Research - Ginseng
Systematic exploration of Astragalus membranaceus and Panax ginseng as immune regulators: Insights from the comparative biological and computational analysis
Junqiu Liu , Shivraj Hariram Nile , Guoliang Xu , Yuesheng Wang , Guoyin Kai
Abstract
Background
Immune system plays a decisive role for defending various pathogenic microorganisms. Astragalus membranaceus (AM) and Panax ginseng (PG) are two tonic herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as immune booster and help to control diseases with their healthy synergistic effect on immune system.
Purpose
This study was aimed to investigate the promote effect and molecular mechanisms of AM and PG on immune system as booster and to control the target diseases using animal and computational systematic study.
Methods
Computational models including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination (ADME) with weighted ensemble similarity (WES) algorithm-based models and ClueGo network analysis were used to find the potential bioactive compounds targets and pathways, which were responsible for immune regulation. Viscera index analysis, proliferation activity of splenic lymphocytes and cytotoxic activity of NK cells assays were performed to validate the effect of AM and PG on immune system of long-term administrated mice. Metabonomic study of mice plasma was conducted to investigate effect of AM and PG on the endogenous metabolic perturbations, together with correlation analysis.
Results
AM and PG simultaneously showed the ability to strengthen the immune system function including enhancement of spleen and thymus index, proliferation of splenic lymphocytes and cytotoxic activity of NK cells. Besides, the different molecular mechanisms of AM and PG on immune regulation were also investigated by analyzing the potential bioactive compounds, enzymes actions and pathways. Quercetin, formononetin and kaempferol were the main immune-related compounds in AM, while ginsenoside Ra1, ginsenoside Rh1 and kaempferol in PG. About 10 target proteins were found close to immune regulation, including acetylcholinesterase (ACHE, common target in AM and PG), sphingosine kinase 1(SPHK1), cytidine deaminase (CDA), and Choline O-acetyltransferase (CHAT). Glycerophospholipid metabolism was regulated in both AM and PG groups. Pyrimidine metabolism and sphingolipid metabolism were considered as the special pathway in AM groups. Energy metabolism and glycerolipid metabolism were the special pathways in PG groups.
Conclusion
A novel comprehensive molecular mechanism analysis method was established and applied to clarify the scientific connotation of AM and PG as immune regulation, with similar herbal tonic effect provided in clinical practice of TCM, which can provide a new line of research for drug development (immune booster) using AM and PG.
Source : Journal Phytomedicine
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Integrated Metabolomics and Network Pharmacology Study on Immunoregulation Mechanisms of Panax ginseng
through Macrophages
Junjie Hao,1,2 Huangwanyin Hu,1,2 Jing Liu,2,3 Xuan Wang,2,4 Xiaoyi Liu,2 JiaboWang,2 Ming Niu,2 Yanling Zhao,2 and Xiaohe Xiao
Abstract
Panax ginseng (PG) is a widely used functional food and herbal with immunoregulation activity. Currently, immunoregulation studies of PG mainly focused on the specific actions of individual constituents. However, the integral immunoregulation mechanisms of PG need further research. In this study, an integrated metabolomics and network pharmacology approach were used to investigate it. High-content screening was used to evaluate macrophage phagocytosis activity of PG. Untargeted metabolomics profiling of murine macrophage cells with UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS and a multivariate data method were performed to discover the potential biomarkers and metabolic pathways. Then, a macrophage phenotype related “ingredients-targets-metabolites” network of PG was constructed using network pharmacology for further research. As a result, PG can significantly enhance macrophage phagocytosis of GFP-E. coli. A total of twenty potential biomarkers and ten main pathways for which levels changed markedly upon treatment were identified, including glycerophospholipid metabolism, glutathione metabolism, choline metabolism, and taurine metabolism. Twenty compounds of PG associated with metabolomic changes were selected by the network pharmacology analysis, including ginsenoside Re, ginsenoside Rg1, frutinone A, and kaempferol. The network pharmacology results also showed that PG can polarize macrophages to both M1 and M2 phenotype but may be prone to M2 phenotype. In conclusion, our results indicated that PG may be prone to polarize macrophages to M2 phenotype by mainly regulating the glutathione and choline metabolism, which was related to twenty compounds of PG.
