Phytochemical investigation of the roots of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer

Abstract

Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer (Araliaceae) is an oriental medicinal plant distributed in eastern Asia. It is used as an aphrodisiac, sexual rejuvenator, panacea for longevity and to treat headache, fatigue, diabetes, dizziness, nausea, asthma, Alzheimer’s disease, hemorrhage and impotence. Phytochemical investigation of a methanolic extract of the roots of P. ginseng resulted in the isolation of new chemical constituents characterized as cis-,cis-n-tetratriacont-20,23-dienoic acid (1), (E,E)-5I±-hydroxylabda-1,6-dien-20-oic acid 12I²-olyl-O-I²-D-xylopyranoside (2), stigmast-5-en-3I²,4I±,12I², 21-tetraol-21-octadec-9′,12′-dienoate (3) and lanost-24-en-3I²-ol-3-O-I²-D-arabinopyranosyl-(2′→1′′)-O-I²-D-arabinoside (5) along with a known steroidal constituent characterized as I²-sitosterol 3-I²-D-glucopyranoside (4). The structures of all the isolated phytoconstituents have been established on the basis of spectral data analysis and chemical reactions.