolius is closely related to Panax ginseng, both chemically and taxonomically contains triterpene glycosides (saponins), including a number of ginsenosides, triterpine oligoglycosides (quinquenosides, acetylenic alcohols (panaxynol, falcarindiol, panaxydol, panaxytriol), a homodimeric protein quiqueginsin and volatile oil. 3 The triterpene saponins are thought to be the active components. 4 Panax quinquefolius differs from Panax ginseng in that it does not contain of the ginsenoside Rf, 5 one of the fractions associated with antitumor activity. 4 The ginsenosides are related to steroids in their chemical structure. 4 Panax quinquefolius should not be confused with Siberian Òginseng,Ó Eleutherococcus senticosus, a distantly related species containing unrelated compounds.
The
American Botanical Council is conducting an evaluation of ginseng products:
the Ginseng Evaluation Project (GEP).
5
This evaluation should be available in 2005.
4
The National Toxicology Program is undertaking short-term
toxicology and long-term carcinogenicity studies of ginseng and its ginsenoside
components.
4
The currently available report makes no clear distinctions
between Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius. The intraperitoneal
LD50 of ginsenoside no. 3 in the mouse was 637.
4
Assinewe
compared levels of various ginsenosides in leaf root and stem of wild-grown
and cultivated ginseng in the northern U.S. and Canada and showed significant
variation in the concentrations of ginsenodies among the wild populations.
5
She did not find significant differences in mean ginsenosides
between wild and cultivated 4 year old ginseng roots grown in the same
region.
5
Animal
studies of American ginseng root extract have revealed effects on performance,
stress tolerance, neuronal activity including memory, and glucose modulation.
3
In vitro studies demonstrated antioxidant activity and nicotinic
activity.
3
Furthermore, preliminary evidence exists for its inhibition
of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and inhibition of breast cancer cell growth,
although these effects would likely require supratherapeutic concentrations.
3