Therapeutic effect of ginseng: a non-antibiotic approach to preventing pathogenic bacterial infections and restoring gut microbiota composition.

Human health is influenced by various factors, including bacteria that surround us ubiquitously. Bacteria constituting normal microbiota of various human body niches, primarily the gut, can confer beneficial effects by aiding food digestion, improving nutrient production, and preventing pathogen colonization. However, bacteria can also have harmful effects as pathogens, especially when the immune system is compromised due to various diseases. In particular, secondary or co-infections caused by pathogenic bacteria have been shown to significantly contribute to illness severity and increased mortality rates. Ginseng, an herb widely used for various medicinal purposes in Asia, including the treatment of cancer and immune-related diseases, has shown substantial effects in modulating the bacterial composition of the human body, including protecting human health against various pathogenic bacterial infections. Furthermore, recent studies have also demonstrated that ginseng can promote the restoration of disrupted gut microbiota composition, caused by various reasons such as intestinal inflammation, obesity, antibiotics-associated diarrhea, colitis and so on. Therefore, this review comprehensively discusses the effects of ginseng on pathogenic bacteria, as well as the recent findings on the impact of ginseng on gut microbiota imbalances caused by various factors.