Identification and screening of neuroprotective compounds in Panax ginseng

American and Chinese researchers screened, identified and evaluated the bioactive compounds present in Panax ginseng. They reported their findings in an article published in The American Journal of Chinese Medicine.

• According to in vivo and in vitro studies, Panax ginseng exerts neuroprotective effects, but the specific bioactive compounds responsible for these effects and their mechanisms still need to be investigated.
• The researchers used affinity ultrafiltration (AUF), UPLC-QTOF-MS and molecular docking to screen, identify and evaluate the bioactive compounds in ginseng.
• They selected three macromolecules (i.e., AChE, MAO-B and NMDA receptor) to be the target proteins for AUF-MS screening and found 16 potential neuroactive compounds.
• Evaluation of the bioactivity of ginseng components by AChE-inhibitory test and DPPH assay showed that they all have good neuroactivity.
• Meanwhile, molecular docking results were consistent with the AUF results, barring a few discrepancies.

Based on these results, the researchers concluded that ginseng exerts a therapeutic effect on Alzheimer’s disease through the interactions between the herb’s components and its biological targets (molecules and pathways), which is consistent with the Traditional Chinese Medicine theory.

Journal Reference:

Yu L, Wei F, Liang J, Ren G, Liu X, Wang CZ, Yuan J, Zeng J, Luo Y, Bi Y, et al. TARGET MOLECULAR-BASED NEUROACTIVITY SCREENING AND ANALYSIS OF PANAX GINSENG BY AFFINITY ULTRAFILTRATION, UPLC-QTOF-MS AND MOLECULAR DOCKING. The American Journal of Chinese Medicine. 2019;47(06):1345–1363. DOI: 10.1142/s0192415x19500691