Notoginsenoside R1 is a characteristic constituent of Radix notoginseng, a well known herbal medicine widely used in Asian countries for treating microcirculatory disturbance-related diseases, such as diabetic nephropathy, cardiovascular disease, cerebral vascular disease, and liver dysfunction. Notoginsenoside R1 has multiple pharmacologic activities, including cardioprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects. A study on the application of Notoginsenoside R1 in a rat model of diabetic nephropathy indicated that Notoginsenoside R1 ameliorated the glucose-induced impairment of podocyte adhesive capacity and subsequent podocyte depopulation, partly through the upregulation of α3β1 integrin via PI3K-Akt signaling pathway activation.