Researchers say substances within the root disrupt proteins in the body which promote cancer spread and growth.
They have also developed a new technique for processing the root which yields large amounts of cancer-preventing active ingredients.
The scientists now say drugs or supplements derived from the plant Red ginseng, a traditional Korean medicine, could soon be available.
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The plant, which has long been used as an ingredient in traditional Korean medicine, has seen a recent surge in popularity in the West in health and well-being products.
Unlike normal cells, which die when separated from their original tissue, cancer cells can spread to other tissues where they invade and grow, in a process called metastasis.
Part of this process involves a protein, TGF-β1, which sends signals throughout the body and can bring on lung cancer metastasis and promote the development of stem cell-like properties in cancer cells.
But a team of researchers at The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) have discovered that by treating lung cancer cells with active ingredients, Rk1 and Rg5, they could block processes related to cancer metastasis activated by the protein.
However the effectiveness of the root, researchers say, depends on how it is processed to extract its active compounds.
To tackle the problem Dr. Jungyeob Ham, from KIST, developed a new microwave oven-style processing method which is 20 times more effective than current drying and steaming techniques.
The research team previously demonstrated that red ginseng produced this way, which they call KMxG, is also effective against prostate, cervical, and skin cancers, and has protective effects against drug-induced kidney damage.
Dr Ham said:
”Although components of red ginseng previously have been shown to kill cancer cells, this study proved that these components of red ginseng have other anti-cancer effects and can inhibit lung cancer metastasis.
“This provides scientific evidence that may lead to the future development of anti-cancer drugs derived from natural products.
“Because we can control the active ingredient contents of red ginseng by using microwave processing methods like the one that produced KMxG, it may be possible to develop customized functional materials for various diseases.”
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The technology was purchased by biotech firm Ponin Bio Co. last year for around $692,000 and is now on track to hit the market.
The new study has been published in Journal of Ginseng Research.