ginsenoside Rh4

Ginsenoside Rh4 is a triterpenoid saponin isolated primarily from Panax ginseng (Korean red ginseng), Panax notoginseng, and Panax vietnamensis. It exhibits a variety of pharmacological activities, including anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, gastroprotective, and immunomodulatory effects. Its mechanisms of action are diverse—Rh4 has been shown to reverse multidrug resistance in tumor cells by downregulating ABCB1 expression and inhibiting the PI3K/AKT pathway, thereby enhancing chemotherapy efficacy. It inhibits cancer cell proliferation by activating the ROS/p53 signaling pathway and triggering ferroptosis and autophagy. Rh4 modulates several cell survival and death signaling cascades such as NF-κB, STAT3, and JAK-STAT, and induces apoptosis by activating the death receptor Fas and increasing cytochrome C release. As an adjunct to chemotherapy, Rh4 can alleviate chemotherapy-induced gastrointestinal mucositis by modulating the gut microbiota and restoring intestinal barrier function, particularly via the TGR5-TLR4-NF-κB pathway. Rh4 also has demonstrated protective effects against gastric ulcers and hepatic lipid metabolism disorders in various in vivo models[1][2][3][4][5][7][9][10].

Other names

ginsenoside Rh(4)6-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyldammar-20(22),24-diene-3 beta,6 alpha,12 beta-triol