Therapeutic Potentials of Zingiber officinale
Received: 28-Dec-2018 / Accepted Date: 07-Jan-2019 / Published Date: 14-Jan-2019
Abstract
Being one of the mostly consumed alimentary condiments, Ginger’s medicinal properties are striking. With its stimulating piquant flavor, ginger adds a special flavor in Asian cooking. Besides, it has been associated with multitude of therapeutic potentials such as from beating motion sickness to better brain function. Zingiber officinale possess numerous bioactive constituents such as vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals etc. In addition to that ginger also contains phenolic constituents such as 6-gingerol, paradol, shogaol and zingerone. Ginger is used as a natural remedy for the treatment of numerous ailments such as ulcers, hypertension and gastric discomforts thus making it therapeutically potent.
Keywords: Zingiber officinale; Rhizome; 6- Gingerol; Paradol; Antiinflammatory; Antidiabetic
Introduction
Zingiber officinale is commonly known as ginger, an underground rhizome which is popular for its therapeutic applications across the globe [1]. It has been used for decades as a natural remedy for the treatment of numerous ailments in ancient Rome, China, Greek, India and Arabic [2]. Ginger is available in the form of fresh root or dried with multiple health associated benefits [3]. Besides being antibacterial, it reduces high cholesterol and body fats in obese individuals [4].
Ginger herb
It is a tropical persistent herb innate to Southeast Asia and extensively nurtured in India, Australia, Nigeria, China and Jamaica [5]. Its underground edible portion is called as rhizome and is covered with a brownish beige thick peripheral and is yellowish from inside [6]. The herb possess dense and extended stems with vertically arranged leaves bearing oval shaped distinct assemblies that produces yellowish green flowers [7]. Due to the presence of ketones and gingerol ginger has a strong sweet and peppery flavor [8].
Nutritional constituents of ginger: Ginger possesses numerous bioactive compounds (Table 1) that offers its aromatic, cooking and remedial uses [9-13].
| S.no | Nutritional constituent | Value per 100 gram of dry ginger (3.5 ounces of ginger extract) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carbohydrates | 17.8 g |
| 2 | Dietary fibre | 2 g |
| 3 | Energy | 80 calories |
| 4 | Protein | 1.8 rams |
| 5 | Iron | 0.6 mg |
| 6 | Manganese | 0.2 mg |
| 7 | Vitamin-C | 5 mg |
| 8 | Niacin | 0.7 mg |
| 9 | Copper | mg |
| 10 | Fat | 0.7 g |
| 11 | Phosphorus | 34 mg |
| 12 | Vitamin B6 | 0.2 mg |
| 13 | Magnesium | 43 mg |
| 14 | Potassium | 415 mg |
Table 1: Nutritional value of Ginger’s bioactive constituent per 100 gram of dry ginger (approximately 3.5 ounces of ginger extract).
In addition to that ginger contains phenolic constituents such as 6-gingerol, paradol, shogaol and zingerone [14]. The health aids of ginger are documented in Table 2 as a natural remedy for the treatment of numerous diseases and health conditions.
| S.no | Medical condition | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Treat Nausea | Natural remedy for morning sickness and sea sickness Treatment of nausea, pregnancy vomiting and hyperemesis gravidarum [15,16] |
| 2 | Antifungal | Treatment of yeast associated infections such as athlete’s foot, mouth infections etc. [17] |
| 3 | Antiulcer | Inhibits development of stomach ulcers such as ulcer caused by aspirin intakes [18] |
| 4 | Reduce Menstrual Pains | Reduces intensity and duration of dysmenorrhea (period cramps) and associated headaches [19] |
| 5 | Anticancer | Inhibits cancer cell growth of ovarian colorectal, pancreatic and prostate cancer by inducing apoptosis and auto-phagocytosis [20,21] |
| 6 | Antidiabetic | Reduces high blood sugar and minimizes its associated prevent symptoms such as recurrent urination and migraines [22] |
| 7 | Reduces Joint/ Muscle Pain | Reduce inflammation and joins/muscle pain associated with arthritis and osteoarthritis[23] |
| 8 | Reduces Cholesterol Levels |
Naturally reduces high cholesterol and triglyceride levels [24] |
| 9 | Improves Cognitive Functions | Delay brain aging and cognitive decline[25] |
| 10 | Antibacterial | Effective against bacteria causing pneumonia, urinary tract infections, bronchitis and drug-resistant bacteria [26,27] |
| 11 | Anti-inflammatory | Inhibits blood clotting Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis Suppress pro-inflammatory compounds such as chemokines and cytokines [28,29] |
| 12 | Stimulates Proper Digestion | Reduces problems like dyspepsia pain, heartburn and discomfort [30,31] |
Table 2: Health benefits of ginger.
Side effects of ginger if used in excess: If Ginger is consumed in high amount then an individual might suffer from symptoms like stomach discomfort, diarrhoea, heartburn, skin irritation like hives, difficulty breathing etc. [32].
Conclusion
Thus, Ginger is one of the most regularly used nutritive condiments in the world, it may be effective at declining morning illness , reducing menstrual discomforts, combating microbial infections, treating stomach ulcers, improving cognitive function and reducing inflammation.
References
- Prakash J (2010) Chemical composition and antioxidant properties of ginger root (Zingiber officinale). J Med Plant Res 4: 2674-2679.
- Bartley JP, Jacobs AL (2000) Effects of drying on flavour compounds in Australian grown ginger (Zingiber officinale). J Sci Food Agri 80: 209-215.
- Islam K, Rowsni A, Khan MM, Kabir MS (2014) Antimicrobial activity of ginger (Zingiber officinale) extracts against food-borne pathogenic bacteria. Int J Sci Environ Technol 3: 867-871.
- Goel RK, Sairam K (2002) Anti-ulcer drugs from indigenous sources with emphasis on Musa sapientum, tamrahbasma, Asparagus racemosus and Zingiber officinale. Indian J Pharmacol 34: 100-110.
- Nwaopara AO, Odike MAC, Inegbenebor U, Adoye MI (2007) The combined effects of excessive consumption of ginger, clove, red pepper and black pepper on the histology of the liver. Pak J Nutr 6:524-527.
Citation: Khan NT (2019) Therapeutic Potentials of Zingiber officinale. J Tradit Med Clin Natur 8:278.
Copyright: © 2019 Khan NT. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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