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Press Release

ABC and Botanical Adulterants Program Publish In-Depth Review of History, Nomenclature, and Classifications of Ginseng

Cover story of HerbalGram features rare, historic illustrations of one of world’s most traded and researched medicinal plants

AUSTIN, Texas (September 28, 2016) As its cover story, issue 111 of the American Botanical Council’s peer-reviewed journal HerbalGram features a comprehensive, 22-page article about the history, nomenclature, taxonomy, and trade of ginseng (Panax spp.) root. The article, written by noted author and photographer Steven Foster, is one of the most extensive articles ever published in HerbalGram and includes historical artwork of ginseng, some of which was initially published in the 17th and 18th centuries and has not been seen in print for over a century.

The article is replete with nine ginseng illustrations, two tables, and 112 references.

This article is part of the growing educational coverage of herb adulteration by the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program (BAP). To understand modern adulteration of ginseng root, it is necessary to first understand the complex history and nomenclature of various plant species that have been both appropriately and erroneously called “ginseng” at one time or another. Foster’s article thoroughly covers this information.

Highly prized by the Chinese for at least 2,200 years, Asian ginseng (P. ginseng) root has, historically, been subject to adulteration for economic incentive and because of widespread confusion between it and other plant species both inside and outside the Araliaceae family. The “discovery” of American ginseng (P. quinquefolius) in 1700 in Canada further added to the complexity.

Foster has spent a good portion of the past several years researching this subject and collecting information about the use and misuse of the common name “ginseng” in trade and in scientific research — nomenclatural nuances that have added significant confusion and misinformation in the global herb trade.

PubMed searches for trade names such as “Siberian ginseng” (Eleutherococcus senticosus, known now in the United States by its preferred common name “eleuthero”), so-called “Indian ginseng” (ashwagandha; Withania somnifera), and so-called “Brazilian ginseng” (Pfaffia paniculata) result in numerous citations. Although the term “Siberian ginseng” has been accepted by the herb trade in many countries for over three decades, these misuses of the name “ginseng” only muddle issues, and do not further scientific accuracy.

The case of ginseng exemplifies how historical high demand, coupled with confusion and disagreement about how to appropriately classify and identify species, can necessitate robust quality control measures today. 

“Ginseng has a long history of use in Asia, where it is a highly prized medicinal plant,” said Mark Blumenthal, founder and executive director of ABC and editor-in-chief of HerbalGram. “Over the centuries, due to its traditionally high price, it has been adulterated with lower-cost plant materials, and other non-ginseng plants have been sold as 'ginseng' to the probable disadvantage of the consumer. This in-depth article is a necessary first step in our attempts to help educate stakeholders about ways ginseng is still being adulterated and how this practice can be stopped.”

The cover image is a hand-colored plate of “Panax schinseng” from Theodor F.L. Nees von Esenbeck’s rare supplement volume of Plantae officinales oder Sammlung officineller Pflanzen, which was published in 1833. Also accompanying the article is a color plate showing different root products from various Panax species, which was adapted from Carl Anton von Meyer’s 1842 paper that first established the scientific name Panax ginseng.

Previously, in HerbalGram issue 92, Foster, a member of ABC’s Board of Trustees, covered the history of adulteration of herbs, spices, and botanical drugs in the past two millennia. He has also written articles about the adulteration of skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) herb in issue 93; bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) fruit extract in issue 96; and black cohosh (Actaea racemosa) root and rhizome, which was the cover story of issue 98.

The ginseng article is part of the growing educational coverage of the BAP intended to inform members of the herb and natural products industry, and related stakeholders, about the problems associated with accidental and intentional adulteration of botanical raw materials and extracts. Another extensive article on ginseng adulteration dealing with actual examples of adulteration of ginseng and analytical methods that have been developed to detect this adulteration is planned for publication in 2017.

About the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program

The American Botanical Council (ABC)-American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP)-National Center for Natural Products Research (NCNPR) Botanical Adulterants Program is an international consortium of nonprofit professional organizations, analytical laboratories, university research centers, industry trade associations, industry members, and other parties. The Program advises industry, researchers, health professionals, government agencies, the media, and the public about the various challenges related to adulterated botanical ingredients sold in commerce. To date, more than 175 US and international parties have financially supported or otherwise endorsed the Program.

To date, the Botanical Adulterants Program has issued 24 peer-reviewed publications on the subject of botanical adulteration. These include six extensively peer-reviewed articles on the history of adulteration, the adulteration of the herbs black cohosh and skullcap, adulteration of bilberry fruit extract, the new report on ginseng, and the sale of synthetic antimicrobial compounds labeled to contain so-called “grapefruit seed extract.” In addition, the Program has issued six Botanical Adulterants Bulletins covering arnica flower, bilberry fruit extract, black cohosh root and rhizome, goldenseal root and rhizome, grape seed extract, and skullcap herb, and has also published three Laboratory Guidance Documents reviewing and evaluating analytical methods to authenticate and detect adulteration of bilberry extract, black cohosh, and skullcap. The Program also publishes a quarterly e-newsletter, the Botanical Adulterants Monitor, that highlights new scientific publications related to botanical authenticity and analysis to detect possible adulteration, recent regulatory actions, and Program news. All of the Program’s publications are freely available on the Program’s website.