Source : Journal Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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The effects of ginseng on stress-related depression, anxiety, and the hypothalamicpituitary-adrenal axis
Seungyeop Lee, Dong-Kwon Rhee
Abstract
Ginseng effectively regulates the immune response and the hormonal changes due to stress, 23 thus maintaining homeostasis. In addition to suppressing the occurrence of psychological 24 diseases such as anxiety and depression, ginseng also prevents stress-associated physiological 25 diseases. Recent findings have revealed that ginseng is involved in adjusting the 26 hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and controlling hormones, thus producing beneficial 27 effects on the heart and brain, and in cases of bone diseases, as well as alleviating erectile 28 dysfunction. Recent studies have highlighted the potential use of ginseng in the prevention 29 and treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and 30 allergic asthma. However, the mechanism underlying the effects of ginseng on these stress31 related diseases has not been completely established. In this review, we focus on the disease 32 pathways caused by stress in order to determine how ginseng acts to improve health. Central to our discussion is how this effective and stable therapeutic agent alleviates the anxiety and 34 depression caused by stress and ameliorates inflammatory diseases.
Source : Journal of Ginseng Research
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A Role of Ginseng and Its Constituents in the Treatment of Central Nervous System Disorders
Natasya Trivena Rokot,1 Timothy Sean Kairupan,1,2 Kai-Chun Cheng,1 Joshua Runtuwene,1,2 Nova Hellen Kapantow,2 Marie Amitani,1 Akinori Morinaga,1 Haruka Amitani,1 Akihiro Asakawa,1 and Akio Inui1
Abstract
Ginseng, a perennial plant belonging to the Panax genus of the Araliaceae family, has been used in China, Korea, and Japan as a traditional herbal medicine for thousands of years. Ginseng is recorded to have exhibited a wide variety of beneficial pharmacological effects and has become a popular and worldwide known health supplement and drug. The protective effects of ginseng on central nervous system are discussed in this review. Ginseng species and ginsenosides and their intestinal metabolism and bioavailability are concisely introduced. The molecular mechanisms of the effects of ginseng on central nervous system, mainly focused on the neuroprotection properties of ginseng, memory, and learning enhanced properties, and the effects on neurodegenerative disorders are presented. Thus, ginseng and its constituents are of potential merits in the treatment of cerebral disorders.
Source : Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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Rg3-enriched ginseng extract ameliorates scopolamine-induced learning deficits in mice
- Jiyoung Kim†,
- Jaesung Shim†,
- Siyoung Lee,
- Woo-Hyun Cho,
- Eunyoung Hong,
- Jin Hee Lee,
- Jung-Soo Han,
- Hyong Joo Lee†Email author and
- Ki Won Lee†
Abstract
Background
Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) has been used as a traditional herb in the treatment of many medical disorders. Ginsenosides, which are triterpene derivatives that contain sugar moieties, are the main pharmacological ingredients in ginseng. This study was designed to investigate the effect of ginsenoside Rg3-enriched ginseng extract (Rg3GE) on scopolamine-induced memory impairment in mice.
Methods
Rg3GE (50 and 100 mg/kg) were administered to C57BL/6 mice by oral gavage for 14 days (days 1–14). Memory impairment was induced by scopolamine (1 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection) for 6 days (days 914). The Morris water maze test was used to assess hippocampus-dependent spatial memory. The effects of scopolamine with or without Rg3GE on acetylcholinesterase and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in the hippocampus were also examined.
Results
Mice with scopolamine treatment alone showed impairments in the acquisition and retention of spatial memory. Mice that received Rg3GE and scopolamine showed no scopolamine-induced impairment in the acquisition of spatial memory. Oral administration of Rg3GE suppressed the scopolamine-mediated increase in acetylcholinesterase activity and stimulation of the NF-κB pathway (i.e., phosphorylation of p65) in the hippocampus.
Conclusion
These findings suggest that Rg3GE may stabilize scopolamine-induced memory deficits through the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity and NF-κB signaling in the hippocampus.
