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Cited by 153Medicinal Plants and Bioactive CompoundsPhytochemicals and Medicinal PlantsGinseng Biological Effects and Applications

Plant adaptogens

Wagner, H., Nörr, H., Winterhoff, H.·1994·Phytomedicine
DOI 10.1016/s0944-7113(11)80025-5
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Abstract

The term adaptogen has not yet been accepted in medicine. This is probably due to the difficulties in discriminating adaptogenic drugs from immunostimulators, anabolic drugs, nootropic drugs, and tonics. There can be not doubt, however, that, at least in animal experiments, there are plant drugs capable of modulating distinct phases of the adaptation syndrome as defined by Seyle. These drugs either reduce stress reactions in the alarm phase or retard / prevent the exhaustion phase and thus provide a certain degree of protection against long-term stress. The small number of drugs the antistress activity of which has been proven or reported includes, among others, the plant drugs Ginseng, Eleutherococcus, Withania, Ocimum, Rhodiola, and Codonopsis. This review summarizes the major findings of pharmacological tests and human studies carried out with these drugs. Currently used assay systems allowing detection of antistress activities are also reported. At present the most likely candidates responsible for the putative antistress activity of plant drugs are special steroids, phenylprogane compounds and lignanes, respectively. Apart from influencing activities of the pituitary-adrenal axis and inducing stress proteins, many adaptogens also possess immunomodulatory and / or anabolic activities.

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Crossref · 10.1016/s0944-7113(11)80025-5

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49 of 49 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • The intake of adaptogens is associated with better ability to adapt to stress, maintain or normalize metabolic functions, and better mental and physical performance.

    “The intake of adaptogens is associated not only with the body’s better ability to adapt to stress and maintain/normalize metabolic functions, but also with better mental and physical performance [1,2,3].”

    From Plant Adaptogens—History and Future Perspectives (2021) · cites this paper as [1]

  • Adaptogens increase the body's resistance not only to physical but also to chemically and biologically harmful agents.

    “In 1980, the scientists Breckham and Dardimov found that adaptogens increase the body’s resistance not only to physical but also to chemically and biologically harmful agents [1,2,7]”

    From Plant Adaptogens—History and Future Perspectives (2021) · cites this paper as [1]

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Authors
Wagner, H., Nörr, H., & Winterhoff, H.
Affiliations
  • Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (DE)
  • University of Münster (DE)
Venue
Phytomedicine
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
1994-06
Volume
1
Issue
1
Pages
63-76
ISSN
0944-7113 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/s0944-7113(11)80025-5
OpenAlex
W4211090876
Cited by
153
References
49
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 5
FWCI
0.63
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Phytomedicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Medicinal Plants and Bioactive Compounds
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Phytochemicals and Medicinal Plants
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Ginseng Biological Effects and Applications
Keywords
plant adaptogens, stress response, adaptation syndrome, anti-stress activity, ginseng, Eleutherococcus, Withania, Ocimum, Rhodiola, Codonopsis, pituitary-adrenal axis, stress proteins, immunomodulation, anabolic activity, phenylpropanoids, lignans, steroids, nootropic drugs

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