Panax ginseng

Introduction Panax ginseng, used medicinally for thousands of years in China, Korea, and Japan,' is well known as an adaptogen and a restorative tonic that is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western herbal preparations.^' Eclectic uses for Panax ginseng include fatigue, infertility, liver disease, amnesia, colds, menopause, and erectile dysfunction.^'^ There are many species of Panax, which leads to some confusion in the literature. However, the two species that have been the most extensively researched and used are Panax ginseng and Panax quinquejolius. Another botanical species, although commonly called Siberian ginseng {Eleutherococcus senticosus), is not a true ginseng. This monograph reviews the constituents, mechanism of action, safety, and clinical efficacy of Panax ginseng.