Source : BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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American Ginseng Reported to Be Safe When Used as Adjunctive Therapy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
by Shari Henson
Reviewed: Mucalo I, Jovanovski E, Vuksan V, Božikov V, Romić Ž, Rahelić D. American ginseng extract (Panax quinquefolius L.) is safe in long-term use in type 2 diabetic patients [published online May 7, 2014]. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. doi: 10.1155/2014/969168.
For patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), managing the condition is complicated by a growing number of hypoglycemic pharmaceutical agents used in various combinations and by concerns about the agents’ potential interactions and associated adverse effects. Common among patients with T2DM is an interest in so-called complementary and alternative medicine, particularly the use of American ginseng (AG; Panax quinquefolius, Araliaceae), which reportedly is well tolerated by most users. Because of a lack of randomized clinical studies on the long-term use of ginseng in patients with T2DM, the authors conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel study to determine the safety of 12 weeks of supplementation with AG when used as adjunctive therapy in patients with T2DM.
Seventy-four patients (mean age: 63 ± 9.5 years) with T2DM recruited from a diabetes outpatient clinic completed the study. From the original group of patients screened, five participants dropped out because of changes in medication therapy, and two were unwilling to continue the study. Included participants had well-controlled T2DM for more than six months without complications, metabolic stability (average glycated hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c] between 6.5% and 8.1%), and were on diet modifications and/or conventional diabetes medications. Nine of the patients used diet only to treat T2DM; others used diet plus oral agents such as metformin (n=48), sulfonylurea (n=43), dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (n=11), glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists (n=1), acarbose (n=4), and metformin with pioglitazone (n=1).
The patients were randomly assigned to receive either two 500 mg capsules of AG root extract (containing 10% ginsenosides) before meals three times daily (n=35) -- a daily dosage recommended in traditional Chinese medicine1 -- or two 500 mg identical-appearing placebo capsules containing corn (Zea mays, Poaceae) starch (n=39). AG root was supplied by Ontario Ginseng Growers (Simcoe, Ontario, Canada) and extracted with ethanol. Treatment or placebo was taken along with any antihypertensive or hypoglycemic medications used by the patients. At baseline, body mass index and fasting plasma glucose levels were significantly higher in the AG group compared with the placebo group; all other demographic and clinical parameters were similar.
The patients visited the clinic at baseline and at weeks six and 12 to have biochemical and anthropometric measurements taken. During these visits, participants also completed the International Quality of Life Assessment SF-36v2 questionnaire, received a new supply of capsules, returned unused capsules, and were interviewed by a dietitian. Patients were instructed to maintain body weight, follow their usual dietary and physical activity habits throughout the study, and refrain from all medications, including AG or placebo, for 12 hours before each study visit.
Safety was assessed by measuring markers of hepatic (aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase), renal (serum urates and serum creatinine), and hemostatic (prothrombin time and international normalized ratio) functions.
The authors report that AG had no significant dependent or independent effects on any of the safety parameters. All hepatic, renal, and hemostatic function values were within normal limits. Regarding adverse events, stomach heaviness was reported in one patient in the AG group during the first six weeks, but the patient continued the treatment.
Safety concerns surrounding the use of ginseng followed a now widely discredited, uncontrolled, observational study by Siegel2 in 1979, in which 12 weeks of ginseng supplementation was associated with elevated blood pressure and several other adverse effects (e.g., gastrointestinal disturbances, insomnia, and nervousness).* The ginseng dose assigned in the Siegel trial was much higher than the usually recommended dose, and “the validity of these side effects is questionable due to a lack of a control group in the study and the fact that subjects were not controlled for dose, duration, route of administration, type of ginseng, or other concurrent bioactive substances intake,” write the authors of the study reported here, who previously found that three grams of AG taken daily for 12 weeks compared with placebo was associated with decreased blood pressure in persons with hypertension and T2DM.3
The authors point out that the results of this current study may not be generalizable to other AG ingredients, including the unprocessed root or other ginseng extracts, but they conclude that the AG treatment in this study demonstrated “rather convincing long-term clinical safety when administered as an adjunct to conventional antihypertensive and antidiabetic therapy.”
