Effects of steaming process on rare saponins and efficacy of Panax ginseng, Panax notoginseng and Panax quinquefolium

The steamed Panax ginseng C. A. Mey., Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen, and Panax quinquefolium L. not only facilitate storage, but also increase the content of rare saponins and enhance their clinical application value. The traditional steaming process has high energy consumption, low efficiency, and lacks standardized operating procedures and unified standards. This paper retrieves the research literature on the steaming process parameters, rare saponin increments, and efficacy enhancement results of ginseng plants. By summarizing the effects of different steaming processes on rare saponins and pharmacodynamics in P. ginseng, P. notoginseng and P. quinquefolium, we explored new steaming methods and established a new quality evaluation system to provide guarantee for the effectiveness and safety of clinical medication and provide scientific basis for its rational use.