1. Front Pharmacol. 2020 Sep 11;11:576887. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2020.576887. 
eCollection 2020.

Lipid Membranes as Key Targets for the Pharmacological Actions of Ginsenosides.

Verstraeten SL(1), Lorent JH(1)(2), Mingeot-Leclercq MP(1).

Author information:
(1)Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology Unit (FACM), Louvain Drug Research 
Institute (LDRI), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Brussels, Belgium.
(2)Membrane Biochemistry & Biophysics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, 
Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.

In this review, we will focus on the activity of ginsenosides on membranes and 
their related effects, from physicochemical, biophysical, and pharmacological 
viewpoints. Ginsenosides are a class of saponins with a large structural 
diversity and a wide range of pharmacological effects. These effects can at 
least partly be related to their activity on membranes which results from their 
amphiphilic character. Some ginsenosides are able to interact with membrane 
lipids and associate into nanostructures, making them possible adjuvants for 
vaccines. They are able to modulate membrane biophysical properties such as 
membrane fluidity, permeability or the formation of lateral domains with some 
degree of specificity towards certain cell types such as bacteria, fungi, or 
cancer cells. In addition, they have shown antioxidant properties which protect 
membranes from lipid oxidation. They further displayed some activity on membrane 
proteins either through direct or indirect interaction. We investigate the 
structure activity relationship of ginsenosides on membranes and discuss the 
implications and potential use as anticancer, antibacterial, and antifungal 
agents.

Copyright © 2020 Verstraeten, Lorent and Mingeot-Leclercq.

DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.576887
PMCID: PMC7518029
PMID: 33041822