Alcohol extract of North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) reduces fatty liver, dyslipidemia, and other complications of metabolic syndrome in a mouse model

Natural products for managing metabolic syndrome: a scoping review

Introduction

Metabolic syndrome comprises a collection of metabolic disorders stemming from factors like genetic predisposition, inadequate nutrition, stress, decreased physical activity, aging, and ethnicity. Although traditional pharmaceutical treatments exist for metabolic syndrome, their limited popularity is attributed to high costs and adverse effects. Consequently, natural products with fewer side effects have been explored for managing this condition. This literature review aims to explore the role of natural products including herbs, botanicals, vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and dietary supplements in managing metabolic syndrome.

Methods

This scoping review was conducted in five steps, involving the formulation of a research question, the retrieval and extraction of relevant studies, the selection of pertinent studies, the organization of information into tables, and the reporting of results. Data was collected from various databases including Embase, Science Direct, PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science, with a focus on studies published from 2010 to the present, available in English and with full-text accessibility.

Results

We identified 1,259 articles, screened their titles, abstracts, and full texts, ultimately incorporating 169 pertinent articles into this review (comprising 90 review articles, 32 trial articles, 6 in vitro articles, 38 in vivo articles, 1 experimental article and 2 observational articles). The study's outcomes revealed that natural products, encompassing plants and their derivatives, vitamins and supplements, as well as probiotics, can exert a beneficial influence on metabolic syndrome by regulating blood sugar, blood pressure, lipid profiles, obesity, and abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Conclusion

The current study underscores the significance of natural products in addressing metabolic syndrome. Consequently, it is advisable to conduct further extensive research to assess the efficacy of these products, potentially integrating them into treatment regimens for individuals with metabolic syndrome.

Natural products for managing metabolic syndrome: a scoping review

Introduction

Metabolic syndrome comprises a collection of metabolic disorders stemming from factors like genetic predisposition, inadequate nutrition, stress, decreased physical activity, aging, and ethnicity. Although traditional pharmaceutical treatments exist for metabolic syndrome, their limited popularity is attributed to high costs and adverse effects. Consequently, natural products with fewer side effects have been explored for managing this condition. This literature review aims to explore the role of natural products including herbs, botanicals, vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and dietary supplements in managing metabolic syndrome.

Methods

This scoping review was conducted in five steps, involving the formulation of a research question, the retrieval and extraction of relevant studies, the selection of pertinent studies, the organization of information into tables, and the reporting of results. Data was collected from various databases including Embase, Science Direct, PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science, with a focus on studies published from 2010 to the present, available in English and with full-text accessibility.

Results

We identified 1,259 articles, screened their titles, abstracts, and full texts, ultimately incorporating 169 pertinent articles into this review (comprising 90 review articles, 32 trial articles, 6 in vitro articles, 38 in vivo articles, 1 experimental article and 2 observational articles). The study’s outcomes revealed that natural products, encompassing plants and their derivatives, vitamins and supplements, as well as probiotics, can exert a beneficial influence on metabolic syndrome by regulating blood sugar, blood pressure, lipid profiles, obesity, and abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Conclusion

The current study underscores the significance of natural products in addressing metabolic syndrome. Consequently, it is advisable to conduct further extensive research to assess the efficacy of these products, potentially integrating them into treatment regimens for individuals with metabolic syndrome.

A systematic review of ginsenoside biosynthesis, spatiotemporal distribution, and response to biotic and abiotic factors in American ginseng

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) has gained recognition as a medicinal and functional food homologous product with several pharmaceutical, nutritional, and industrial applications. However, the key regulators involved in ginsenoside biosynthesis, the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of ginsenosides, and factors influencing ginsenosides are largely unknown, which make it challenging to enhance the quality and chemical extraction processes of the cultivated American ginseng. This review presents an overview of the pharmacological effects, biosynthesis and spatiotemporal distribution of ginsenosides, with emphasis on the impacts of biotic and abiotic factors on ginsenosides in American ginseng. Modern pharmacological studies have demonstrated that American ginseng has neuroprotective, cardioprotective, antitumor, antidiabetic, and anti-obesity effects. Additionally, most genes involved in the upregulation of ginsenoside biosynthesis have been identified, while downstream regulators (OSCs, CYP450, and UGTs) require further investigation. Futhermore, limited knowledge exists regarding the molecular mechanisms of the impact of biotic and abiotic factors on ginsenosides. Notably, the nonmedicinal parts of American ginseng, particularly its flowers, fibrous roots, and leaves, exhibit higher ginsenoside content than its main roots and account for a considerable amount of weight in the whole plant, representing promising resources for ginsenosides. Herein, the prospects of molecular breeding and metabolic engineering based on multi-omics to improve the unstable quality of cultivated American ginseng and the shortage of ginsenosides are proposed. This review highlights the gaps in the current research on American ginseng and proposes solutions to address these limitations, providing a guide for future investigations into American ginseng ginsenosides.