Source American Botanical Council - Herbalgram
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Effects of Korean red ginseng (Panax Ginseng Meyer) on bisphenol A exposure and gynecologic complaints: single blind, randomized clinical trial of efficacy and safety
Mihi Yang1*, Ho-Sun Lee1 , Min-Woo Hwang2 and Mirim Jin3
Abstract
Background: Korean red ginseng (KRG) is a processed ginseng from raw ginseng to enhance safety, preservation and efficacy, known having beneficial effects on women’s health due to its estrogen like function. While estrogen supplementation showed some modulation of endocrine disrupting chemicals, bisphenol A (BPA) has been focused as a potential endocrine disrupting chemical. In this study, we examined the efficacy and safety outcomes of KRG against BPA, focusing on female quality of life (QOL). Individual variations in susceptibility to KRG were also investigated with the Sasang Typology, the personalized medicine used for hundred years in Korea. Methods: We performed a single-blind randomized clinical trial. Study subjects were young women (N = 22), consumed 2.7 g of KRG or placebo per day for 2 weeks and filled up questionnaires regarding gynecologic complaints at the 4 time spots. We analyzed urinary total BPA and malondialdehyde (MDA), an oxidative stress biomarker, with GC/MS and HPLC/UVD respectively, and diagnosed their Sasang Typology with the questionnaire for the Sasang constitution Classification (QSCC II). Results: KRG consumption decreased urinary BPA and MDA levels (ps < 0.05) and alleviated ‘menstrual irregularity’, ‘menstrual pain’, and ‘constipation’ (ps < 0.05). SoEum type (Lesser Yin person) among the Sasang types showed significant alleviation in insomnia, flushing, perspiration and appetite by KRG consumption, rather than other Sasang types. During the intervention, no one experienced any aggravated side effects. Conclusion: We suggest KRG is efficient for protection for female QOL and BPA- exposure and – related oxidative stress. However, individual variation in susceptibility to KRG should be further considered for identifying ideal therapy
Source : BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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Mechanisms of Action of Phytochemicals from Medicinal Herbs in the Treatment of Alzheimerʼs Disease
Mi Hye Kim1, Sung-Hoon Kim2, Woong Mo Yang1
- 1College of Korean Medicine and Institute of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
- 2Cancer Preventive Material Development Research Center, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
Abstract
Alzheimerʼs disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive dementia and deterioration of cognitive function. Although several drugs currently used for the treatment of Alzheimerʼs disease delay its onset and slow its progression, still there is no drug with profound disease-modifying effects. Studies aiming the treatment of this neurodegenerative disorder explore various disease mechanisms. Since antiquity, medicinal herbs have been used in traditional medicine. Recent studies suggest that the neurobiological effects of phytochemicals from medicinal herbs may contribute to clinical benefits in in vitro and in vivo models of Alzheimerʼs disease. This review focuses on five phytochemicals, berberine, curcumin, ginsenoside Rg1, puerarin, and silibinin, which have been mostly investigated to treat the development and progression of this neurodegenerative disorder.
....To date, evidence from recent studies suggests that commonly used medicinal herbs and their phytochemicals could potentially be used to treat AD. Although these studies focus on the efficacy of inhibiting AD development, and research on humans is limited, numerous findings demonstrate the possibilities of the use of medicinal herbs for the treatment of AD. The approach to investigate the potential treatment of AD may support drug development from herbal medicine.
Source : Planta Medica
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Ginsenosides Rg1 from Panax ginseng: A Potential Therapy for Acute Liver Failure Patients?
