The ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP) announced the publication of a new bulletin covering the adulteration of commercially important ginseng species: Panax ginseng, P. notoginseng, and P. quinquefolius.

At the end of last year, BAPP also published a review of 48 scientific publications covering ginseng adulteration.

Asian Ginseng (P. ginseng) root is an adaptogen and is one of the most well-known plants in traditional Chinese medicine. It is used as a tonic to mitigate fatigue, improve work performance and concentration, and support recovery. American ginseng (P. qincquefolius) is used in herbal medicine as an adaptogen to support immune function, energy, stress resistance, and blood sugar balance. Tienchi ginseng (P. notoginseng) is used to promote circulation, healthy inflammatory response, and to stop bleeding.

Ginseng adulteration dates back to 18th century China, with documented occurrences of cultivated or immature roots being used to adulterate wild-harvested roots. Whole roots were also sold with lead fillings to increase weight. Other adulterations included wrapping a thread around the top portion of the root during steaming to create more wrinkles, which makes the root appear older and therefore more valuable. Roots of other plant species are also sold as “Asian ginseng.”

Today, the sale of lower-cost roots from other Panax species, previously-extracted root materials sold as genuine root, and the mixture of ginseng root extract with ginseng leaf extract are among the most common forms of ginseng adulteration.

The new BAPP bulletin was written by Nilüfer Orhan, PhD, an expert in natural products chemistry and pharmacology. She authored the recent review, which summarizes scientific data on adulteration and mislabeling of ginseng roots; analytical methods to detect adulteration; and information on taxonomy, uses, supply, and market status of Asian, American, and tienchi ginseng. Nineteen experts in medicinal plant quality control from nonprofits, analytical labs, and the herb industry provided peer review.

“Asian ginseng is one of the most highly regarded plants used as herbal medicine worldwide, as evidenced by the use of the term ‘ginseng’ in common names of numerous herbs sold internationally,” said Stefan Gafner, PhD, chief science officer at the American Botanical Council. “These include so-called Brazilian, Indian, Peruvian, and Siberian ‘ginseng,’ which are medicinal plants from various areas of the world that are not members of the genus Panax. Despite extensive cultivation of American and Asian ginseng, prices and demand are still relatively high, creating an incentive for economically motivated adulteration.”

“I have been keenly interested and previously engaged in the commercial ginseng market for over 50 years. Back in the 1970s, I owned a small herb wholesale company that sold various types of ginseng products (roots, powders, extracts, teas) from Asian and American ginseng, plus tienchi ginseng,” said Mark Blumenthal, founder and executive director of ABC. “In 1979, when I was president of the Herb Trade Association (the predecessor to the American Herbal Products Association), we were successful in removing the fraudulently marketed ‘wild red American ginseng’ (a Southwest US plant called canaigre, Rumex hymenosepalus) from the US market. So, with a history of exposing fraudulent ginseng products, I have commissioned the publication of several papers over the years in ABC’s peer-reviewed journal HerbalGram on misunderstandings and confusion surrounding the name ‘ginseng.’ This activity of educating on authentic ginseng nomenclature has culminated in BAPP’s publication of the recent review of ginseng adulteration and now the new BAPP ginseng bulletin.”