Pseudoginsenoside F11 is a chemical natural product found in

American ginseng American ginseng (''Panax quinquefolius'') is a herbaceous perennial plant in the ivy family, commonly used as an herb in traditional Chinese medicine. It is native to eastern North America, though it is also cultivated in China. Since the 18th ...

(''Panax quinquefolius'') but not in

Asian ginseng ''Panax ginseng'', ginseng, also known as Asian ginseng, Chinese ginseng, or Korean ginseng, is a species of plant whose root is the original source of ginseng. It is a perennial plant that grows in the mountains of East Asia. Names ''Panax gi ...

(''Panax ginseng''), although it has similar properties to the Asian ginseng compound ginsenoside Rf. The molecule is a

triterpenoid saponin Saponins (Latin "sapon", soap + "-in", one of), also selectively referred to as triterpene glycosides, are bitter-tasting usually toxic plant-derived organic chemicals that have a foamy quality when agitated in water. They are widely distributed ...

member of the

dammarane Dammarane is a tetracyclic triterpene found in sapogenins (forming triterpenoid saponins) like those of ginseng (ginsenosides: panaxatriol and protopanaxadiol). Compounds of the series were first isolated from and named after dammar resin, a natu ...

family and contains a four-

ring Ring may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell :(hence) to initiate a telephone connection Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...

rigid skeleton. Compounds in the ginsenoside family are found almost exclusively in plants of the genus ''Panax''. A wide variety of difficult-to-characterize ''

in vitro ''In vitro'' (meaning in glass, or ''in the glass'') studies are performed with microorganisms, cells, or biological molecules outside their normal biological context. Colloquially called " test-tube experiments", these studies in biology ...

'' effects have been reported for the compounds in isolation. Pseudoginsenoside F11 and its derivatives are sometimes referred to as having an ''ocotillol''-type skeleton structure. Studies in mice have identified antagonistic effects on the actions of other well-characterized drugs, such as scopolamine,

morphine Morphine is a strong opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin in poppies (''Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as a pain medication, and is also commonly used recreationally, or to make other illicit opioids. T ...

, and methamphetamine.

References

{{Reflist Saponins Terpenes and terpenoids Glycosides