Jinqiu Zhao, Zhengyu Shi, Shu Liu, Jiajun Li, and Wenxiang Huang
Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing 400016, China
Abstract
Acute liver failure (ALF) is a rapidly progressing critical illness with a high mortality rate. Circulating inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), play a significant role in the pathophysiology of ALF through promoting hepatocellular apoptosis. Ginsenoside Rg1, the primary active ingredient in Panax ginseng (also termed Asian or Korean ginseng), has been reported to inhibit TNF-αproduction and has been shown to significantly attenuate liver fibrosis development. Here, we assessed ginsenoside Rg1’s potential as a therapy for ALF by investigating the effect of ginsenoside Rg1 treatment on circulating inflammatory markers, hepatocellular apoptosis, and relevant apoptotic signaling pathways in a well-established murine ALF model. We found that ginsenoside Rg1 significantly reduces liver damage in a murine ALF model through inhibiting TNF-α-induced, caspase-dependent hepatocellular apoptosis. These results support the further investigation of ginsenoside Rg1 as a therapeutic candidate for ALF.
Source : Journal Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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Protective Effects of Panax Notoginseng Saponins on Cardiovascular Diseases: A Comprehensive Overview of Experimental Studies
Xiaochen Yang,1 Xingjiang Xiong,1 Heran Wang,2 and Jie Wang1
1Department of Cardiology, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No. 5 Beixiange, Xicheng District, Beijing 100053, China
2Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, China
Abstract
Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) are one of the most important compounds derived from roots of the herb Panax notoginseng which are traditionally used as a hemostatic medicine to control internal and external bleeding in China for thousands of years. To date, at least twenty saponins were identified and some of them including notoginsenoside R1, ginsenoside Rb1, and ginsenoside Rg1 were researched frequently in the area of cardiovascular protection. However, the protective effects of PNS on cardiovascular diseases based on experimental studies and its underlying mechanisms have not been reviewed systematically. This paper reviewed the pharmacology of PNS and its monomers Rb1, Rg1, and R1 in the treatment for cardiovascular diseases.
Conclusion
...We could suggest that PNS is an important herbal medicine for cardiovascular protection; nevertheless, it could also be used as an antihypertensive agent on the basis of our clinical experience. It has been proved that PNS has an effect on reversing ventricular hypertrophy, protecting target organs, improving blood vessel function, and other auxiliary vasodilator effects. Therefore, further in vivo researches are needed to explore and verify the potential effect to provide precise guidance for clinical use and new drug discovery. ....
Source : Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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Ginseng Total Saponins Reverse Corticosterone-Induced Changes in Depression-Like Behavior and Hippocampal Plasticity-Related Proteins by Interfering with GSK-3β-CREB Signaling Pathway
Lin Chen, 1 Jianguo Dai, 1 Zhongli Wang, 1 Huiyu Zhang, 1 Yufang Huang, 1 , 2 ,* and Yunan Zhao 1 , 3 ,*
Abstract
This study aimed to explore the antidepressant mechanisms of ginseng total saponins (GTS) in the corticosterone-induced mouse depression model. In Experiment 1, GTS (50, 25, and 12.5mgkg−1d−1, intragastrically) were given for 3 weeks. In Experiment 2, the same doses of GTS were administrated after each corticosterone (20mgkg−1d−1, subcutaneously) injection for 22 days. In both experiments, mice underwent a forced swimming test and a tail suspension test on day 20 and day 21, respectively, and were sacrificed on day 22. Results of Experiment 1 revealed that GTS (50 and 25mgkg−1d−1) exhibited antidepressant activity and not statistically altered hippocampal protein levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurofilament light chain (NF-L). Results of Experiment 2 showed that GTS (50 and 25mgkg−1d−1) ameliorated depression-like behavior without normalizing hypercortisolism. The GTS treatments reversed the corticosterone-induced changes in mRNA levels of BDNF and NF-L, and protein levels of BDNF NF-L, phosphor-cAMP response element-binding protein (Ser133), and phosphor-glycogen synthase kinase-3β (Ser9) in the hippocampus. These findings imply that the effect of GTS on corticosterone-induced depression-like behavior may be mediated partly through interfering with hippocampal GSK-3β-CREB signaling pathway and reversing decrease of some plasticity-related proteins.
Conclusion
The structural plasticity of the adult hippocampus is critical for the action of antidepressants and the underlying pathophysiology of depression. In the corticosterone-induced mouse depression model, certain doses of GTS exhibit antidepressant-like activities by reversing the decrease of some plasticity-related proteins and activating the CREB-BDNF signaling pathway in hippocampus. The promotion of GSK-3β inhibitory phosphorylation which activates the CREB-BDNF signaling pathway may account for the antidepressant-like activity of GTS.
