Siberian ginseng stems may fight steroid-related muscle loss
Lee J, Shin S, Park J, Kim Y, Choi HY
Medicinal Plants
The scraggly stems of Siberian ginseng usually get tossed aside in favor of the root, but this study suggests the woody stem itself holds compounds that protect muscle, meaning a plant part often treated as waste could become the sustainable part worth growing and harvesting.
Eleutherococcus senticosus, often called Siberian ginseng, is an adaptogenic shrub that folk medicine has long used to build strength. Researchers tested a standardized extract made from its stems, rather than the usual roots, on rats given a steroid drug that causes severe muscle wasting. The stem extract preserved grip strength, muscle size, and muscle fiber health, and it worked by calming down the cellular signals that tell muscle to break itself apart.
Key Findings
In rats, 300 mg/kg of the stem extract (ES-SW) produced the strongest protection against dexamethasone-induced declines in grip strength, muscle mass, and muscle fiber cross-sectional area.
The extract raised IGF-1 (a muscle-growth hormone) and lowered CK-MM and IL-6, markers of muscle damage and inflammation, in treated rats.
At the molecular level, ES-SW increased phosphorylation of FoxO3a and suppressed the atrophy genes atrogin-1 and MuRF-1, with matching effects seen in cultured muscle cells (C2C12 myotubes) via FoxO3a and Akt/mTOR signaling.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A water extract from the stems of Siberian ginseng, a plant traditionally used to strengthen muscles and bones, protected rats from steroid-induced muscle wasting by preserving muscle mass, strength, and muscle fiber size. The extract worked by blocking the molecular signals that break down muscle protein.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
A standardized Eleutherococcus senticosus stem extract attenuates dexamethasone-induced skeletal muscle atrophy.
Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.) Maxim. is a well-established traditional adaptogen traditionally used to strengthen muscles and bones, suggesting potential relevance in muscle wasting c...
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Eleutherococcus senticosus is a species of small, woody shrub in the family Araliaceae. It is native to Northeastern Asia. It may be colloquially called devil's bush, Siberian ginseng, taiga root, eleuthero, ciwujia, Devil's shrub, shigoka, touch-me-not, wild pepper, or kan jang. E. senticosus ha...