# Aphrodisiac Principles and other Constituents from the Roots of Panax quinguefolium and Panax ginseng

## TL;DR

This paper identifies aphrodisiac compounds and new phytochemicals in the roots of Panax quinquefolium and Panax ginseng.

## Contribution

The study discovers new compounds and discusses the biosynthetic pathway of triterpene saponins in Panax species.

## Key findings

- Two compounds, ginsenoside Re and (20S)-ginsenoside Rg2, showed significant relaxation effects in rabbit corpus cavernosum.
- Thirty-one compounds were identified in P. quinquefolium root extract, including four new compounds.
- The biosynthetic pathway of Panax triterpene saponins was analyzed based on new and previous findings.

## Abstract

Bioassay-guided fractionation of P. quinquefolium and P. ginseng root extracts afforded six compounds.
Among these, two bioactive compounds ginsenoside Re (1) and (20S)-ginsenoside Rg2 (5) exhibiting
significant relaxation in rabbit corpus cavernosum with EC50 values of 95.1 and 114.7 μM, respectively. In addition, the
phytochemical composition of the water extract of the roots of P. quinquefolium was investigated, and thirty-one compounds
were characterized, including four undescribed compounds panajaponol
B (18) and panaxjapynes D-F (21–23). Moreover, the spectral characteristics and biosynthetic
pathway of Panax triterpene saponins were discussed
according to our results and some previous reports.