Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a perennial flowering plant that thrives in warm climates. It is closely related to turmeric, cardamom, and galangal. Originally from southern China, it is most prevalent in India, China, and Nigeria. The underground stem, or rhizome, commonly known as the ginger root, is widely recognized for its medicinal properties. More than 100 different compounds have been isolated from ginger. Ginger is a crucial ingredient in many pharmacopeial Ayurvedic formulations. The main pharmacological effects of ginger and its isolated compounds include immunomodulatory, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, antihyperglycemic, antilipidemic, and antiemetic properties. Its medicinal properties are exhibited in raw form, and it can also be used as tea, tincture, and spice. Its warm, spicy flavor makes it a popular ingredient in dishes like curries and soups, and teas.
Picture 1. Ginger plant (left), ginger root (middle and right)
- Chemical composition
The main classes of compounds in ginger are gingerol, shogaol, zingiberene, and zingerone. The active ingredients in ginger mostly come from its volatile oils, which constitute 1-3% of its weight and have various physiological effects. Other less common compounds present in ginger include terpenes, vitamins, and minerals. The characteristic smell and taste of ginger are caused by a mixture of zingerone, shogaol, and gingerol. The sharp taste of ginger is due to non-volatile compounds derived from phenylpropanoids, especially gingerol and shogaol, which form from gingerol when ginger is dried or cooked. Zingerone is also produced from gingerol during this process; this compound is less pungent and has a spicy-sweet aroma.
- History of use and medicinal properties
The medicinal properties of ginger have been well-known since ancient times. It is a plant with very strong antioxidant activity, capable of either alleviating or preventing the formation of free radicals, as well as the damage and adverse effects they cause. It has been used since ancient times in Chinese and Ayurvedic herbal mixes for treating arthritis, rheumatism, sprains, muscle pain, sore throats, cramps, constipation, poor digestion, vomiting, hypertension, dementia, fever, and infectious diseases. In traditional Indian medicine, it is used as an anticoagulant and to prevent cholesterol buildup. In Arab culture, it is used as an aphrodisiac. In recent years, ginger has also found its place in alleviating and neutralizing the discomfort, nausea, and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, as well as in improving the quality of life in everyday human activities. Ginger with lime juice and rock salt increases appetite and stimulates the secretion of gastric juices.
Antitumorigenic and immunomodulatory effects
Ginger demonstrates potential anticancer properties through multiple mechanisms of action. The main bioactive compounds responsible for the benefits of cancer prevention and treatment are gingerols, shogaols, and parasols. These compounds affect tumor growth inhibition and induce programmed cell death – apoptosis. Many natural compounds influence the functions of immune cells or affect the secretion of antibodies to control infection and maintain immune balance. It has been shown that the phytochemicals abundant in ginger activate components of innate immunity such as the stimulation of macrophages and lymphocytes, modulate the cytokine profile, and reduce the incidence of infection.
Anti-inflammatory activity
In the 1980s, it was first demonstrated that ginger has anti-inflammatory effects, as confirmed by its inhibitory effects on prostaglandin synthesis. Recently, it has been shown that ginger (and some of its compounds) is effective against cytokines synthesized and secreted at sites of inflammation. Cytokines are small proteins secreted at sites of inflammation by lymphocytes, macrophages, fibroblasts, and other cells, and act as chemical messengers between cells involved in immune and inflammatory responses. Ginger also affects the modulation of some biochemical pathways activated during chronic inflammation.
Gastrointestinal effects
Ginger may help manage indigestion by speeding up the passage of food through the stomach. Functional dyspepsia is when a person has indigestion — with symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, feeling too full, belching, and nausea — for no clear reason. It often occurs with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Ginger could be considered a harmless and possibly effective alternative option for women suffering from the symptoms of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.
Cardiovascular effects
Gingerol and shogaol are the main components of ginger that enable positive effects on the cardiovascular system. Ginger has a beneficial effect on blood pressure as it causes rapid changes, specifically lowering blood pressure accompanied by bradycardia and apnea. It influences the production and reactions to prostaglandins and leukotrienes. It has the ability to modulate the response of blood vessels, by reducing the synthesis of these molecules or blocking their receptors. It can act as a natural anticoagulant, reducing the risk of thrombosis and improving circulation, which is beneficial for maintaining cardiovascular health.
Antioxidant activity
The ginger root possesses exceptional antioxidant properties. The antioxidant action of ginger is proposed as one of the main possible mechanisms for the plant’s protective effect against toxicity and lethality caused by radiation. It has been shown that gingerol is an effective means of preventing the production of reactive oxygen species induced by ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation and may be a possible therapeutic agent for skin diseases caused by UVB radiation. Recently, it has been shown that peroxidation in living organisms is closely related to the initiation of some human diseases such as cancer, coronary heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. It has been demonstrated that ginger extract possesses properties that inhibit lipid peroxidation. In fact, zingerone has been found to function as a scavenger of superoxide anions (ROS).
Antimicrobial effects
Ginger shows antibacterial properties against many gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The antimicrobial activity of essential oils, extracts, and oleoresins from ginger depends on their chemical composition and the type of extraction used to obtain the extract. It is assumed that sesquiterpenoids and phenolic compounds (eugenol, shogaols, zingerone, gingerdiols, gingerols) are responsible for the pronounced antimicrobial activity of essential oils and oleoresins. The overall effectiveness of essential oils and oleoresins is the result of the synergistic action of all components. The lipophilicity or hydrophobicity of essential oils plays a crucial role in their antimicrobial activity, allowing them to distribute between the lipids of the bacterial or fungal cell membrane and mitochondria, disrupting cell structures and making them more permeable, which leads to cell death.
Forms of Use
What are the popular uses of ginger? Like any other plant, it has the most powerful effects in fresh or ground form. In the form of tea and tincture, it also has exceptional health benefits. It can also be found in capsule form and even as ginger essential oil. In the form of tea and tincture, it also has exceptional health benefits. In addition to its extraordinary culinary properties, the spice of ginger also contributes to the enrichment of food on the medicinal side.
References
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