Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a chronic condition commonly observed in adults, particularly among the elderly, is characterized by a dysfunctional insulin response that impairs blood glucose regulation, resulting in persistent hyperglycemia. Ginseng, a medicinal plant with significant economic value and a longstanding history of therapeutic use in Asia, has shown efficacy against various diseases. Extensive clinical and experimental studies highlight ginsenosides, its primary bioactive compounds, for their multiple therapeutic effects across a range of conditions, including endocrine, cardiovascular, and central nervous system disorders. Various ginsenoside types have demonstrated potential in lowering blood glucose levels, reducing insulin resistance, and alleviating complications through the modulation of key protein targets and signaling pathways. This review consolidates the pharmacological actions and mechanisms of distinct ginsenosides in managing diabetes and its complications, offering a theoretical foundation for further pharmacological research and novel drug development for T2DM treatment, while also providing robust theoretical support for future clinical applications.
Keywords: type 2 diabetes mellitus, ginsenoside, Traditional Chinese Medicine, therapeutic affect, complications
Received: 18 Mar 2025; Accepted: 25 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Liu, Ju, Wang, Cui, Sun, Hu and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yan Chen, Second Affiliated Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher. (Source: frontiersin.org)
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