Active compounds found in ginseng can protect brain cells by preventing the accumulation of toxic proteins linked to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, according to a scientific review.
Researchers analyzing 97 studies found that the plant's main active ingredients, known as ginsenosides, reduced the accumulation of beta-amyloid, tau protein, and alpha-synuclein in cell and animal experiments. The synthesis of research was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Frontiers in Nutrition.
The study authors reported that components of the plant also reduced inflammation in nervous tissue, protected mitochondria, and decreased oxidative stress. Scientists consider these cellular processes to be central factors in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative conditions.
How ginsenosides target neurodegeneration
Ginseng is a slow-growing perennial root widely used in traditional East Asian medicine, with ginsenosides representing its primary pharmacological class of active compounds. Neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease cause the gradual breakdown and loss of neurons in the central nervous system. In Alzheimer's disease, beta-amyloid forms sticky plaques between brain cells while tau proteins build up into neurofibrillary tangles inside neurons. In Parkinson's disease, toxic aggregations of alpha-synuclein form clumps known as Lewy bodies that disrupt motor function.
Mitochondria function as essential energy-producing organelles within cells, and their impairment contributes to nerve cell death. Oxidative stress occurs when an imbalance of reactive free radicals causes cellular damage across neurological pathways. Chronic neuroinflammation further accelerates neural tissue destruction in both conditions.
Overcoming the blood-brain barrier
Despite the positive experimental results, the researchers emphasized that the main obstacle to using ginseng therapeutically remains the poor penetration of its active substances into brain tissue. The brain is protected by the blood-brain barrier, a tightly packed network of blood vessels and tissue that prevents foreign substances and many potential medications from entering the central nervous system.
To overcome this physiological barrier, scientists are developing specialized nanoscale drug delivery systems, including nanoparticles, liposomes, and exosomes. Nanoparticles are microscopic carrier structures, liposomes are lipid-based capsules, and exosomes are naturally occurring cellular vesicles. These advanced delivery systems are engineered to help ginseng components cross the blood-brain barrier and reach nerve cells more effectively.
The authors stressed that the vast majority of current data has been gathered from laboratory experiments conducted on isolated cells and animal models rather than human clinical trials. The review also referenced earlier scientific evidence indicating that regular physical exercise remains the single most effective protection against dementia.
