Trends in ginseng research in 2010

Area of Science:

• Botany and Pharmacognosy
• Bibliometrics
• Traditional Medicine

Background:

• Ginseng (Panax species) is a widely researched medicinal plant.
• Understanding the global research landscape of ginseng is crucial for future studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the publication trends and research focus of Panax and ginseng studies.
• To identify key contributing countries and prevalent research topics in ginseng research.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of 470 publications retrieved using "Panax" and "ginseng" keywords.
• Categorization of publications by type, country of origin, and research topic.
• Focus on pharmacodynamic studies and their specific areas of investigation.

Main Results:

• 399 research articles, 30 reviews, and 30 meeting abstracts were identified.
• Korea (35.7%), China (32.3%), and the USA (11.3%) were the leading countries.
• Pharmacodynamic studies (43.6%) focused on cerebrovascular function and cancer; P. ginseng was the most studied species.

Conclusions:

• Ginseng research is globally distributed, with significant contributions from East Asian countries.
• Pharmacodynamic research, especially concerning P. ginseng's effects on cerebrovascular and cancer conditions, dominates the field.