The Areca ginseng plant, scientifically known as Curculigo orchioides Gaertn and belonging to the Hypoxidaceae family, contains many valuable medicinal substances. These substances, such as saponins and flavonoids, have been successfully propagated by scientists using tissue culture technology. The plant is also known by names such as Tiem mao, Ngai cau, and Co noclan, and used to grow abundantly in the wild.
Research has shown that the Areca ginseng tree has numerous compounds that are beneficial for traditional medicine purposes. These compounds are used to treat male physiological diseases, asthma, diarrhea, hypoglycemia, chronic nephritis, anti-cancer effects, and skin diseases. Due to its medicinal properties, this species of ginseng was exploited on a large scale in the 1980s and was included in the Red Book and the Red List of Vietnamese medicinal plants.
To increase economic value and conservation efforts, a research team at the High-Tech Agricultural Business Incubation Center in Ho Chi Minh City has successfully cultured the Areca ginseng plant using tissue culture technology. After nearly a year of cultivation in the laboratory, the team experimented with planting the ginseng in an area of 1,000 m2 in Cu Chi district. The plants are grown in polybags and placed in nurseries to adapt to natural conditions before being harvested.
The Areca ginseng plant requires a shaded environment to grow optimally, with a 50% shading level providing the best conditions for growth and productivity. The ginseng plants prefer moist, fertile soil in shaded areas, such as valleys or at the foot of limestone mountains. Farmers can plant the ginseng at a density of 50,000 trees per 1,000 m2 and control water and soil moisture during the tuber development stage.
After a year of planting, farmers can harvest the ginseng roots, with an average weight of 60-65 g each. The saponin content in the roots ranges from 0.54% to 0.68%, flavonoids from 0.19% to 0.23%, and curculigoside from 0.23% to 0.31%. The ginseng roots can be sold at a price of about 150,000 VND per kg at the garden, resulting in a potential income of around 467 million VND per crop.
The research team’s results have shown economic and social value, and the High-tech Agricultural Business Incubation Center plans to deploy this model for tours, study sessions, and technology transfers to interested organizations or individuals. Neighboring provinces with similar natural conditions are also suitable for growing ginseng and areca nut using this method.