Source : Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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American Ginseng Root Clinically Safe and Effective for Reducing Cancer-Related Fatigue
by Amy C. Keller
Reviewed: Barton DL, Liu H, Dakhil S, et al. Wisconsin ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) to improve cancer-related fatigue: a randomized, double-blind trial, N07C2. J Natl Cancer Inst. August 2013;105(16):1230-1238.
Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) can severely disrupt the lives of both those recovering from cancer and patients currently receiving cancer treatment. Although standard medications such as psychostimulants have been studied for the treatment of CRF, clinical studies have not confirmed their efficacy. Both American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius, Araliaceae) and Asian ginseng (P. ginseng) have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as adaptogens, among other uses. Compounds known as ginsenosides, found in ginseng, are broadly bioactive.1 This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was based on a prior clinical pilot study of American ginseng for patients with CRF. In the pilot study, American ginseng with 5% ginsenoside content was given to participants in 750, 1000, or 2000 mg doses for eight weeks versus a placebo. The results from that trial showed that 1000 and 2000 mgs of P. quinquefolius were most efficacious at four and eight weeks compared to placebo.2 Based on these results, this larger study investigated the efficacy and tolerability of 2000 mg daily of American ginseng with a reported level of 3% ginsenosides in patients with CRF. (The ginseng root material was further assessed for “quality” and “potency” by an unnamed company.)
Enrolled patients were randomly assigned to either active treatment (2000 mg daily of ground American ginseng root commercially cultivated in Wisconsin) or a rice powder placebo for eight weeks, taken in the morning and noon. American ginseng and placebo were procured from the Ginseng Board of Wisconsin (Wausau, WI) and produced with good manufacturing practices (GMPs) by Beehive Botanicals in Hayward, WI.
Patients with CRF (having a score ≥ [greater than or equal to] four using a scale ranging from 0=no fatigue to 10=severe fatigue) present one month or more prior to the study were included as long as their cancer diagnosis was made within the preceding two years. Patients with brain tumors or central nervous system lymphoma and those with a score of four or higher for pain or insomnia using the scale above were excluded. Also excluded were those taking steroids, opioids, ginseng, or other treatments for fatigue. The randomization process controlled for baseline fatigue, recurrent fatigue, cancer treatment type and length, and tumor characteristics.
An impact score on the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form (MFSI-SF) at four weeks was the primary outcome. This scale rates fatigue from 0 (no fatigue) to four (extreme fatigue). Change in scores on the Profile of Mood States (POMS) fatigue-inertia and vigor-activity subscales and the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) scale were secondary outcomes. These assessments were administered at baseline, four, and eight weeks into the study. Patients described the type and severity of adverse side effects at the study’s start and weekly thereafter. Study administrators also gauged adverse side effects during clinic visits. Scales from 0-10 were used to assess fatigue, pain, and sleep quality.
Initially, 364 patients were enrolled, with 133 patients in the treatment group and 128 patients in the placebo group completing the study (n=261). At the four-week primary endpoint analysis, 147 patients were in the treatment group, and 153 patients were in the placebo group (n=300). At baseline, no differences were observed between groups’ fatigue assessments or demographic measurements. At four weeks into the study, the change in the MFSI-SF in those in the treatment group was a non-significant difference of 14.4±27.1 as compared with 8.2±24.8 for those in the placebo group (P=0.07). The difference in score change at eight weeks, however, was significant (20±27 vs. 10.3±26.2, treatment group vs. control group, respectively; P=0.003).
After eight weeks of treatment, the MFSI-SF physical subscore change from baseline was significantly greater in those in the treatment group as compared to the placebo group (3.0±17.9 vs. -1.7±18.2, P=0.004). This also was observed with MFSI-SF total score change from baseline at the end of the study (6.7± 4.0 vs. 3.7±14.6, P=0.02). The change from baseline in POMS fatigue inertia scores after eight weeks of treatment also was significantly greater in the treatment group as compared to the placebo group (18.6±24.8 vs. 10.2±26.1, P=0.008).
