Overview
- Ginsenosides from Panax ginseng is involved in several major areas of cognitive improvement. Ginsenosides are not only protecting the brain, but also providing the potent ability to regenerate parts of the neuronal network in damaged brains.
- Ginseng is capable of neuron and neuronal network regeneration, which may hold significant importance for neurodegenerative diseases where there is a loss of neurons (such as Alzheimer’s disease).
- In normal adult mice, the ginsenoside Rg1, was shown to increase the number of neural cells in the hippocampus (the memory area) part of the brain.
- Protection of the neurons of the brain. Ginsenosides protect neurons from cell death by their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties. More specific research has shown protection for the cholinergic (in Alzheimer’s animal models) and dopamine neurons. As such, it is suggested that ginsensoides may play a therapeutic role in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson diseases.
Ginseng enhances contextual fear conditioning and neurogenesis in rats.
Qiao C, Den R, Kudo K, Yamada K, Takemoto K, Wati H, Kanba S
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Japan.
For complete study: www.chiroonline.net/_fileCabinet/ginseng_learning.pdfPanax Ginseng is a commonly used galenical known to have an enhancing effect on learning. Neurogenesis in the hippocampus has been shown to be necessary for hippocampus/amygdala-dependent learning tasks. To investigate the role of Ginseng in neurogenesis and learning of rats, we administered both Ginseng and BrdU for five consecutive days. As a result, Ginseng increased the number of BrdU-positive cells in the dentate gyrus in a dose-dependent manner. Further, we administered one dose of BrdU after Ginseng treatment for five consecutive days, and the number of BrdU-positive cells did not increase significantly. However, when one dose of BrdU was given 1 day before the following five consecutive days of Ginseng treatment, the number of BrdU-positive cells markedly increased in the hippocampus. Therefore, it is likely that Ginseng enhances not proliferation but survival of newly generated neurons in the hippocampus. Second, we administered both Ginseng and BrdU to rats for five consecutive days. One day after the last Ginseng and BrdU co-administration, contextual fear conditioning (CFC) was conducted. Ginseng in a dose-dependent manner increased the % freezing time and the number of BrdU-positive cells in the dentate gyrus of rats that received CFC. Thus, an increase in CFC-related neurogenesis may be one mechanism of Ginseng's properties to enhance learning ability.
Published 14 December 2004 in Neurosci Res, 51(1): 31-8.Sources
http://www.memoryaction.com/content/Ingredient_Research.htm
http://ginseng.researchtoday.net/archive/1/2/176.htm
References
- Cheng Y, et al. Anti-amnestic and anti-aging effects of ginsenoside Rg1 and Rb1 and its mechanism of action. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2005 Feb;26(2):143-9.
- Rausch WD, et al. Neuroprotective effects of ginsenosides. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars). 2006;66(4):369-75.
- Zhong Z, et al. [Protective effects of Panax notoginseng saponins against pathological lesion of cholinergic neuron in rat model with Alzheimer' s disease]. Zhong Yao Cai. 2005 Feb;28(2):119-22.
- Chen LW, et al. Chinese herbs and herbal extracts for neuroprotection of dopaminergic neurons and potential therapeutic treatment of Parkinson's disease. CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets. 2007 Aug;6(4):273-81.
- Lin WM, et al. Ginsenoside Rd attenuates neuroinflammation of dopaminergic cells in culture. J Neural Transm Suppl. 2007;(72):105-12.