A Systematic Review on the Continuous Cropping Obstacles and Control Strategies in Medicinal Plants

Continuous cropping (CC) is a common practice in agriculture, and usually causes serious economic losses due to soil degeneration, decreased crop yield and quality, and increased disease incidence, especially in medicinal plants. Continuous cropping obstacles (CCOs) are mainly due to changes in soil microbial communities, nutrient availability, and allelopathic effects. Recently, progressive studies have illustrated the molecular mechanisms of CCOs, and valid strategies to overcome them. Transcriptomic and metabolomics analyses revealed that identified DEGs (differently expressed genes) and metabolites involved in the response to CCOs are involved in various biological processes, including photosynthesis, carbon metabolism, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, and bioactive compounds. Soil improvement is an effective strategy to overcome this problem. Soil amendments can improve the microbial community by increasing the abundance of beneficial microorganisms, soil fertility, and nutrient availability. In this review, we sum up the recent status of the research on CCOs in medicinal plants, the combination of transcriptomic and metabolomics studies, and related control strategies, including uses of soil amendments, crop rotation, and intercropping. Finally, we propose future research trends for understanding CCOs, and strategies to overcome these obstacles and promote sustainable agriculture practices in medicinal plants.

The relationship between shifts in the rhizosphere microbial community and root rot disease in a continuous cropping American ginseng system

The root rot disease causes a great economic loss, and the disease severity usually increases as ginseng ages. However, it is still unclear whether the disease severity is related to changes in microorganisms during the entire growing stage of American ginseng. The present study examined the microbial community in the rhizosphere and the chemical properties of the soil in 1-4-year-old ginseng plants grown in different seasons at two different sites. Additionally, the study investigated ginseng plants' root rot disease index (DI). The results showed that the DI of ginseng increased 2.2 times in one sampling site and 4.7 times in another during the 4 years. With respect to the microbial community, the bacterial diversity increased with the seasons in the first, third, and fourth years but remained steady in the second year. The seasonal changing of relative abundances of bacteria and fungi showed the same trend in the first, third, and fourth years but not in the second year. Linear models revealed that the relative abundances of Blastococcus, Symbiobacterium, Goffeauzyma, Entoloma, Staphylotrichum, Gymnomyces, Hirsutella, Penicillium and Suillus spp. were negatively correlated with DI, while the relative abundance of Pandoraea, Rhizomicrobium, Hebeloma, Elaphomyces, Pseudeurotium, Fusarium, Geomyces, Polyscytalum, Remersonia, Rhizopus, Acremonium, Paraphaeosphaeria, Mortierella, and Metarhizium spp. were positively correlated with DI (P < 0.05). The Mantel test showed that soil chemical properties, including available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, organic matter, and pH, were significantly correlated to microbial composition. The contents of available potassium and nitrogen were positively correlated with DI, while pH and organic matter were negatively correlated with DI. In summary, we can deduce that the second year is the key period for the shift of the American ginseng rhizosphere microbial community. Disease aggravation after the third year is related to the deterioration of the rhizosphere microecosystem.

The effects of ginseng on the metabolic syndrome: An updated review

Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors including high blood glucose, dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, and high body weight. It can increase the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disorders, which are the important reasons for death around the world. Nowadays, there are numerous demands for herbal medicine because of less harmful effects and more useful effects in comparison with chemical options. Ginseng is one of the most famous herbs used as a drug for a variety of disorders in humans. The antihyperlipidemia, antihypertension, antihyperglycemic, and anti-obesity effects of ginseng and its active constituents such as ginsenosides have been shown in different studies. In this review article, the different in vitro, in vivo, and human studies concerning the effects of ginseng and its active constituents in metabolic syndrome have been summarized. According to these studies, ginseng can control metabolic syndrome and related diseases.

Positive influence of gut microbiota on the effects of Korean red ginseng in metabolic syndrome: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Background

Ginseng, a traditional herbal medicine, has been used for thousands of years to treat various diseases including metabolic syndrome (MS). However, the underlying mechanism(s) of such beneficial actions of ginseng against MS is poorly understood. Emerging evidence indicates a close association of the host gut microbiota with MS. The present study was conducted to examine, whether the beneficial effects of Korean red ginseng (KRG) against MS could be influenced by gut microbial population and whether gut microbial profile could be considered a valuable biomarker for targeted treatment strategy for MS in compliance with the predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM / 3PM).

