Explore the vast range of titles available.

Ginger ( Zingiber officinale ) is one of the most widely used natural products consumed as a spice and medicine for treating diabetes, flatulent intestinal colic, indigestion, infertility, inflammation, insomnia, a memory booster, nausea, rheumatism, stomach ache, and urinary tract infections. To date, over 400 bioactive components, such as diarylheptanoids, gingerol analogues, phenylalkanoids, sulfonates, monoterpenoid glycosides, steroids, and terpene compounds have been derived from ginger. Increasing evidence has revealed that ginger possesses a broad range of biological activities, especially protective effects against male infertility, nausea and vomiting, analgesic, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, and other effects. The pharmacological activities of ginger were mainly attributed to its active phytoconstituents such as 6-gingerol, gingerdiol, gingerol, gingerdione, paradols, shogaols, sesquiterpenes, zingerone, besides other phenolics and flavonoids. In recent years, in silico molecular docking studies revealed that gingerol (6-gingerol, 8-gingerol, and 10-gingerol) and Shogaol (6-shogaol, 8-shogaol, 10-shogaol) had the best binding affinities to the receptor protein in disease conditions such as diabetes, inflammation, obesity, and SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, some clinical trials have indicated that ginger can be consumed for alleviation of nausea and vomiting induced by surgery, pain, diabetes, obesity, inflammation, male infertility. This review provides an updated understanding of the scientific evidence on the development of ginger and its active compounds as health beneficial agents in future clinical trials.

Microbial biotransformation of three bioactive phenolic constituents from Aframomum melegueta K. schum, namely 6-gingerol, 6-paradol and 6-shogaol, was performed by Bacillus subtilis 168, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PO1A and Candida albicans ATCC10231. Structures of the isolated compounds were determined using LC/MS analyses . To assess and compare their potential nephroprotective effects, the parent compounds and their biotransformation metabolites were subjected to molecular docking studies targeting AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) for the first time. During microbial biotransformation, a series of reactions, primarily hydroxylation and reduction, were observed, resulting in the identification of five distinct metabolites. LC/MS analysis of the fermentation medium revealed that Bacillus subtilis 168 converted 6-gingerol into 6-gingerdiol (M1) and hydroxylated 6-gingerol (M2), while 6-shogaol was transformed into 6-paradol (M3) and hydroxylated 6-shogaol (M4). Additionally, 6-paradol underwent further reduction to form (M5). Docking results showed that all compounds demonstrated binding affinity to AMPK, indicating potential nephroprotective activity. Notably, M1 exhibited the highest binding affinity, suggesting its strong therapeutic promise as a nephroprotective agent of natural origin. M5 ranked second in binding affinity, followed by M4. These results highlight the effectiveness of microbial transformation in generating bioactive derivatives with potentially enhanced biological activity compared to their natural precursors.

The main components, [6]-shogaol ( 6 ) and [6]-gingerol ( 7 ), were obtained from the rhizome of Zingiber officinale . Both natural phenolic compounds were modified at C 4′ position to get new sixteen derivatives. All derivatives were screened for their HDAC inhibitory activity at 50 µM using HeLa nuclear extract. Among the synthesized compounds, derivatives 6b , 6e , 6f and 6g were the most effective against HDACs with the IC 50 values as 44.60 ± 1.40 µM, 49.23 ± 1.13 µM, 50.55 ± 4.25 µM and 48.52 ± 1.52 µM, respectively. In addition, the selected derivatives were investigated against HDAC8 inhibitory activity. The results demonstrated that among them, 6b was selective with HDAC8 (IC 50  = 23.19 ± 1.57 µM). The molecular docking study via MOE docking program also revealed that compound 6b bound into the active pocket of HDAC8 with Δ G value as −6.92 kcal/mol. Moreover, the in vitro antiproliferative activity of four most potent compounds were evaluated against nine cancer cell lines with MTT assay. The results showed that all selected derivatives were most effective against lung (A549), colon (HCT116 and HT29) and human cervical (HeLa) cancer cell lines. Especially, compound 6g was the most potent against A549 cancer cell line with the IC 50 value as 8.41 ± 0.04 µM. Therefore, compound 6b and 6g are considered as promising HDACs-inhibitor-anticancer agents.

