RESUMO
Ginseng, a perennial plant belonging to genus Panax, has been widely used in traditional herbal medicine in East Asia and North America. Ginsenosides are the most important pharmacological component of ginseng. Variabilities in attached positions, inner and outer residues and types of sugar moieties may be associated with the specific pharmacological activities of each ginsenoside. Ginsenoside Rg5 (Rg5) is a minor ginsenoside synthesized during ginseng steaming treatment that exhibits superior pharmaceutical activity compared with major ginsenosides. With high safety and various biological functions, Rg5 may act as a potential therapeutic candidate for diverse diseases. To date, there have been no systematic studies on the activity of Rg5. Therefore, in this review, all available literature was reviewed and discussed to facilitate further research on Rg5.