Methods

This clinical study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the effects of KRG treatment for 8 weeks on patients with MS. The anthropometric parameters, vital signs, metabolic biomarkers, and gut microbial composition through 16S rRNA gene sequencing were assessed at the baseline and endpoint. The impact of KRG was also evaluated after categorizing the subjects into responders and non-responders, as well as enterotypes 1 and 2 based on their gut microbial profile at the baseline.

Results

Fifty out of 60 subjects who meet the MS criteria completed the trial without showing adverse reactions. The KRG treatment caused a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP). Microbial analysis revealed a decrease in Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and an increase in Bacteroidetes in response to KRG. In patient stratification analysis, the responders showing marked improvement in the serum levels of lipid metabolic biomarkers TC and LDL due to the KRG treatment exhibited higher population of both the family Lachnospiraceae and order Clostridiales compared to the non-responders. The homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and insulin level were decreased in enterotype 1 (Bacteroides-abundant group) and increased in enterotype 2 (prevotella-abundant group) following the KRG treatment.

Conclusion

In this study, the effects of KRG on the glucose metabolism in MS patients were influenced by the relative abundances of gut microbial population and differed according to the individual enterotype. Therefore, the analysis of enterotype categories is considered to be helpful in predicting the effectiveness of KRG on glucose homeostasis of MS patients individually. This will further help to decide on the appropriate treatment strategy for MS, in compliance with the perspective of PPPM.

Ginsenosides for cardiovascular diseases; update on pre-clinical and clinical evidence, pharmacological effects and the mechanisms of action

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the major cause of death worldwide, accounting for almost 31% of the global mortality annually. Several preclinical studies have indicated that ginseng and the major bioactive ingredient (ginsenosides) can modulate several CVDs through diverse mechanisms. However, there is paucity in the translation of such experiments into clinical arena for cardiovascular ailments due to lack of conclusive specific pathways through which these activities are initiated and lack of larger, long-term well-structured clinical trials. Therefore, this review elaborates on current pharmacological effects of ginseng and ginsenosides in the cardiovascular system and provides some insights into the safety, toxicity, and synergistic effects in human trials. The review concludes that before ginseng, ginsenosides and their preparations could be utilized in the clinical treatment of CVDs, there should be more preclinical studies in larger animals (like the guinea pig, rabbit, dog, and monkey) to find the specific dosages, address the toxicity, safety and synergistic effects with other conventional drugs. This could lead to the initiation of large-scale, long-term well-structured randomized, and placebo-controlled clinical trials to test whether treatment is effective for a longer period and test the efficacy against other conventional therapies.

Herbal Medicine for Slowing Aging and Aging-associated Conditions: Efficacy, Mechanisms and Safety

Aging and aging-associated diseases are issues with unsatisfactory answers in the medical field. Aging causes important physical changes which, even in the absence of the usual risk factors, render the cardiovascular system prone to some diseases. Although aging cannot be prevented, slowing down the rate of aging is entirely possible to achieve. In some traditional medicine, medicinal herbs such as Ginseng, Radix Astragali, Ganoderma lucidum, Ginkgo biloba, and Gynostemma pentaphyllum are recognized by the "nourishing of life" and their role as anti-aging phytotherapeutics is increasingly gaining attention. By mainly employing PubMed here we identify and critically analysed 30 years of published studies focusing on the above herbs' active components against aging and aging-associated conditions. Although many plant-based compounds appear to exert an anti-aging effect, the most effective resulted in being flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins, and polysaccharides, which include astragaloside, ginkgolide, ginsenoside, and gypenoside specifically covered in this review. Their effects as antiaging factors, improvers of cognitive impairments, and reducers of cardiovascular risks are described, as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying the above-mentioned effects along with their potential safety. Telomere and telomerase, PPAR-α, GLUTs, FOXO1, caspase-3, bcl-2, along with SIRT1/AMPK, PI3K/Akt, NF-κB, and insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 pathways appear to be their preferential targets. Moreover, their ability to work as antioxidants and to improve the resistance to DNA damage is also discussed. Although our literature review indicates that these traditional herbal medicines are safe, tolerable, and free of toxic effects, additional well-designed, large-scale randomized control trials need to be performed to evaluate short- and long-term effects and efficacy of these medicinal herbs.

Effect of Korean Red Ginseng on metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MS) refers to a clustering of at least three of the following medical conditions: high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, hyperglycemia, low high-density lipoprotein level, and high serum triglycerides. MS is related to a wide range of diseases which includes obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. There remains an ongoing need for improved treatment strategies for MS. The most important risk factors are dietary pattern, genetics, old age, lack of exercise, disrupted biology, medication usage, and excessive alcohol consumption, but pathophysiology of MS has not been completely identified. Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) refers to steamed/dried ginseng, traditionally associated with beneficial effects such as anti-inflammation, anti-fatigue, anti-obesity, anti-oxidant, and anti-cancer effects. KRG has been often used in traditional medicine to treat multiple metabolic conditions. This paper summarizes the effects of KRG in MS and related diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, diabetes, dyslipidemia, or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease based on experimental research and clinical studies.

