Ginsenosides: prospective for sustainable biotechnological production

Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer (ginseng) is a well-known medicinal plant that has been traditionally used in the oriental countries for centuries. Wild ginseng is a scarce and rare commodity. Field cultivation of the ginseng plant is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. Ginsenosides, a group of glycosylated triterpenes, also known as saponins, are the principal bioactive constituents of ginseng. The use of cell and organ culture processes has been sought as a potential alternative for the efficient mass production of ginseng raw material. Various bioprocessing strategies have been developed to date. Cells and adventitious roots have been cultured in large-scale bioreactors and various strategies have been developed accordingly for the enhancement of biomass and ginsenoside accumulation. This review highlights the recent progress in the cultivation of ginseng cell and organ cultures for the production of ginsenosides from bioreactor cultures. In addition, the metabolism and biochemistry of ginsenoside biosynthesis, genomic and proteomic studies in ginseng, metabolic engineering, biosafety, toxicological evaluation, and efficacy assessment of ginseng raw material are also summarized and thoroughly discussed.