Ginsenoside Rg1, lights up the way for the potential prevention of Alzheimer's disease due to its therapeutic effects on the drug-controllable risk factors of Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: In traditional Chinese medicine, Shen Nong, BenCao Jing, and Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu), Panax ginseng, and its prescriptions have been used for the treatment of dementia, depression, weight loss, Xiaoke disease (similar to diabetes), and vertigo. All these diseases are associated with the drug-controllable risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD), including depression, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Ginsenoside Rg1, one of the main active ingredients of P. ginseng and its congener Panax notoginseng, possesses therapeutic potentials against AD and associated diseases. This suggests that ginsenoside Rg1 might have the potential for AD prevention and treatment. Although the anti-AD effects of ginsenoside Rg1 have received more attention, a systematic review of its effects on depression, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension is not available.

Aim of the review: This systematic literature review comprehensively summarized existing literature on the therapeutic potentials of ginsenoside Rg1 in AD prevention for the propose of providing a foundation of future research aimed at enabling the use of such drugs in clinical practice.

Methods: Information on ginsenoside Rg1 was collected from relevant published articles identified through a literature search in electronic scientific databases (PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar). The keywords used were "Ginsenoside Rg1," "Panax ginseng," "Source," "Alzheimer's disease," "Brain disorders," "Depression," "Obesity," "Diabetes," and "Hypertension."

Results: The monomer ginsenoside Rg1 can be relatively easily obtained and has therapeutic potentials against AD. In vitro and in vivo experiments have demonstrated the therapeutic potentials of ginsenoside Rg1 against the drug-controllable risk factors of AD including depression, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Thus, ginsenoside Rg1 alleviates diseases resulting from AD risk factors by regulating multiple targets and pathways.

Conclusions: Ginsenoside Rg1 has the potentials to prevent AD by alleviating depression, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Drug-controllable risk factors of Alzheimer's disease; Ginsenoside Rg1; Pharmacological effects; Traditional Chinese medicine.