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Cited by 256Medicinal Plants and Bioactive CompoundsPhytochemicals and Medicinal PlantsHerbal Medicine Research Studies

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 299 of the 312 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.) Maxim. (Araliaceae) as an adaptogen: a closer look

Davydov, Marina, Krikorian, A.D.·2000·Journal of Ethnopharmacology
DOI 10.1016/s0378-8741(00)00181-1
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Abstract

The adaptogen concept is examined from an historical, biological, chemical, pharmacological and medical perspective using a wide variety of primary and secondary literature. The definition of an adaptogen first proposed by Soviet scientists in the late 1950s, namely that an adaptogen is any substance that exerts effects on both sick and healthy individuals by 'correcting' any dysfunction(s) without producing unwanted side effects, was used as a point of departure. We attempted to identify critically what an adaptogen supposedly does and to determine whether the word embodies in and of itself any concept(s) acceptable to western conventional (allopathic) medicine. Special attention was paid to the reported pharmacological effects of the 'adaptogen-containing plant' Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.) Maxim. (Araliaceae), referred to by some as 'Siberian ginseng', and to its secondary chemical composition. We conclude that so far as specific pharmacological activities are concerned there are a number of valid arguments for equating the action of so-called adaptogens with those of medicinal agents that have activities as anti-oxidants, and/or anti-cancerogenic, immunomodulatory and hypocholesteroletic as well as hypoglycemic and choleretic action. However, 'adaptogens' and 'anti-oxidants' etc. also show significant dissimilarities and these are discussed. Significantly, the classical definition of an adaptogen has much in common with views currently being invoked to describe and explain the 'placebo effect'. Nevertheless, the chemistry of the secondary compounds of Eleutherococcus isolated thus far and their pharmacological effects support our hypothesis that the reported beneficial effects of adaptogens derive from their capacity to exert protective and/or inhibitory action against free radicals. An inventory of the secondary substances contained in Eleutherococcus discloses a potential for a wide range of activities reported from work on cultured cell lines, small laboratory animals and human subjects. Much of the cited work (although not all) has been published in peer-reviewed journals. Six compounds show various levels of activity as anti-oxidants, four show anti-cancer action, three show hypocholesterolemic activity, two show immunostimulatory effects, one has choleretic activity and one has the ability to decrease/moderate insulin levels, one has activity as a radioprotectant, one shows anti-inflammatory and anti-pyretic activities and yet another has shown activity as an antibacterial agent. Some of the compounds show more than one pharmacological effect and some show similar effects although they belong to different chemical classes. Clearly, Eleutherococcus contains pharmacologically active compounds but one wishes that the term adaptogen could be dropped from the literature because it is vague and conveys no insights into the mechanism(s) of action. If a precise action can be attributed to it, then the exact term for said action should obviously be used; if not, we strongly urge that generalities be avoided. Also, comparison of Eleutherococcus with the more familiar Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer (Araliaceae), 'true ginseng' has underscored that they differ considerably chemically and pharmacologically and cannot be justifiably considered as mutually interchangeable. Accordingly, we recommend that the designation 'Siberian ginseng' be dropped and be replaced with 'Eleutherococcus'. In the case of both Eleutherococcus and true ginseng, problems inherent in herbal preparation use include inconsistencies not only in terms of indications for use, but in the nomenclature of constituent chemical compounds, standardization, dosage and product labeling. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

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Citations

Cites

Research works printed but not linked: 23

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  2. Chadha, Y.R. (Ed.), 1985. The Wealth of India, Volume 1. Publications and Information Directorate. CSIR, New Delhi
  3. D’iakova, 1993, Dinamika individual’nogo predpochteniya v veroyatnosti i otsenka usileniya v razvitii eksperimental’nogo nevroza [The dynamics of individual preference in the probability and value of reinforcement in the development of experimental neurosis], Zhurnal Vysshei Nervnoi Deiatel’nosti imeni I. Pavlova, 43, 443
  4. Frieden, 1999, Patent laws blamed for lack of needed research, Skin and Allergy News, 29, 72
  5. Fulder, 1980, The drug that builds Russians, New Scientist, 21, 576
  6. Garman, H., 1898. Ginseng, Its Nature and Culture. Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Kentucky (Lexington, KY), Bulletin No. 78, 123–156, figures 1–11.
  7. Ivorra, 1988, Antihyperglycemic and insulin-releasing effect of β-sitosterol 3-β-d-glucoside and its aglycone, β-sitosterol, Archives of International Pharmacodynamics, 296, 224
  8. Journal of Natural Toxins. A Journal for Research and Investigation on Toxins of Natural Origin, 1992. Alaken, Ft. Collins, CO.
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  10. Krikorian, A.D., 1998. Medicinal plants and tropical forests: Some orthodox and some not-so-orthodox musings. In: Nair, M.N.B., Ganapaythi, N. (Eds.), Medicinal Plants: Cure of the 21st Century. Biodiversity, Conservation and Utilization of Medicinal Plants. Proceedings of the Seminar UPM, Serdang, Malaysia October 15–16, 1998, Faculty of Forestry, University Putra Malaysia, Selangor Darul Ehsan, pp. 32–110.
  11. Kupin, 1986, Povysherie immunonologicheskoi realctivnosti onkologicheskikh bolnykh s pomoshzhiu ekstrakta eleuterokokka [Immunostimulation in cancer patients with eleutherococcus extract], Voprosy Onkologii (Moscow), 32, 21
  12. Lazarev, 1955, Antiblastomogennye lekarstvennye sredstva [Anti-blastomogenic medicinal substances], Voprosy Onkologii, 11, 48
  13. O’Connor, 1997, Defining and describing complementary and alternative medicine, Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 3, 49
  14. Osbourn, 1998, Saponins in plant disease, Recent Advances in Phytochemistry, 32, 1
  15. Shibata, 1985, Chemistry and pharmacology of Panax, Economic and Medicinal Plant Research, 1, 217
  16. Singer, 1990, Current status of the U.S. ginseng export program, Endangered Species Technical Bulletin, 15, 9
  17. Sprecher, 1977, Problematik moderner Drogen: Ginseng – Taigawurzel – Teufelskralle. Schriftenreihe der Bundesapothekerkammer zur wissenschaflichen Fortbildung, Gelbe Reihe, 15, 71
  18. US Congress. 103rd Congress, 2nd Session, Senate, 1994. Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, pp. 1–39. Public Law 103–417-October 25, 1994. 103 Congress, pp. 4325–4335.
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  21. Zaricor, 1980, Chinese red: the dawn of mainland ginseng, Whole Foods, 3, 42
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Metadata

Authors
Davydov, M., & Krikorian, A. D.
Affiliations
  • State University of New York (US)
  • Stony Brook University (US)
Corresponding author
Krikorian, A.D.
Venue
Journal of Ethnopharmacology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2000-10
Volume
72
Issue
3
Pages
345-393
ISSN
0378-8741 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/s0378-8741(00)00181-1
OpenAlex
W2126203955
Cited by
256
References
312
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 16
FWCI
0.30
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Journal of Ethnopharmacology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Medicinal Plants and Bioactive Compounds
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Phytochemicals and Medicinal Plants
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Herbal Medicine Research Studies
Keywords
Eleutherococcus senticosus, Siberian ginseng, adaptogens, Araliaceae, antioxidant activity, free radicals, plant secondary metabolites, immunomodulation, anticancer activity, hypocholesterolemic activity, hypoglycemic activity, choleretic activity, radioprotective activity, anti-inflammatory activity, antipyretic activity, antibacterial activity
MeSH terms
Animals, Panax, Humans, Plant Extracts, Plants, Medicinal

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