Ginsenosides: potential therapeutic implications in neurodegenerative diseases by inhibiting ferroptosis

A positive correlation exists between the accelerating pace of population aging and the increasing prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases. Conditions such as Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) profoundly compromise patient quality of life, yet efficacious clinical interventions remain notably limited. The prevention and management of neurodegenerative diseases represent a critical global public health imperative. A comprehensive literature search was performed across PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus to identify studies on the biological functions, molecular mechanisms, and clinical implications of ginsenosides. The search strategy incorporated MeSH terms and free-text keywords, encompassing "neurodegenerative disease", "ferroptosis", "ginsenosides", "Parkinson's disease", "Alzheimer's disease", "amyotrophic lateral sclerosis", "Huntington's disease" and "multiple sclerosis". From an initial pool of over 400 papers (1998-2026), 107 were selected in this narrative review. Ferroptosis is intricately linked to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Ginsenosides constitute the principal bioactive triterpenoid saponins extracted from plants of the Panax genus, demonstrating broad-spectrum pharmacological efficacy encompassing antitumor, immunomodulatory, anti‑inflammatory, anti‑allergic, anti‑atherosclerotic, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antistress, and neuroprotective activities. Ginsenosides exert their neuroprotective effects against AD, PD, and ALS predominantly through the modulation of ferroptosis. Herein, this article provides a review of the molecular mechanisms, genetic determinants, signaling cascades, and functional implications of ferroptosis. Ginsenosides represent promising therapeutic agents in neurodegenerative diseases via modulation of iron homeostasis; this paper elucidates mechanistic insights into disease pathogenesis and evaluates their translational therapeutic potential. This narrative review highlights emerging insights that provide novel therapeutic perspectives for neurodegenerative diseases.