Pyroptosis: A pharmacological target of ginseng and its phytochemical components for human inflammatory diseases

Pyroptosis is an intensely inflammatory form of lytic programmed cell death, typically triggered by pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and is likely to form part of the inflammatory responses. It is driven by inflammasome activation during the triggering phase of inflammatory responses rather than the priming phase. Due to its role in inflammation, pyroptosis has been explored as a potential therapeutic target for suppressing inflammatory responses and treating inflammatory diseases. With growing evidence that ginseng and its primary bioactive compounds, ginsenosides, exert anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting inflammasomes, their potential role in targeting pyroptosis for treating inflammatory diseases is particularly significant. Recent studies have highlighted the inhibitory effects of ginseng and ginsenosides on pyroptosis, along with the underlying mechanisms in inflammatory conditions. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of research investigating the pyroptosis-targeted anti-inflammatory properties of ginseng and ginsenosides, emphasizing their potential as herbal therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of pyroptosis-driven inflammatory diseases.