Herbal Medicine for Cardiovascular Diseases: Efficacy, Mechanisms, and Safety

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a significant health burden with an ever-increasing prevalence. They remain the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The use of medicinal herbs continues to be an alternative treatment approach for several diseases including CVDs. Currently, there is an unprecedented drive for the use of herbal preparations in modern medicinal systems. This drive is powered by several aspects, prime among which are their cost-effective therapeutic promise compared to standard modern therapies and the general belief that they are safe. Nonetheless, the claimed safety of herbal preparations yet remains to be properly tested. Consequently, public awareness should be raised regarding medicinal herbs safety, toxicity, potentially life-threatening adverse effects, and possible herb–drug interactions. Over the years, laboratory data have shown that medicinal herbs may have therapeutic value in CVDs as they can interfere with several CVD risk factors. Accordingly, there have been many attempts to move studies on medicinal herbs from the bench to the bedside, in order to effectively employ herbs in CVD treatments. In this review, we introduce CVDs and their risk factors. Then we overview the use of herbs for disease treatment in general and CVDs in particular. Further, data on the ethnopharmacological therapeutic potentials and medicinal properties against CVDs of four widely used plants, namely Ginseng, Ginkgo biloba, Ganoderma lucidum, and Gynostemma pentaphyllum, are gathered and reviewed. In particular, the employment of these four plants in the context of CVDs, such as myocardial infarction, hypertension, peripheral vascular diseases, coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathies, and dyslipidemias has been reviewed, analyzed, and critically discussed. We also endeavor to document the recent studies aimed to dissect the cellular and molecular cardio-protective mechanisms of the four plants, using recently reported in vitro and in vivo studies. Finally, we reviewed and reported the results of the recent clinical trials that have been conducted using these four medicinal herbs with special emphasis on their efficacy, safety, and toxicity.

Comprehensive Investigation on Metabolites of Wild-Simulated American Ginseng Root Based on Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

Aiming to evaluate the similarities and differences of the phytochemicals in different morphological regions of wild-simulated American ginseng (WsAG) root, the comprehensive metabolite profiling of main root (MR), branch root (BR), rhizome (RH), adventitious root (AR), and fibrous root (FR) was performed on the basis of ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry for the first time. First, in the screening analysis, a total of 128 shared compounds were identified or tentatively characterized. The results showed that these five parts were all rich in phytochemicals and contained similar structure types. Second, in the untargeted metabolomic study, it was found that there indeed existed differences between the MR&BR group, RH&AR group, and FR part when considering the contents of every ingredient. A total of 31 (12, 7, and 12 for MR&BR, RH&AR, and FR, respectively) potential chemical markers enabling the differentiation were discovered. This comprehensive phytochemical profile study revealed the structural diversity of secondary metabolites and the similar/different patterns in five morphological regions of WsAG root. It could provide chemical evidence for the rational application of different parts of WsAG root.

American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolium L.) as a Source of Bioactive Phytochemicals with Pro-Health Properties

Panax quinquefolium L. (American Ginseng, AG) is an herb characteristic for regions of North America and Asia. Due to its beneficial properties it has been extensively investigated for decades. Nowadays, it is one of the most commonly applied medical herbs worldwide. Active compounds of AG are ginsenosides, saponins of the glycosides group that are abundant in roots, leaves, stem, and fruits of the plant. Ginsenosides are suggested to be primarily responsible for health-beneficial effects of AG. AG acts on the nervous system; it was reported to improve the cognitive function in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, display anxiolytic activity, and neuroprotective effects against neuronal damage resulting from ischemic stroke in animals, demonstrate anxiolytic activity, and induce neuroprotective effects against neuronal damage in ischemic stroke in animals. Administration of AG leads to inhibition of hypertrophy in heart failure by regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mice as well as depletion of cardiac contractile function in rats. It also has an anti-diabetic and anti-obesity potential as it increases insulin sensitivity and inhibits formation of adipose tissue. AG displays anti-cancer effect by induction of apoptosis of cancer cells and reducing local inflammation. It exerts antimicrobial effects against several pathogenic strains of bacteria. Therefore, AG presents a high potential to induce beneficial health effects in humans and should be further explored to formulate precise nutritional recommendations, as well as to assess its value in prevention and therapy of some disorders, including cancer.