Panax ginseng

Panax ginseng, generally referred to as “ginseng”, sometimes “Korean ginseng” or “Chinese ginseng” in English, belongs to the Araliaceae botanical family.

It is a herb, 30 to 60 cm tall, native to the mountainous forests of eastern Asia, protected in Russia and China. Its root, often looking like a small human body, is more or less expensive depending on its age : it must be 5 to 6 years old to acquire its active constituents.

One of the most famous eastern Asian medicines, Panax ginseng root is a prophylactic which heightens the resistance of the organism to various environmental influences and reduces the disposition or susceptibility to illness. It is known as an adaptogen with an immunostimulant action.

Its main constituents are ginsenosides (triterpene saponins) of which ginsenosides Rg1, Rc, Rd, Rb1, Rb2 and Rb0 are quantitatively the most important.

  • English name Korean ginseng
  • French name Ginseng
  • Chinese name Renshen
Panax ginseng