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Common Medicines from Herbs, Minerals and Animal Sources
Published in Mehwish Iqbal, Complementary and Alternative Medicinal Approaches for Enhancing Immunity, 2023
Zingiber officinale or ginger belongs to the family Zingiberaceae (similar to turmeric and cardamom) and is among the most frequently used herbs and flavouring agents all around the world (Surh, 1999). The spicy smell of ginger is primarily because of the existence of ketones, particularly gingerols, which emerge to be the principal constituent of ginger researched in most of the health-associated scientific studies. The most consuming part of ginger is a rhizome which also has medicinal properties. Chinese and Indians are believed to have discovered ginger as a tonic for health more than 5,000 years ago to manage numerous diseases, and this herb is nowadays growing in all tropical regions, though India is its biggest producer (Bode & Dong, 2011).
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Published in Nicole M. Farmer, Andres Victor Ardisson Korat, Cooking for Health and Disease Prevention, 2022
Ginger, known as Zingiber officinale, is a root used as an ingredient and spice in many countries for centuries. This root contains many potent phytonutrients and has been used traditionally by many ancient cultures for the treatment of inflammatory diseases (Langner, Greifenberg, and Gruenwald 1998). Modern research has also provided evidence for its ability to be useful for the treatment of disease such as cancer, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia (Rahimlou, Yari, Hekmatdoost, Alavian, and Keshavarz 2016). In regard to NAFLD, research suggests that ginger may reduce inflammatory markers associated with the progression of NAFLD. In a double-blind randomized study of 44 patients with NAFLD, 2 g of ginger daily for 12 weeks along with a modified diet and physical activity program was found to have reduced NAFLD-related liver enzymes and inflammatory cytokines in comparison to placebo (Rahimlou et al. 2016).
Plant Source Foods
Published in Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy, Food and Lifestyle in Health and Disease, 2022
Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy
The constituents of ginger are numerous and vary depending on its origin and the appearance of the rhizomes – for example, fresh or dry. They may be due to several dozen chemicals and several hundred compounds (230, 232). Zingiber officinale is reported to possess essential oils, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids, tannin, alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, carbohydrates, and proteins, as the major phytochemical groups (227–232). Terpenoids of ginger include terpineol, borneol, zingiberene, β-sesquiphellandrene, β-bisabolene, α-farnesene, and α-curcumene, while phenolic compounds include gingerol, paradols, shogaol, and diarylheptanoids. Gingerols and shogaol are the major phenolic compounds in ginger. Terpenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds are strong antioxidants. Besides these, amino acids, raw fiber, phytosterols, vitamins (nicotinic acid and vitamin A), protein, and minerals are also present (227–232).
The role of ginger’s extract and N-acetylcysteine against docetaxel-induced oxidative stress and genetic disorder
Published in Drug and Chemical Toxicology, 2023
Farzaneh Motafeghi, Parham Mortazavi, Amir Hossein Salman Mahiny, Mohammad Mehdi Abtahi, Mohammad Shokrzadeh
Ginger, scientifically known as Zingiber officinale, is a plant of the Zingiberaceae family. It is a herbaceous perennial which grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of leaves) which are about one meter tall and also bear narrow leaf blades. It is indigenous to Southeast Asia, and for centuries, it has played an essential role in Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Unani-Tibb herbal medicine for disease treatment. It has been highly theorized that ginger could benefit human health due to its antioxidant properties. The main components of ginger are 6-gingerol, 6-shogaol, 8-gingerol, and 10-gingerol. These constituents have previously demonstrated potent in-vitro antioxidant activity. Ginger extract has shown to reduce oxidative stress and increase plasma non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity (de WAARD and ANUNCIADO 1999, Atashak et al. 2014). It has been used as a spice and herbal medicine throughout time (Han et al. 2013, Mao et al. 2019). Ginger is rich in phenolic and terpenes compounds such as gingerol, shogaol, polysaccharides, lipids, and fiber (Stoner 2013). Studies have shown that ginger extract has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic activity. It has also been shown to increase the activity of antioxidant factors such as SOD, catalase, and GPx. The results of cellular and molecular studies have shown that ginger can also inhibit oxidative stress factors (Hosseinzadeh et al. 2017).
Preventive Effect of Combined Zingiber officinale and Terminalia chebula against DMBA-Induced Breast Cancer Rats via mTOR Inhibition
Published in Nutrition and Cancer, 2022
Jayasindu Mathiyazhagan, Ramamoorthy Siva, Rama Jayaraj, Harishkumar Madhyastha, Gothandam Kodiveri Muthukaliannan
Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer affecting women and is the second most common cause of cancer deaths globally (1). Breast cancer incidence is higher in younger (premenopausal) women (2). Overall mortality and morbidity emphasize the need to prevent breast cancer at its earliest. Tamoxifen is an estrogen receptor modulator that has been used for hormone therapy for the treatment of breast cancer. However, prolonged usage of this drug can cause serious complications such as stroke (3), pulmonary embolism (4), and retinal vein occlusion (5). A myriad of studies have shown the various effects of herbal and dietary compounds in cancer prevention (6). Thus, identifying dietary and herbal products with anticancer potential might provide an alternative for a treatment with significantly lower toxicity and at the same time readily available for all patients. Zingiber officinale (ZO) rhizome is a dietary product used in traditional medicine for diverse ailments such as migraine, arthritis, depression, high cholesterol, diabetes, and cancer (7, 8). Terminalia chebula (TC) fruit is well known in traditional medicine as a cardiotonic, antidiabetic, and anticancer agent (9). Many herbal/ayurvedic formulations (National Library of Ayurved Medicine) use a combination of ZO and TC. However, their combined property is yet to be validated scientifically.
A Randomized Double-Blind Trial of Ginger Root for Reducing Muscle Soreness and Improving Physical Performance Recovery Among Experienced Recreational Distance Runners
Published in Journal of Dietary Supplements, 2020
Ginger root (Zingiber officinale) has been tested as a pain reliever using several exercise-based models of DOMS, with findings to date suggesting that, if taken for at least 5–7 days, it may reduce DOMS from resistance exercise and prolonged running (Wilson 2015). The mechanisms behind these effects are still being elucidated but include inhibition of cyclo-oxygenase (COX) enzymes and agonizing of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1, which is found throughout the nervous system (Terry et al. 2011). However, despite emerging research on ginger as a DOMS treatment, the only study that used running to induce DOMS had a small sample and did not completely match the exercise load between ginger and placebo groups (Wilson et al. 2015). Given that NSAID use is prevalent in distance runners (Joslin et al. 2013), as well as the potential of NSAIDs to cause adverse effects during running (Küster et al. 2013), it is important to identify other analgesic compounds with a superior risk-to-benefit profile in the context of distance running. Notably, ginger appears to be safe to consume over a period of months (Bartels et al. 2015) and exhibits gastroprotective effects against gastric irritants (Ali et al. 2008). These facts, in conjunction with evidence that ginger is an effective analgesic among people with painful conditions such as osteoarthritis and dysmenorrhea (Bartels et al. 2015; Terry et al. 2011), provide justification for evaluating its use in the context of distance running.