Panax notoginseng root extract

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Panax notoginseng root extract is a botanical ingredient derived from the roots of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen, a plant with a long history in traditional Chinese medicine. It is primarily used as a functional food ingredient and dietary supplement ingredient valued for its adaptogenic, antioxidant, and ergogenic properties, with bioactive compounds dominated by dammarane-type triterpenoid saponins (ginsenosides Rg1, Rb1, Rd, Re, and notoginsenoside R1).

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

The extract is generally considered safe for healthy adults at regulated doses; EFSA concluded safety at 0.5 mg/kg body weight per day (up to 35 mg/day) for a combined P. notoginseng and Astragalus membranaceus extract in food supplements. High-dose ginseng use has been associated with a 'ginseng abuse syndrome' involving CNS hyperactivity, skin eruptions, and diarrhea, and it can interact with anticoagulants such as warfarin. Standalone long-term toxicological data for isolated P. notoginseng extract remain limited, and standalone sub-chronic or chronic human safety studies are lacking.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Authorized as a novel food under Regulation (EU) 2020/1821 (implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/2283) specifically as a combined extract with Astragalus membranaceus (AstraGin™/InnoSlim® type blend). Authorized for use in food supplements for the general adult population only; use by pregnant women is explicitly excluded. Safe intake set at 0.5 mg/kg bw/day, corresponding to a maximum of 35 mg/day.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Panax pseudoginseng var. notoginseng (Tienchi ginseng) is recognized by the FDA as a dietary supplement ingredient under 21 CFR 101.4(h) within the Panax genus. Ginseng ingredients from the Panax genus are generally regarded as safe (GRAS) by FDA for use as dietary supplements. No specific standalone GRAS notice for isolated P. notoginseng root extract was confirmed in the GRAS inventory; permissible under DSHEA as a botanical dietary supplement ingredient.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Pregnancy — EFSA's novel food authorization (Regulation (EU) 2020/1821) explicitly excludes pregnant women from the approved target population for P. notoginseng extract food supplements, and no safety data have been established for this group.

Lactation — No data exist on the safety and efficacy of ginseng (including P. notoginseng) in nursing mothers or infants, per PubMed review (PMID:30000873), so use during breastfeeding should be discussed with a healthcare provider.

Infants — The EU novel food authorization explicitly restricts use to the general adult population, and no safety data have been established for infants or young children.

Children — The EU novel food authorization (Regulation (EU) 2020/1821) restricts use to adults only; safety data in children are absent.

Heart Disease — Ginseng saponins can decrease blood levels of anticoagulants such as warfarin and may affect blood pressure, posing a risk for individuals with cardiovascular disease on concurrent medications.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1PubMed. Panax notoginseng: Pharmacological Aspects and Toxicological Issues, 2024. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2EFSA. Safety of a botanical extract derived from Panax notoginseng and Astragalus membranaceus (AstraGin™) as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, 2020. efsa.europa.eu
3PubMed. Toxicological Evaluation of a Mixture of Astragalus membranaceus and Panax notoginseng Root Extracts (InnoSlim®), 2019. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4PubMed. Ginseng (Lactation and Drugs), 2018. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5PubMed. A novel strategy with standardized reference extract qualification and single compound quantitative evaluation for quality control of Panax notoginseng used as a functional food, 2013. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Independently researched5 citations