Chemical constituents of Panax ginseng and Panax notoginseng explain why they differ in therapeutic efficacy.
Panax ginseng (Meyer) and Panax notoginseng (Burkill), belonging to the family Araliaceae, are used worldwide as medicinal and functional herbs. Numerous publications over the past decades have revealed that both P. notoginseng and P. ginseng contain important bioactive ingredients such as ginsenosides and exert multiple pharmacological effects on nervous system and immune diseases. However, based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory, their applications clearly differ as ginseng reinforces vital energy and notoginseng promotes blood circulation. In this article, we review the similarities and differences between ginseng and notoginseng in terms of their chemical composition and pharmacological effects. Their chemical comparisons indicate that ginseng contains more polysaccharides and amino acids, while notoginseng has more saponins, volatile oil, and polyacetylenes. Regarding pharmacological effects, ginseng exhibits better protective effects on cardiovascular disease, nerve disease, cancer, and diabetes mellitus, whereas notoginseng displays a superior protective effect on cerebrovascular disease. The evidence presented in this review facilitates further research and clinical applications of these two herbs, and exploration of the relationship between the chemical components and disease efficacy may be the critical next step.
['Liu|Hanbing|H|', 'Lu|Xiaoyan|X|', 'Hu|Yang|Y|', 'Fan|Xiaohui|X|']
D000818:Animals D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal D006801:Humans D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional D005894:Panax D053723:Panax notoginseng D064209:Phytochemicals
Panax ginseng Panax notoginseng Cardiovascular disease Arginine (PubChem CID: 6322) Aspartic acid (PubChem CID: 5960) Cerebral protection Dencichine (PubChem CID: 440259) Falcarinol (PubChem CID: 5281149) Ginsenoside Rb(1) (PubChem CID: 9898279) Ginsenoside Rd (PubChem CID: 24721561) Ginsenoside Re (PubChem CID: 119307) Ginsenoside Rg(1) (PubChem CID: 441923) N-Hexadecanoic acid (PubChem CID: 985) Notoginsenoside R(1) (PubChem CID: 441934)