A Patent Review of Therapeutic Potential of Panax Ginseng and its Constituents, Ginsenosides and Gintonin, in Neurological and Neurodegenerative Disorders (2010-2019)

Neurodegenerative diseases are the consequence of slowly progressive loss of neurons and axons in the central nervous system, which can lead to cognition, behavior, and motor dysfunctions. The toxic effects of neuropathological features of these disorders on synapses, mitochondria, and axonal transport result in disruption of the integrity of brain functions indicated as dysregulation of neurotransmitters such as glutamate. Ginseng, Panax ginseng, has been used for various diseases and proven its great efficacy in managing central nervous system diseases. This review provides a summary of recent advances in the patent reports (2010- 2019) involving therapeutic application of pharmaceutical formulations and compositions containing ginseng and its active constituents for the treatment of neurologicaldisorders. Additionally, the patents on ginseng, ginsenosides, gintonin, and ginsenoside derivatives targeting hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases have been included in this review. The literature review was provided using multiple search engines including Google Patent, Espacenet and US Patent in the field of neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, cognitive, and neurological disorders. The gath ered data represented outstanding merits of ginseng in treatment of neurodegenerative and neurological disorders.These effects have been mediated by neurogenesis, anti-apoptotic and antioxidant properties, inhibition of mitochondrial dysfunction, receptor-operated Ca2+ channels, amyloid beta aggregation, and microglial activation as well as neurotransmitters modulation. However,these compounds have limited clinical application of them for the prevention or treatment of neurodegenerative and neurological disorders. This might be due to incomplete data on their clinical pharmacokinetic and toxicity properties, and limited economic investments.Conclusion: Combination therapies have been expected to be efficacious in the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerativediseases and minimize side effects and subsequently provide better patient compliance.