The research team led by Professor Jin Yinghua of the School of Life Sciences at Jilin University successfully identified the anticancer targets of ginsenosides, which provides conclusive evidence for the anticancer efficacy of ginsenosides. The study, published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports, was the first to identify the molecular target of ginsenoside Rh2 for its anti-cancer activity.
There is a frequently raised question about why ginseng can not exert antitumor properties while ginsenosides show a good performance in inhibiting cancer. The answer to this question involves the difference between ginsenosides and rare ginsenosides, and the latter is less known to the public.
High molecular weight ginsenosides are extremely difficult to be absorbed and utilized
Ginsenosides, also known as ginseng saponins, are the main components of the Araliaceae plants such as American ginseng and Panax ginseng and Notoginseng. They have important medical properties and outstanding efficacy. About 38 kinds of ginsenosides have been found in ginseng, accounting for about 80% to 90% of the total ginseng saponin. With high molecular weights, ginsenosides are difficult to be absorbed by human bodies, leading to a poor bioavailability. Instead, when digested and degraded by enzymes and gut flora, ginsenosides are metabolized into rare ginsenosides with small molecular weights, which largely facilitate the absorption and utilization of ginsenosides.
The problem is, however, the types and numbers of gut flora are different in individuals, which result in huge differences in the absorption and utilization of ginsenosides. In general, ginseng can only exert anticancer effects in very few people and most people obtain no anticancer efficacy. When overdosed, ginseng can cause some side effects like getting excessive internal heat and increasing blood pressure. Therefore, scientific processing techniques are required to convert ginsenosides into rare ginsenosides that are superior with high active anticancer activities.
The difference between ginsenosides and rare ginsenosides
According to Professor Jin Yinghua, ginsenosides bring few anticancer benefits because the high molecular weights make them extremely difficult to be absorbed by human bodies. In contrast, rare ginsenosides, which are transformed and metabolized from ginsenosides, are characterized by small molecular weights and high anticancer activities. Therefore, products with rare ginsenosides as main components are the best options for customers.
The best rare ginsenoside products on the market
The large-scale conversion of ginsenosides into rare ginsenosides requires high biotechnology and preparation technology which has not been grasped by many pharmaceutical companies. When buying rare ginsenoside products for fighting cancer, customers should be more cautious to confirm whether rare ginsenosides are the main components. The best rare ginsenoside products on the market are those with multiple highly active rare ginsenosides and high concentrations of active ingredients.