title: Structural Elements and Cough Suppressing Activity of Polysaccharides from Zingiber officinale Rhizome.
abstract: Zingiber officinale is used for the management of fever, bronchial asthma and cough for thousands of years. While the link to a particular indication has been established in human, the active principle of the formulation remains unknown. Herein, we have investigated a water extracted polysaccharides (WEP) containing fraction from its rhizome. Utilizing a traditional aqueous extraction protocol and using chemical, chromatographic and spectroscopic methods a fraction containing a branched glucan and polygalaturonan in a ratio of 59:1 was characterized. This glucan, which has a molecular mass of 36 kDa, is made up of terminal-, (1,4)- and (1,4,6)-linked α-Glcp residues. Oral administration of WEP in doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg body weight significantly inhibited the number of citric acid-induced cough efforts in guinea pigs. It does not alter the specific airway smooth muscle reactivity significantly. Thus, traditional aqueous extraction method provides molecular entities, which induces antitussive activity without addiction.
authors.affiliation: Natural Products Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, The University of Burdwan, Golapbag, Burdwan, West Bengal, 713 104, India.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bera
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University, Sklabinska 26, 036 01, Martin, Slovakia.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nosalova
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University, Sklabinska 26, 036 01, Martin, Slovakia.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sivova
authors.affiliation: Natural Products Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, The University of Burdwan, Golapbag, Burdwan, West Bengal, 713 104, India.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ray
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000996:Antitussive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003371:Cough / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D020939:Zingiber officinale / Q000737:chemistry*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D027343:Rhizome / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000996:Antitussive Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011134:Polysaccharides
keywords: Zingiber officinale; antitussive activity; polysaccharides; specific airway resistance