Cultivated ginseng is often introduced as substitute and adulterant of Russian wild ginseng due to its lower cost or misidentification caused by similarity in appearance with wild ginseng. The aim of this study is to develop a simple and reliable method to differentiate Russian wild ginseng from cultivated ginseng.

Ginsenoside Rh2 (G-Rh2) is a ginseng saponin that is widely investigated because of its remarkable antitumor activity. However, its molecular mechanism by which (20S)G-Rh2 triggers its functions and how target animals avoid its cytotoxic action remains largely unknown.