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Researchers compare notes on benefits of ginseng

Published: 26 Oct. 2022, 17:57

Professor Oh Sei-kwan of the Department of Molecular Medicine at Ewha Womans University gives a presentation during the 13th International Symposium on Ginseng at the Lotte Hotel Seoul in Jung District, central Seoul, on Tuesday. [KOREAN SOCIETY OF GINSENG]

The Korean Society of Ginseng kicked off the 13th International Symposium on Ginseng, a four-day gathering of global experts sharing research into the medical benefits of ginseng, on Tuesday at the Lotte Hotel Seoul in central Seoul. It runs until Friday.

Participants are from Korea, Japan, China, India and the United States. They will discuss 13 different topics including cancer, infectious diseases, neurological disorders and dermatology.

Among some key findings was research by Professor Oh Sei-kwan of the Department of Molecular Medicine at Ewha Womans University on the ameliorating effects of Korean Red ginseng on neuronal diseases.

Testing neuroprotective effects of Korean red ginseng against stress-induced memory impairments and inflammation in the brains of rats, Oh’s team found that Korean red ginseng exerts memory-improving actions.

Prof. Kwon Kyog-young from Soonchunyang University's Institute of Medio-bio Science described the effects of Ginsenoside Rd, a primary constituent of the ginseng rhizome, during a session on translational pharmacology.

Kwon’s team found that Ginsenoside Rd relieves aging and cancer-induced muscle wasting and suggested that it could be a new therapeutic agent for reversing muscle wasting.

Professor Narayanan Parameswaran’s team from Michigan State University's Department of Physiology described the medicinal effects of Korean red ginseng extract on bone loss in mice after antibiotic treatment.

When Korean red ginseng extract was used, intestinal microbial diversity and damage were significantly suppressed in mice, according to the experiment.

A team led by Professor Vladimir Vuksan of the Department of Nutritional Sciences at University of Toronto presented research on the effects of Korean red ginseng and American ginseng on blood pressure, after a 12-week trial on patients with diabetes.

A reduction in central systolic blood pressure was found, suggesting that ginseng could be used for modest blood pressure benefits in managing diabetes.

Participants will be taken around the Korea Ginseng Corporation’s (KGC) factory in Wonju, Gangwon, to see the production of ginseng products and also make a stop at the Geumsan ginseng market in Geumsan, South Chungcheong, one of the largest herb markets in Korea.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]