Table 7.
Ginseng root phytochemicals exerting neuroprotective activities in Alzheimer’s disease models.
| Phytochemical tested | Plant | Concentration/Dose tested | Disease model | NRF2-related mechanism | Other observed AD-related effects | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ginsenoside K | Panax ginseng | • 20 and 40 mg/kg | • Scopolamine hydrobromide-induced AD mice | • Activation of NRF2/Keap1 pathway | • Increase of SOD and GPx • Decrease of MDA, ROS and Aβ production |
(132) |
| Ginsenoside Rk3 | Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer | • 1 and 10 mg/kg | • APP/PS1 mouse model • PC12 cells |
• AMPK/NRF2 activation | • Improvement of neuronal apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential in vitro
• Decrease of ROS production in vitro • Increase of SOD and GSH in vivo • Improvement of memory deficit in vivo • Decrease of MDA production, apoptosis and glial cells activation in vivo |
(133) |
| Ginsenoside Re | Panax ginseng | • 20, 25 and 30 μM | • SH-SY5Y cells | • NRF2 activation | • Elevation of Bcl-2/BAX ratio • Decrease of cytochrome C release and ROS production • Inactivation of caspase-3/9 |
(134) |
| Gintonin | Panax ginseng | • 100 mg/kg/day (p.o.) | • Aβ-induced AD mouse model • BV-2 cells |
• Upregulation of NRF2/HO-1 expression | • Decrease of ROS and lipid peroxidation | (135) |
AD, Alzheimer’s disease; NRF2, Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2; Keap1, Kelch like ECH associated protein 1; SOD, superoxide dismutase; GPx, glutathione peroxidase; MDA, malondialdehyde; ROS, reactive oxygen species; Aβ, β-amyloid; APP/PS1, amyloid precursor protein/presenilin 1; AMPK, AMP-activated protein kinase; GSH, glutathione; Bcl-2, B-cell lymphoma 2; BAX, bcl-2 associated X protein; p.o., per os; HO-1, heme oxygenase 1.