American Ginseng

American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) is a perennial herb native to the eastern United States and Canada, cultivated for its fleshy root that is rich in ginsenosides. It is primarily used as a dietary supplement aimed at supporting energy balance, cognitive function, and metabolic health, especially in contexts of stress and fatigue.

American Ginseng’s principal constituents are ginsenosides, triterpene saponins derived from dammarane‑type aglycones. The most abundant, ginsenoside Rb1, has the molecular formula C₅₂H₈₈O₁₈ (M ≈ 1,110 g mol⁻¹) and IUPAC name (20S)-20‑(β‑D‑glucopyranosyloxy)-20‑(β‑D‑glucopyranosyl)‑21‑hydroxy‑dammar-24‑ene‑3β,12β,25‑triol. Other key ginsenosides (Rg1, Re) share a dammarane skeleton with a β‑D‑glucose or β‑D‑rhamnose side chain. The overall extract typically contains 5–10 % total ginsenosides, quantified by HPLC‑UV. Ginsenosides are amphiphilic: the hydrophobic dammarane core confers membrane interaction, while the sugar moieties confer solubility and influence pharmacokinetics (e.g., intestinal absorption via SGLT1 transport).

Wild American Ginseng is harvested from mature stands in the Appalachian region (USA) and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec, where the plant is protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Commercially, the root is cultivated under controlled agronomic conditions (soil pH ≈ 5.5–6.5, 70 % humidity) in North‑American farms to meet GMP standards. Extraction typically employs 70 % ethanol or supercritical CO₂, preserving the full spectrum of ginsenosides; subsequent standardization to a 4:1 ginsenoside ratio is achieved via liquid‑liquid partitioning and chromatography. Quality indicators include: (i) ≥ 5 % total ginsenosides, (ii) < 10 ppm heavy‑metal content, (iii) absence of pesticide residues, and (iv) DNA‑based authentication to prevent adulteration with Asian P. ginseng or P. notoginseng.