Evaluation of growth and some unexplored bioactivities of bioreactor grown adventitious root culture of ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer)

Progress in Oplopanax elatus research: Resources, propagation, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, quality control, and toxicity

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Oplopanax elatus Nakai is a valuable medicinal plant of the Araliaceae family. In China, South Korea, and Russia, O. elatus has a long history of ethnomedical use, particularly for treating neurasthenia, schizophrenia, cardiovascular disease, and other conditions. However, its commercial use is hindered by the scarcity of raw materials, largely due to the depletion of wild resources and the underdeveloped technology for artificial cultivation. Although reviews on O. elatus exist, they lack coverage of recent research advances and fail to address all relevant aspects. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of current research on this species is crucial for its future applications.

AIM OF THIS REVIEW

This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of research on O. elatus and to integrate recent findings that will guide future research and promote the sustainable utilization of this valuable medicinal plant.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Available information was collected from scientific databases, including Google Scholar, Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Baidu Scholar, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Ethnobotanical Monographs. A comprehensive literature on traditional use, phytochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, quality control, and toxicity published before June 2024. The findings were summarized in this paper.

RESULTS

This paper provided a comprehensive review of the research progress on O. elatus, covering its resource status, propagation, phytochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, quality control, and toxicity. Previous studies were summarized and current results were presented. In addition, existing challenges, such as the lack of research on quality control and molecular biology, were highlighted, along with potential approaches to address these issues. Finally, the future development prospects and potential applications of O. elatus were discussed.

CONCLUSION

O. elatus has significant potential for use in the production of medicinal, functional foods, and cosmetic products. In particular, adventitious root culture could address the current resource challenges associated with O. elatus and facilitate product development and production. However, further research in quality control and molecular biology is required to fully realize its potential.

Recent trends in ginseng research

Ginseng, the dried root of Panax ginseng, contains ginsenosides and has long been used in Korea, China, and Japan to treat various symptoms. Many studies on the utility of ginseng have been conducted and in this paper we investigate recent trends in ginseng research. P. ginseng studies were collected from scientific databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and SciFindern) using the keywords "Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer", "ginsenosides", "genetic diversity", "biosynthesis", "cultivation", and "pharmacology". We identified 1208 studies up to and including September 2023: 549 studies on pharmacology, 262 studies on chemical components, 131 studies on molecular biology, 58 studies on cultivation, 71 studies on tissue culture, 28 studies on clinical trials, 123 reviews, and 49 studies in other fields. Many researchers focused on the characteristic ginseng component ginsenoside to elucidate the mechanism of ginseng's pharmacological action, the relationship between component patterns and cultivation areas and conditions, and gene expression.