Identification and screening of neuroprotective compounds in Panax ginseng
By dominguez // 2020-10-01
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American and Chinese researchers screened, identified and evaluated the bioactive compounds present in Panax ginseng. They reported their findings in an article published in The American Journal of Chinese Medicine.
  • According to in vivo and in vitro studies, Panax ginseng exerts neuroprotective effects, but the specific bioactive compounds responsible for these effects and their mechanisms still need to be investigated.
  • The researchers used affinity ultrafiltration (AUF), UPLC-QTOF-MS and molecular docking to screen, identify and evaluate the bioactive compounds in ginseng.
  • They selected three macromolecules (i.e., AChE, MAO-B and NMDA receptor) to be the target proteins for AUF-MS screening and found 16 potential neuroactive compounds.
  • Evaluation of the bioactivity of ginseng components by AChE-inhibitory test and DPPH assay showed that they all have good neuroactivity.
  • Meanwhile, molecular docking results were consistent with the AUF results, barring a few discrepancies.
Based on these results, the researchers concluded that ginseng exerts a therapeutic effect on Alzheimer's disease through the interactions between the herb's components and its biological targets (molecules and pathways), which is consistent with the Traditional Chinese Medicine theory. Journal Reference: Yu L, Wei F, Liang J, Ren G, Liu X, Wang CZ, Yuan J, Zeng J, Luo Y, Bi Y, et al. TARGET MOLECULAR-BASED NEUROACTIVITY SCREENING AND ANALYSIS OF PANAX GINSENG BY AFFINITY ULTRAFILTRATION, UPLC-QTOF-MS AND MOLECULAR DOCKING. The American Journal of Chinese Medicine. 2019;47(06):1345–1363. DOI: 10.1142/s0192415x19500691
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