The anti-diabetic activity of ginger powder (Zingiber officinale) has been recently promoted, with the recommendation to be included as one of the dietary supplements for diabetic patients. However, previous studies presented different results, which may be caused by degradation and metabolic changes of ginger components, gingerols, shogaols and paradols. Therefore, we prepared 10 ginger active components, namely 6-, 8-, 10-paradols, 6-, 8-, 10-shogaols, 6-, 8-, 10-gingerols and zingerone, and evaluated their anti-hyperglycemic activity. Among the tested compounds, 6-paradol and 6-shogaol showed potent activity in stimulating glucose utilization by 3T3-L1 adipocytes and C2C12 myotubes. The effects were attributed to the increase in 5′ adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. 6-Paradol, the major metabolite of 6-shogaol, was utilized in an in vivo assay and significantly reduced blood glucose, cholesterol and body weight in high-fat diet-fed mice.

The extract of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) and its major pungent components, [6]-shogaol and [6]-gingerol, have been shown to have an anti-proliferative effect on several tumor cell lines. However, the anticancer activity of the ginger extract in pancreatic cancer is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that the ethanol-extracted materials of ginger suppressed cell cycle progression and consequently induced the death of human pancreatic cancer cell lines, including Panc-1 cells. The underlying mechanism entailed autosis, a recently characterized form of cell death, but not apoptosis or necroptosis. The extract markedly increased the LC3-II/LC3-I ratio, decreased SQSTM1/p62 protein, and enhanced vacuolization of the cytoplasm in Panc-1 cells. It activated AMPK, a positive regulator of autophagy, and inhibited mTOR, a negative autophagic regulator. The autophagy inhibitors 3-methyladenine and chloroquine partially prevented cell death. Morphologically, however, focal membrane rupture, nuclear shrinkage, focal swelling of the perinuclear space and electron dense mitochondria, which are unique morphological features of autosis, were observed. The extract enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and the antioxidant N-acetylcystein attenuated cell death. Our study revealed that daily intraperitoneal administration of the extract significantly prolonged survival (P = 0.0069) in a peritoneal dissemination model and suppressed tumor growth in an orthotopic model of pancreatic cancer (P < 0.01) without serious adverse effects. Although [6]-shogaol but not [6]-gingerol showed similar effects, chromatographic analyses suggested the presence of other constituent(s) as active substances. Together, these results show that ginger extract has potent anticancer activity against pancreatic cancer cells by inducing ROS-mediated autosis and warrants further investigation in order to develop an efficacious candidate drug.

β- thalassemia is the genetic blood disorder characterized by ineffective beta-globin chain synthesis. The increased iron absorption and frequently blood transfusion result in iron overload and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS causes lipid peroxidation and membrane damage in red blood cells (RBCs), culminating in hemolysis and anemia. This study investigated the protective effects of ginger extract against iron induced oxidative damage in thalassemic RBCs. The pulsed electric field (PEF) technique with high-voltage electric pulses, was used for ginger extraction. The PEF significantly enhanced the yield of bioactive compounds, 6-shogaol and total phenolic content compared to conventional maceration technique. The 6-shogaol-rich ginger extract possessed a potent antioxidant activity by scavenging free radicals (ABTS •+ and DPPH • ), and inhibiting of AAPH-induced RBC hemolysis in both healthy and β-thalassemic RBCs. Additionally, the extract exhibited iron-chelating properties by decreasing non-heme iron levels on the RBC membrane, thereby reducing lipid peroxidation reaction. These findings suggest that 6-shogaol-rich ginger extract processed with PEF could serve as a potential therapeutic agent, exhibiting powerful antioxidant and red blood cell membrane iron-chelating properties to protect against oxidative damage and hemolysis in iron-overloaded β-thalassemia patients.

Huntington's disease (HD) is an extremely harmful autosomal inherited neurodegenerative disease. Motor dysfunction, mental disorder, and cognitive deficits are the characteristic features of this disease. The current study examined whether 6-shogaol has a protective effect against 3-Nitropropionic Acid (3-NPA)-induced HD in rats. A total of thirty male Wistar rats received 6-shogaol (10 and 20 mg/kg, per oral) an hour before injection of 3-NPA (10 mg/kg i.p.) for 15 days. Behavioral tests were performed, including narrow beam walk, rotarod test, and grip strength test. Biochemical tests promoting oxidative stress were evaluated [superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA)], including changes to neurotransmitters serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), homovanillic acid (HVA), (3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and 5-hydroxy indole acetic acid (5-HIAA), nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukins-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). The 6-shogaol was docked to the active site of TNF-α (2AZ5), NF-κB (1SVC), BDNF) [1B8M], and Nrf2 [5FZN] proteins using AutoDock tools. The 6-shogaol group significantly improved behavioral activity over the 3-NPA-injected control rats. Moreover, 3-NPA-induced significantly altered neurotransmitters, biochemical and neuroinflammatory indices, which could efficiently be reversed by 6-shogaol. The 6-shogaol showed favorable negative binding energies at -9.271 (BDNF) kcal/mol. The present investigation demonstrated the neuroprotective effects of 6-shogaol in an experimental animal paradigm against 3-NPA-induced HD in rats. The suggested mechanism is supported by immunohistochemical analysis and western blots, although more research is necessary for definite confirmation.

