The medicinal value of ginseng:phytochemistry,pharmacological actions,and translational applicationsOA

Panax ginseng C.A.Meyer,a foundational medicinal plant in traditional medicine,exhibits broad pharmacological effects primarily mediated by structurally diverse ginsenosides and bioactive polysaccharides.These constituents orchestrate multi-target regulation through key molecular hubs,including Nrf2/ARE,AMPK/SIRT,NF-κB/MAPK signaling,and microbiota–bile acid axes,contributing to hepatoprotective,neuroprotective,antitumor,and metabolic functions.Clinical translation remains constrained by major challenges:low oral bioavailability of primary ginsenosides(<5%),variability in phytochemical composition due to cultivation and processing,and incomplete understanding of synergistic multi-component mechanisms.Emerging technologies are now actively addressing these bottlenecks.Advanced nanodelivery systems enhance solubility,prolong systemic circulation,and promote targeted tissue accumulation.Ginsenoside-integrated liposomes mitigate accelerated blood clearance,while exosome-mimetic nanoparticles improve penetration across biological barriers,enabling precise delivery.Concurrently,precision bioengineering leverages CRISPR-based metabolic pathway optimization and engineered microbial platforms to achieve scalable,standardized production of rare ginsenosides at gram-per-liter levels.Artificial intelligence further accelerates translational research by guiding target identification,metabolic pathway analysis,and cultivation optimization.The integrated application of nanotechnology,synthetic biology,and AI establishes a next-generation translational framework,transforming ginseng into a source of molecularly defined,evidence-based therapeutics.