Cancer preventive properties of ginger: a brief review.
Ginger, the rhizome of Zingiber officinalis, one of the most widely used species of the ginger family, is a common condiment for various foods and beverages. Ginger has a long history of medicinal use dating back 2500 years. Ginger has been traditionally used from time immemorial for varied human ailments in different parts of the globe, to aid digestion and treat stomach upset, diarrhoea, and nausea. Some pungent constituents present in ginger and other zingiberaceous plants have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, and some of them exhibit cancer preventive activity in experimental carcinogenesis. The anticancer properties of ginger are attributed to the presence of certain pungent vallinoids, viz. [6]-gingerol and [6]-paradol, as well as some other constituents like shogaols, zingerone etc. A number of mechanisms that may be involved in the chemopreventive effects of ginger and its components have been reported from the laboratory studies in a wide range of experimental models.
Shukla
Yogeshwer
Y
Environmental Carcinogenesis Division, Industrial Toxicology Research Centre, P.O. Box 80, M.G. Marg, Lucknow 226 001, Uttar Pradesh, India. yogeshwer_shukla@hotmail.com <yogeshwer_shukla@hotmail.com>
Singh
Madhulika
M
D000818:Animals; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D002396:Catechols; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D005233:Fatty Alcohols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D020939:Zingiber officinale / Q000737:chemistry*; D006139:Guaiacol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007659:Ketones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D002396:Catechols; D005233:Fatty Alcohols; D007659:Ketones; D009822:Oils, Volatile; C013738:zingerone; D006139:Guaiacol; C007845:gingerol; C421614:6-paradol