Panax ginseng C.A. Mey. as a potential raw material in the treatment of negative effects of alcohol consumption

An alcohol hangover is a complex set of adverse symptoms that occur after excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages. Hangovers are not solely caused by ethanol, but mainly by its toxic metabolites, such as acetaldehyde and acetic acid. Most of the negative symptoms occur when the concentration of alcohol in the blood decreases after drinking. Given that a large percentage of people consume alcohol and experience negative effects from its consumption, potential supplementation to help eliminate these adverse effects has been proposed. One promising ingredient is ginseng, which has been used in Eastern culture and traditional Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years. The aim of this study was to present the potential of Panax ginseng C.A. Mey. as an aid for the adverse effects of alcohol consumption and its protective effect on liver function. The literature analysis was based on data indexed in medical databases PubMed, Scopus, and Medline since 2010, using keywords such as "Panax ginseng," "hangover," "alcohol consumption," and "metabolism," connected by the logical conjuction “and.” The analysis confirmed the effectiveness of P. ginseng in the treatment and prevention of hangovers. Preparations containing P. ginseng can support ethanol metabolism by inducing enzymes such as alcohol dehydrogenase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, and the cytochrome P450 isoform 2E1 system. An additional advantage of using P. ginseng may be its hepatoprotective effect.