What You Might Not Know About Panax Ginseng
What is Panax Ginseng?
Ginseng is one of the most well known herbs in the world. It’s immensely important in traditional Chinese use, and has slowly but steadily rooted itself in the Western world. Speaking of roots, what we have come to know of as ‘Ginseng’ is the fleshy fork shaped root of the plant Panax ginseng. This is just one of 11 species in the genus ‘Panax’. The species in the genus Panax are characterized in part by the presence of ginsenosides in their leaves and roots. There are over 30 ginsenosides; each of which have a unique effects in the body. Due to this, it is not surprising that Carl Linnaeus named the genus ‘Panax’ in order to capture the concept of ‘panacea’, a substance that is all-healing.
Not all Panax Ginseng is created equal.
The fact that there are 11 different species in the genus panax brings us to one of the first, and arguably most crucial, facts about panax ginseng that is often overlooked. Since all panax species contains at least one of the 30 ginsenosides, it is very easy for species to get mixed up through conventional analytical methods; such as UV-VIS. This means that not all “panax ginseng” is actually panax ginseng. It could very well be that what is being sold as panax ginseng is actually the much cheaper to produce panax quinquefolius; which is better known as American ginseng. In fact, many of the panax ginseng products on the market, either knowingly or unknowingly, are mislabeled American ginseng. Some companies do it to save money, while others are just not knowledgeable enough to be able to tell the difference.
There is only one truly accurate way to be sure whether or not we are dealing with real panax ginseng, and that is to run a sample of suspected panax ginseng through HP-TLC, or high performance thin layer chromatography.
Panax Ginseng Identification Method
Even though every species of panax contains ginsenosides, all of the species have a unique ‘fingerprint’, which can be accurately picked up with HP-TLC. First a reference ‘fingerprint’ is created for panax ginseng. Then a sample of suspected panax ginseng is run through HP-TLC. Afterwards, the sample fingerprint is compared to the reference fingerprint. If they match, then we are dealing with genuine panax ginseng. If they do not, then we are either dealing with one of the other 11 species of ginseng, or a completely different plant altogether. In addition to species analysis, HP-TLC is able to tell which part of the plant was used to make the extract. So you can determine if leaf, root, or stem materials were used. This is extremely crucial, as the types, amounts, and ratios of active ingredients differs wildly between the parts of the plant.
However, the amounts and ratios are very different; which is why we offer both a leaf and root extract separately. Here at Noo-tropcis.eu all of our panax ginseng is evaluated with HP-TLC, so you can be absolutely certain that you will consistently receive genuine panax ginseng.
Panax Ginseng Ginsenosides
So you’ve made it this far into the article and are probably starting to wonder: if all panax species contain ginsenosides, and these ginsenosides are what I’m after, then why do I care which panax species I’m consuming? To answer that question, we’ll first have to examine the variance of effects between the six main ginsenosides, and their metabolites.
Ginsenosides mainly exist as either 20(S)–protopanaxadiols (PPDs) or 20(S)–protopanaxatriols (PPTs). The main chemical difference between them is the presence of sugar side chains at C3, C6 and C20. Variations in these side chain sugars determine where the ginsenosides will bind in the body, and how they will eventually be metabolized. In general, it has been found that PPD’s tend to bind to estrogen receptors (ER) and metabolize to Rg3, whilst PPT’s tend to bind to the glucocorticoid receptors (GR) and metabolize to Rh1.
To put it fairly simplistically for the time being, panax ginseng contains high concentrations of PPT’s and low concentrations of PPD’s, whilst the reverse is true for American ginseng. Thus, panax ginseng has the potential to be more stimulating; due to PPT’s affinity towards the glucocorticoid receptors. Whilst American ginseng has the potential to be more calming; due to PPD’s affinity towards estrogen receptors. Moreover, significant differences exist between PPTs and PPDs regarding effects, bioavailability, half-life, and metabolic products. For a clearer understanding of the contrast in effects between Panax ginseng and American ginseng, we’ll examine key ginsenosides in Panax ginseng.
Protopanaxatriols
Ginsenoside Rg1
This ginsenoside is present in high concentrations in panax ginseng, but only present in American ginseng in very low concentrations. Like the majority of non-metabolized ginsenosides, Rg1 is glycosylated at C6 and C20. Rg1’s high molecular weight and hydrophobic nature result in low bioavailability, ranging from 1.9% to 18.4%. Luckily, Rg1 eventually becomes deglycosylated to its aglycone Rh1 that reportedly has superior bioavailability. Additionally, Rg1, the aglycone of Re, is one of the main PPTs found in Panax ginseng. Taking this into account, it can likely be assumed that despite its low bioavailability, Rg1 will display significant biological activity.
One of Rg1’s primary mechanisms of action is its affinity for the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). GR activation drives many aspects of our ‘fight or flight’ response, significantly influencing our perceived stress levels. Rg1 appears to have a modulatory effect on GR, by being a partial agonist. During periods of low activation of GR by endogenous ligands, Rg1 can produce a minor ‘fight or flight’ response. During high activation by endogenous ligands, Rg1 occupies the receptor, activating it to a lesser extent than the endogenous ligand. Thus, Rg1 maintains an adequate level of stress.
Ginsenoside Re
Re is another PPT that is very promising. It significantly boosts extracellular levels of acetylcholine and dopamine, vital neurotransmitters supporting memory, learning, alertness, and motivation. However, Re’s bioavailability is poor, ranging from 0.19% to 7.06%, and the absorbed amount is rapidly metabolized. After subcutaneous injection in rats, Re became undetectable within 240 minutes, highlighting its rapid metabolism. Re’s short half-life raises uncertainty about its significance after oral administration in humans due to its quick metabolism. Fortunately, Re metabolizes swiftly into Rg1, potentially increasing Rg1 levels in the brain, given Re’s demonstrated BBB permeability.
Protopanaxadiols
The protopanaxadiol (PPD) ginsenoside content is lower in Panax Ginseng, but higher in American Ginseng. These consist of Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, and Rg3. These ginsenosides have lower affinities for the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and higher affinity for the estrogen receptor (ER). It’s these differences in affinity that really alter the subjective difference in effects between extracts derived from the two species. This is also why traditional Chinese use considers American Ginseng to be on the “Yin” side, while the more stimulating Panax Ginseng is on the “Yang.” Not surprisingly, Yin energy is said to be the more feminine trait, while Yang to be the masculine. Considering receptor affinities, it’s understandable why the Chinese categorized the plants differently, highlighting nuanced differences in their effects. We will go into more detail about the individual protopanaxadiols in a later article on American Ginseng.
Summary
Examining the percentage of total ginsenosides in a ginseng extract overlooks crucial details needed for understanding its effects fully. The protopanaxatriol ginsenosides present in Panax Ginseng are going to lead to much more stimulating effects on the body. It’s really Rg1 and Re that give the stimulating effects most people associate with the plant. Standardization to those two is going to determine just how effective an extract it is at increasing energy. Rg1 and Re, predominantly found in the roots used in supplements, exist in higher concentrations in the leaves. Similarly, these two ginsenosides are very low in American Ginseng.
American Ginseng is frequently mislabeled as Panax Ginseng due to inaccurate testing methods or a lack of understanding, causing variability in reported effects from supplements. American Ginseng is much cheaper to produce as well. So it is an attractive option for less scrupulous vendors to substitute. This unintended effect damages people’s perception of Panax Ginseng’s effectiveness and lowers the plant’s perceived value. Panax Ginseng, a superb supplement for energy, focus, and memory, is a cornerstone of many natural supplement regimens.
