Applications of Panax ginseng C. A. Mey. and its derivatives in cognitive and emotional dysregulation: A perspective from medicine-food homology

Mental health issues, including cognitive impairment, anxiety, and depression, have become a major global health challenge. Notably, conventional pharmacological treatments are often accompanied by adverse reactions. The traditional Chinese medicine concept of “Medicine and Food Homology (MFH)” provides an important direction for disease prevention and treatment. Panax ginseng C. A. Mey. (P. ginseng, Ren Shen) is a representative MFH substance that has increasingly recognized for its roles in improving cognitive function and regulating mood. However, there remains no systematic integration based on modern scientific evidence. This review aimed to systematically summarize existing research in order to clarify the therapeutic potential and mechanisms of P. ginseng and its products (Red Ginseng, Black Ginseng, ginsenosides, polysaccharides, etc.). For cognitive improvement, they act through multiple pathways, including inhibiting neuroinflammation, enhancing antioxidant capacity, improving mitochondrial metabolism, and regulating synaptic plasticity. For emotional regulation, they alleviate anxiety and depression by modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal/hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, balancing neurotransmitters, and activating the brain-derived neurotrophic factor-tropomyosin receptor kinase B pathway. P. ginseng and its active components exhibit multi-target, network-based action characteristics and good safety profiles. However, there remain challenges, including unclear mechanisms for individual components and insufficient high-quality clinical evidence. Future studies are warranted to perform in-depth analysis of the synergistic mechanisms of active ingredients. Moreover, large-scale clinical trials are warranted to provide scientific support for the standardized application of P. ginseng in mental health.