Chemoprevention by ingested substituents is the process through which nutraceuticals and/or their bioactive components antagonize carcinogenesis. Carcinogenesis is the course of action whereby a normal cell is transformed into a neoplastic cell. This latter action involves several steps, starting with initiation and followed by promotion and progression. Driving these stages is continued oxidative stress and inflammation, which in turn, causes a myriad of aberrant gene expressions and mutations within the transforming cell population and abnormal gene expressions by the cells within the surrounding lesion. Chemoprevention of cancer with bioreactive foods or their extracted/purified components occurs primarily via normalizing these inappropriate gene activities. Various foods/agents have been shown to affect different gene expressions. In this review, we discuss how the chemoprevention activities of gingers antagonize cancer development.

Cervical cancer ranked fourth most common malignancy among women worldwide despite the establishment of vaccination programmes. This systematic review evaluates the anti-cancer properties of turmeric and ginger bioactive compounds, specifically curcumin, 6/10-gingerol, and 6/10-shogaol, and their combination in cervical cancer through in-vitro and in-vivo models. A comprehensive electronic search was performed using Science Direct, PubMed, and Scopus from inception until the second week of June 2024 for studies published in English. Only studies investigating the effects of curcumin, gingerol, shogaol, and/or their combination in human cervical cancer cell lines and/or rodent animal models implanted with cervical cancer xenografts were included. Altogether, 27 studies were included in this review. The evidence gathered indicated that curcumin, 6/10-gingerol and 6-shogaol exert their anticancer action through modulation of cell signalling pathways, including AMPK, WNT, PI3K/AKT, and NF‐κB pathway, and mediators including Bax/Bcl2, TNF‐α, EGFR, COX‐2, caspases‐3, ‐9, p53, and pRb. However, the synergistic effect of these bioactive compounds is not known due to lack of evidence. In conclusion, curcumin, 6/10-gingerols, and 6-shogaols hold promise as therapeutic agents for cervical cancer. Yet, further research is essential to understand their combined efficacy, emphasising the need for additional studies exploring the synergistic anticancer effects of these bioactive compounds. Additional factors to explore include long-term effects and susceptibility of chemoresistant cervical cancer cells towards curcumin, shogaols, and gingerols.

Cancer is a major global health challenge that affects every nation and accounts for a large portion of the worldwide disease burden. Furthermore, cancer cases will rise significantly in the next few decades. The Food and Drug Administration has approved more than 600 drugs for treating diverse types of cancer. However, many conventional anticancer medications cause side effects, and drug resistance develops as the treatment proceeds with a concomitant impact on patients' quality of life. Thus, exploring natural products with antitumor properties and nontoxic action mechanisms is essential. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) rhizome has a long history of use in traditional medicine, and it contains biologically active compounds, gingerols and shogaols. The main ginger shogaol is 6‐shogaol, whose concentration dramatically increases during the processing of ginger, primarily due to the heat‐induced conversion of 6‐gingerol. Some studies have demonstrated that 6‐shogaol possesses biological and pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and anticancer activities. The mechanism of action of 6‐shogaol as an anticancer drug includes induction of paraptosis, induction of apoptosis, increase in the production of reactive oxygen species, induction of autophagy, and the inhibition of AKT/mTOR signaling. Despite this knowledge, the mechanism of action of 6‐shogaol is not fully understood, and the scientific data on its therapeutic dose, safety, and toxicity are not entirely described. This review article examines the potential of 6‐shogaol as an anticancer drug, addressing the limitations of current medications; it covers 6‐shogaol's attributes, mechanism of action in cancer cells, and opportunities for future research. This review article considers the following facts: (i) the current necessity for the development of natural anticancer medication, (ii) the ability of cancerous cells to develop resistance against conventional drugs, and (iii) that 6‐shogaol has been shown to have effects against the progress of cancer in studies in vivo (in animal models). The comprehensive review aims to synthesize and analyze the progress in the knowledge of 6‐shogaol as a potential anticancer drug and identify opportunities to continue the research.