Ginseng and astragalus used in samgyetang interact actively with proteins when used together

Domestic researchers have discovered the effectiveness of prescribing herbal medicines with similar therapeutic effects in traditional Korean medicine, such as ginseng and astragalus, together. It has been confirmed that the proteins contained in each herbal ingredient interact with each other, resulting in a greater effect in alleviating diseases and other symptoms.

 

On the 22nd, the Korean Institute of Oriental Medicine's Department of Herbal Medicine Data announced that researcher Lee Sang-hoon and his team confirmed that the reason for prescribing herbal medicines with similar efficacy together in traditional Korean medicine is due to the synergistic effect of increasing drug metabolic pathways and activating new metabolic routes. The research findings were published in the international journal 'Journal of Ethnopharmacology' on June 15.

In traditional Korean medicine, prescriptions have developed that mix various different medicinal herbs rather than using a single herb. There are often cases where herbs with similar effects, such as ginseng and astragalus, are prescribed together, but research on the principles of such mixed prescriptions has not been actively conducted.

 

The research team examined the effects of a mixed prescription of ginseng and astragalus in traditional Korean medicine. Focusing on cancer-related fatigue symptoms, they compared how ginseng and astragalus act on biological metabolic pathways within the human body, predicted the 'protein-protein interaction network' activated inside our bodies when taking herbal medicine, and conducted comparative analysis.

 

As a result, the protein interaction was 1.38 times more abundant when ginseng and astragalus were used together compared to using ginseng or astragalus alone. Two proteins and 89 new interactions were activated.

The research team explained that "using a mixture of herbal medicines with similar effects, rather than a single type of herbal ingredient, means that symptoms can be controlled more stably and effectively through a variety of metabolic pathways."

 

However, it has been confirmed that the protein hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α), which is known to decrease in activity when ginseng or astragalus are taken alone, increases when these two herbal medicines are combined.

 

The research team stated, "The activation of HIF-1α has positive aspects such as improving fatigue and protecting nerve cells, but it also has a dual nature in that it can reduce the tumor growth inhibitory effects that were present when used individually," and added, "Although the medicinal effects of herbal medicines are not easily explained by simple mechanisms, it is cautious to consider that cancer patients might consider including only one of ginseng or astragalus in samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) at least once."

 

[Reporter Park Jung-yeon hesse@donga.com]

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Although the hottest days have passed, samgyetang is still on our table.

I frequently post to share information.

If you take ginseng and astragalus together, it helps with protein absorption.

They say the interaction is good.

Samgyetang is also enjoyed in summer, especially for those who sweat a lot, by boiling it with 황기 (astragalus root) and ginseng.

I think it would be good to add it together and boil.

Only one thing is allowed for cancer patients.