Archive for January 28th, 2013

Supplementation with Panax ginseng – Chinese or Korean ginseng – may protect muscles against breakdown caused by intensive exercise. Biochemists at Taipei Physical Education College in Taiwan draw this conclusion from an animal study in which they gave rats the most important active substance in Panax ginseng. We’re not completely convinced yet, but a substance which in such small quantities has as much effect aginsenoside-Rg1 is of course always interesting.

Not all ginsengs are the same. The most important active substance in American ginseng or Ginseng quinquefolium, Ginsenoside-Rb1, for example has a relaxant and anti-androgenic effect, [Chin J Physiol. 2003 Mar 31;46(1):1-7.] ginsenoside-Rg1 in Panax ginseng a stimulatory and pseudo-oestrogenic effect. [Br J Pharmacol. 2009 Apr;156(7):1136-46.] The structural formula for ginsenoside-Rg1 is shown below.
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