Red ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) originates from Northeast China and Korea, where the plant's roots have been used for centuries. The mature roots contain a particularly large number of saponins, specifically ginsenosides, and in traditional Chinese medicine are considered a tonic, which is why they are often referred to as a "power root". Due to the global popularity of genuine Panax ginseng, it is almost extinct in the wild and primarily exists as a cultivated plant.
Mainly the roots of the ginseng are used, which have developed over the years and contain a particularly large number of special saponins. These special saponins are also called ginsenosides and can be further differentiated on the basis of their chemical structure: e.g. into the ginsenosides Rg1, Rb1 and Rg3.