While the BFI total score was not significantly different between groups, the subscores for “worst fatigue” and “fatigue now” after eight weeks of treatment in the ginseng group were significantly improved as compared to the placebo group (P value and data not reported). Additionally, when only those patients undergoing cancer treatment were compared in both groups, the percentage change in MFSI-SF score from baseline of those in the treatment group was significantly more than that of the placebo group after both four and eight weeks (P=0.02 and 0.01, respectively).
Adverse side effects that occurred more frequently than 1% included agitation, anxiety, insomnia, nausea, and vomiting, while nervousness, sleep disturbances, and loose stools were also noted. The adverse effects of greater frequency were not significantly different between groups, suggesting that American ginseng supplementation seems well tolerated but does not alleviate adverse side effects inherent to this population. Both loose stools and pain were worse after baseline but occurred only in the placebo group over the course of the study.
In conclusion, this study reports the safety and efficacy of eight weeks of American ginseng supplementation for the alleviation of CRF. The authors state that these results were “clinically meaningful” (more than 10 points difference using a scale from 0 to 100). Due to the significant improvement in fatigue in those undergoing current cancer treatment versus those who had completed chemotherapy, American ginseng may be a possible treatment for CRF. Stated strengths of the study include its randomized and double-blind design, and that fatigue was distinguished from sleep deficit or pain. The authors cited the study’s limited duration and general difficulty of measuring fatigue as weaknesses.
Variations among studies of efficacy measures — such as improvement of BFI — may be due to variable concentrations of ginsenosides, which can result from agricultural inconsistencies and lack of content standardization during processing. Ideally, future studies also should investigate potential herb-drug interactions with chemotherapy. In summary, this study suggests that American ginseng may be a well-tolerated treatment of CRF, particularly during cancer treatment, for which no other pharmacotherapy has shown significant clinical benefit.
Source : HerbalGram (ABC)
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Ginseng is nature’s anti-inflammatory
The famous immunological effects of ginseng have been confirmed and defined by a recent study. Ginseng is believed to have beneficial effects against human diseases, and its active components, ginsenosides, may play critical roles in its diverse physiological actions.
Researchers writing in BioMed Central’s open access Journal of Translational Medicine have shown that the herb, much used in traditional Chinese and other Asian medicine, does have anti-inflammatory effects.
What are the powers of ginseng? Ginseng roots contain multiple active constituents including ginsenosides, polysaccharides, peptides, polyacetylenic alcohols and fatty acids that have been shown to have different effects on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism as well as on the function of neuroendocrine, immune, cardiovascular and central nervous systems in humans.
Previous studies have shown that ginseng and its active components are potent immunomodulators. Their immunomodulatory effects are mostly due to its regulation of cytokine production and phagocytic activities of monocytes/macrophages and dendritic cells, as well as activation of T- and B- lymphocytes.
Ginsenosides, the steroid saponins, are major biologically active compounds of ginseng. Over 30 ginsenosides have been identified to date. Studies indicate that ginsenosides and their metabolites are responsible for many of the diverse physiological actions including the anti-inflammatory effects of ginseng.
Allan Lau led a team of researchers from the University of Hong Kong who identified seven ginseng constituents, ginsenosides, which showed immune-suppressive effects.
He said, “The anti-inflammatory role of ginseng may be due to the combined effects of these ginsenosides, targeting different levels of immunological activity, and so contributing to the diverse actions of ginseng in humans”.
The scientists treated human immune cells with different extracts of ginseng. They found that of the nine ginsenosides they identified, seven could selectively inhibit expression of the inflammatory gene CXCL-10.
Lau concludes, “Further studies will be needed to examine the potential beneficial effects of ginsenosides in the management of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases in humans”.
Uniquely, the researchers were able to holistically test the ginseng extract’s immune effects by using sophisticated purification technologies to identify individual constituents and define their bioactivity using genomics and bioactivity assays. After that, they reconstituted them back into a whole extract with definable individual ginsenosides for re-confirmation of effects. This potentially opens up a vigorous methodology to study medicinal herbs with state-of-the-art technologies.
Source : EurekaAlert
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