# Antioxidant Activity of _Panax ginseng_ to Regulate ROS in Various Chronic Diseases
## 1 Introduction  
Ginseng comes from the genus _Panax_ of the _Araliacene_ family with nine different species such as _Panax ginseng_ (Korean ginseng), _Panax notoginseng_ (Chinese ginseng), _Panax japonicum_ (Japanese ginseng), and _Panax quinquelofilus_ (American ginseng) [1]. Among all ginseng, four types of _P. ginseng_ can be categorized according to how they are processed, for example, fresh ginseng, white ginseng (air-dried), red ginseng (steamed), and sun ginseng [2]. The word \"ginseng\" is derived from the Chinese word \"rensen\" which means \"human\" as the roots of ginseng are shaped like the human leg [3]. Ginseng has long been recognized as 'the king of herbs' due to its ability to improve fitness and relax the mind [4]. _P. ginseng_ is endemic to Korea and China and has been used in traditional treatment [5]. However, consumers from Korea and others prefer Korean ginseng due to its current medical research findings of being useful in boosting blood circulation and better cognition, acting as a mind booster, and it being supposed to bolster one's soul, increase the body's immune system, and control diabetes, along with possessing anti-aging and anticancer properties [6, 7]. _P. ginseng_ contains a vast amount of secondary metabolites such as phenolic acids (gallic acid, caffe acid, coumaric acid, salicylic acid, cinnamic acid,maltol, etc.), flavonoids, acid polysaccharides, amino acids, phytosterol, carbohydrates, minerals, ginseng oil, and certain vitamins [4,8]. _P. ginseng_ has attracted the interest of researchers worldwide due to its pharmacological efficacy and potent medical applications.  
Instead of entire ginseng and other components, a majority of researches have been conducted on specific ginsenosides to treat a variety of medical problems [9]. Ginsenosides are mainly triterpene saponins of ginseng. To date, more than 218 ginsenosides (major types: Rc, Rb1, Rb2, Rg1, Rd, and Re; minor types: Rb1, Rh2, and Rg3) have been identified from different parts of ginseng (leaves, roots, berries, and flower buds) and these metabolites have become popular for research. Ginsenosides are the therapeutically active components obtained from ginseng and are widely recognized for their oxidative stress [10], apoptosis [11], inflammation [12], angiogenesis [13], anticancer [14], and cancer metastatic properties associated with cell proliferation. Ginsenosides are divided into two groups based on the glycan structure: oleanane and dammarane [15]. According to the chemical structure, dammarane-type ginsenosides can be further classified into two categories: protopanaxadiol (PPD) and protopanaxatriol (PPT) [16], whereas the minor categories depending on aglycone moieties include occtillol and oleanane [17]. Ginsenosides Rc, Rb2, Rh2, Rg3, Rh4, Ck, Rk1, Rk3, and Rd are strong bioactive components that have been shown to greatly inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells by regulating ROS in mitochondria [18]. The following are listed in decreasing order of how well ginsenosides scavene intracellular ROS: Rb2 \(>\) Rc \(>\) Rg2 \(>\) Rh2 \(>\) Rh1 \(>\) Rf \(>\) Rg3 \(>\) Rg1 \(>\) Rb1 \(>\) Re \(>\) Rd [19]. Different studies have shown that the transformation of ginseng referred to as ginsenosides have stronger activity than crude ginseng [20].  
_P. ginseng_ and ginsenosides have excellent ROS-regulating activity in various disease families such as sensor impairment, cardiovascular diseases, neurogenerative diseases, cancer, diabetes, inflammation, and vice-versa. This review was designed to investigate the antioxidant properties of _P. ginseng_ and ginsenosides regulating ROS in different chronic diseases.