Ginseng pharmacology - Multiple constituents and multiple actions

Ginseng is a highly valued herb in the Far East and has gained popularity i n the West during the last decade. There is extensive literature on the ben eficial effects of ginseng and its constituents. The major active component s of ginseng are ginsenosides, a diverse group of steroidal saponins, which demonstrate the ability to target a myriad of tissues, producing an array of pharmacological responses. However, many mechanisms of ginsenoside activ ity still remain unknown. Since ginsenosides and other constituents of gins eng produce effects that are different from one another, and a single ginse noside initiates multiple actions in the same tissue, the overall pharmacol ogy of ginseng is complex. The ability of ginsenosides to independently tar get multireceptor systems at the plasma membrane, as well as to activate in tracellular steroid receptors, may explain some pharmacological effects. Th is commentary aims to review selected effects of ginseng and ginsenosides a nd describe their possible modes of action. Structural variability of ginse nosides, structural and functional relationship to steroids, and potential targets of action are discussed. BIOCHEM PHARMACOL 58;11:1685-1693, 1999. ( C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.