What kind of ginseng is Vietnam's 'national treasure'?

Most Vietnamese people currently assume that the best Vietnamese ginseng is Ngoc Linh ginseng. However, some scientists claim there is a species of ginseng considered a "twin" of Ngoc Linh ginseng because of its similar morphology, genes, and "qualities." That is Lai Chau ginseng.

Lai Chau Ginseng Garden

Raising the issue of whether a Vietnamese ginseng species has the same quality as SLC is quite sensitive, even though the state has classified it as a "national treasure" like SLC. In reality, SLC is currently receiving more favorable treatment from the media and consumers. SLC is considered a treasure, a valuable medicinal herb undeniably confirmed by numerous domestic and international scientific studies. But if only SLC is favored over SLC, a valuable ginseng species with scientific studies (albeit fewer than SLC) proving it to be a "twin brother," possessing similar valuable qualities, is that fair?

Lai Chau ginseng

What is the "twin brother" of Ngoc Linh ginseng like?

Panax articulatus KL Dao was discovered very early by scientists. In 1973, pharmacist Dao Kim Long burst into tears of joy upon discovering Panax articulatus KL Dao in the Ngoc Linh mountain range, spanning Kon Tum and Quang Nam provinces, and named the species Panax articulatus KL Dao. Later, in 1985, the species received its official scientific name , Panax vietnamensis Ha et Grushv.

Ngoc Linh Ginseng Garden

But it wasn't until nearly 30 years later that a variety of ginseng considered a "twin" of SNL (Syzygium jambos) was announced: SLC (Syzygium limonides). Surprisingly, this announcement was made by foreign researchers, including those from China and Japan. Their research group's papers were published in the prestigious Journal of Natural Products (of the American Chemical Society) in 2002, identifying the ginseng species studied as Yesanchi, scientifically known as Panax japonicus . However, just one year later, scientists corrected this to Panax vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus, a new variety of Vietnamese ginseng, in the Japanese domestic journal , Journal of Japanese Botany . The foreign authors described it as a new variety of SNL ( Panax vietnamensis Ha et Grushv). A few years after that, Vietnamese scientists announced that this ginseng also grows naturally in Lai Chau, hence the name SLC.

Ngoc Linh ginseng fruit

"Based on studies of genes and saponin chemical composition, SLC is in no way inferior to SNL; it can be considered a twin brother of SNL," said Dr. Pham Quang Tuyen (Forestry Research Institute), who has extensively researched SLC.

The research results of "Conservation and Development of Wild Panax Notoginseng and Wild Panax Notoginseng in the Highland Communes of Muong Te District," conducted by Dr. Pham Quang Tuyen and colleagues in 2018, also indicated that Wild Panax Notoginseng is a particularly rare and valuable genetic resource for Vietnam and the world . Regarding the medicinal properties of Wild Panax Notoginseng, all parts of the plant can be used as medicine. The rhizome is commonly used as a tonic, hemostatic, invigorating, and stress-reducing medicine. The leaves and flower buds are used to make tea, which stimulates digestion and has a calming effect. Quantitative analysis of total saponins using the gravimetric method showed that the total saponin content in the samples of Wild Panax Notoginseng and Wild Panax Notoginseng was similar (around 20%), while the samples of Wild Panax Notoginseng had a much lower content (around 3%).

Specifically, a comparative study evaluating the quality of medicinal herbs for species of the same genus Panax ( Panax L. ) in Vietnam at the same age, conducted by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Do Thi Ha (Institute of Medicinal Materials) and Dr. Pham Quang Tuyen in 2018, showed that the total saponin content in the samples was: Panax vietnamensis (22.29%); Panax vietnamensis (21.95%), Panax vietnamensis (7.5%), and Panax notoginseng (7.13%). This result indicates that the total saponin content of Panax vietnamensis is equivalent to that of Panax vietnamensis and much higher than that of Panax vietnamensis and Panax notoginseng.

We met with Dr. Le Thi Hong Van (Faculty of Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy), a scientist passionate about researching Vietnamese ginseng varieties such as SNL, SLC, and Langbiang ginseng (SLBA), to ask why some scientists call SLC the "twin" of SNL. Dr. Van said: Currently, there are three Vietnamese ginseng varieties that have been documented: SNL ( Panax vietnamensis var. vietnamensis ), SLC ( P. vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus ), and SLBA ( P. vietnamensis var. langbianensis ). However, SLBA has not been commercially cultivated; it only exists in the wild and is on the verge of extinction due to overexploitation. Comparing the morphology of the other two ginseng varieties, Dr. Van said it is "very difficult to distinguish." Chemically, SNL and SLC are quite similar in saponin content and composition.

The status of Ngoc Linh ginseng as its "twin sister".

At the national level, both SLC and SNL are considered "national treasures". Most recently, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 611/QD-TTg on June 1, 2023, approving the "Program for the Development of Vietnamese Ginseng until 2023, with a vision to 2045". This decision focuses on developing commercial-scale ginseng growing areas in Quang Nam, Kon Tum, and Lai Chau provinces. The decision also specifies the establishment of modern ginseng seed production facilities in these localities, based on specific determinations of suitable ginseng growing areas to ensure efficiency, with priority given to Quang Nam, Kon Tum, and Lai Chau provinces.

A delegation from the Korean Ginseng Association visited a ginseng farm in Tam Duong District, Lai Chau Province.

Dr. Pham Quang Tuyen provided the information.

In 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development granted Lai Chau province a plant variety protection certificate for the SLC plant. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Science and Technology issued a decision accepting the SLC certification mark as valid for Lai Chau province.

Currently, scientists have agreed to use the common name "Vietnamese ginseng" ( Panax vietnamensis ) as in the Vietnamese Pharmacopoeia for the three domestically grown ginseng varieties that have been published: SNL, SLC, and SLBA. However, in practice, localities growing SLC and SNL still seem unwilling to use the common name "Vietnamese ginseng" and continue to use the individual names SNL or SLC.

According to our observations in the SNL ginseng growing region, growers and even some managers still believe that the most valuable Vietnamese ginseng is SNL. A price comparison also reveals a clear difference. SLC ginseng, grown at the same age and size, costs only 1/2 to 2/3 the price of SNL ginseng.

"The names SNL or SLC should only be used for Vietnamese ginseng with geographical indications in the Ngoc Linh or Lai Chau regions. It wouldn't be right to call SNL ginseng grown in Son La or Tam Dao as SNL. Furthermore, SLC is also a precious type of ginseng considered a national treasure, so calling both SLC and SNL Vietnamese ginseng is correct," a scientist with many years of research on Vietnamese ginseng expressed his opinion.

With an objective spirit and respect for science, we sought out professors and doctors who have conducted extensive research on Vietnamese ginseng to hear their perspectives on SLC from a more scientific and multifaceted viewpoint. (to be continued)

SLC is an endemic species with a narrow distribution in the Pu Si Lung mountain range and bordering Muong Te district (Pa Ve Su, Ka Lang, Thu Lum, Ta Ba) bordering China, and the Pu Sam Cap mountain range located between Sin Ho district (Nam Tam, Pu Sam Cap) and Tam Duong district (Khun Ha, Ban Giang, Ho Thau), Lai Chau province. SLC is concentrated at altitudes from 1,400 - 2,000 m above sea level, preferring humid conditions, cool year-round, and cold winters.

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