Siberian ginseng is the trade name of the spiny eleutherococcus, Eleutherococcus senticosus. This shrub comes from eastern Asia and does not belong to the same genus as Panax ginseng. The name "ginseng" made it easier to recognize in the trade, but it could also lead to mistakes when comparing recipes.
Why trade names can be misleading
Eleutherococcus spiny is not a member of the genus Panax. Combining it with ginseng in trade names does not make the plants interchangeable. In descriptions of eleutherococcus, other groups of compounds than ginsenosides characteristic of Panax can be found. Therefore, it is worth recognizing the botanical name first and only then comparing the extracts. A common association with a herbal tradition is not information about the same composition.
Meaning and application
As a raw material, mainly underground parts are used, from which powder and extracts are prepared. In the history of modern herbalism, eleutherococcus is strongly associated with the interest in plants called adaptogens. The characteristic compounds given in the specification of the extracts are eleutherosides. These are not ginsenosides known from the genus Panax. When reading a label, it is worth checking the Latin name and standardization instead of relying solely on the common part of the trade name.
In practice
Eleutherococcus and plants of the genus Panax belong to different botanical genera, although they have a common trade term. Their characteristic groups of compounds are not identical. Eleutherosides should not be read as another name for ginsenosides. This is especially important when comparing standardization percentages because they refer to different materials and markings. The word "ginseng" itself may hide these differences. It is worth identifying a modern extract by species, plant part and preparation process. The name of the region does not indicate the mass of the ingredient or its concentration. The history of the popularity of adaptogenic plants is an interesting context, but it does not constitute a full specification of the finished product.