Ginsenoside From Panax Plants Rewires Root Growth by Blocking Auxin Traffic and Triggering Oxidative Stress

Plants of the Panax genus--which includes ginseng and notoginseng--are known to suppress the growth of neighbouring plants through chemical warfare, but the precise molecular weapons and their targets have remained unclear. Now, researchers have identified Zingibroside R1 (ZR1), a rare ginsenoside found in aged and wild Panax species, as a potent allelochemical that inhibits root growth. The study reveals that ZR1 disrupts polar auxin transport, alters auxin distribution in root tips, and triggers oxidative stress responses--ultimately shortening roots and impairing meristem activity through the downregulation of key stem cell regulators.