Two New Diarylheptanoids from the Rhizomes of Zingiber officinale

Two new diaryheptanoids, (5S)-5-acetoxy-1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-3- heptanone (1) and (3S,5S)-3,5-diacetoxy-1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)heptane (2) were isolated from the rhizomes of Zingiber officinale. Their structures were elucidated by spectral methods.

Physico-Chemical Attributes of Essential Oil from Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Smith Cultivars Grown in Togo

The present study was carried out to evaluate the quality of the rhizomes of Zingiber officinale and Zingiber zerumbet from different areas of Togo on the basis of their essential oil content and composition. The dry rhizomes were pulverised, hydrodistilled and essential oils were analysed using GC and GC/MS techniques. The results revealed that the essential oil yield of Z. zerumbet ranged from 0.75% to 1.00% and was mainly composed by Zerumbone (51.8% - 37.5%) and humulene (21.7% - 28.2%). Z. officinale essential oil yielded from 1.25% to 1.67%, with major components as zingiberene (33% - 39.9%);basibolene (12.7% - 16%), and sesquiphellandrene (13% - 14.7%).

Physicochemical and Microbiological Properties of Bissap (Hibiscus sabdariffa) and Ginger (Zingiber officinale (L) Rose) Juices Sold in the Western Part of Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire)

Juices made from the calyx of Hibiscus sabdariffa (Malvaceae), commonly called Bissap, and the rhizome of Zingiber officinale (Zingiberaceae), known as Gnamankoudji, are widely consumed in Côte d'Ivoire. The artisanal preparation of these juices often makes their quality problematic. The aim of this study is to determine some physicochemical and microbiological properties of these drinks sold in the city of Abidjan. To do this, samples of Bissap and Gnamankoudji juices were collected near schools in the Mamie Adjoua (Yopougon) and Abobodoumé (Attécoubé) districts. Physico-chemical and microbiological analyses were performed on these collected samples. The results show that the Bissap and Gnamankoudji juices have an acid pH (2.47 and 3.71), a low protein content (0.78% and 2.11%) and a high water content (80.13% and 85.21%), respectively. The reducing sugar content ranged from 1.20% to 3.34%, with high total sugar (695 mg/mL and 812 mg/mL), low ash (0.70 ± 0.07;0.91 ± 0.01). On the other hand, these juices contain variable concentrations of minerals from one site to another (magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and iron). Potassium is the most abundant mineral element, followed by phosphorus and magnesium. Moreover, it is observed that the Gnamankoudji juices contain vitamin C (4.67 to 5.58 mg/100mL), contrary to the Bissap juice. The microbiological analysis indicates the presence of aerobic mesophilic germs (AMG) but a total absence of pathogenic germs in all juices. The important presence of nutrients and the total absence of pathogenic germs in these drinks justify their regular consumption by the population.

Zingiber officinale(Ginger)Methanol Extract Abates Kidney Dysfunction in Mice Co-exposed to Sub-chronic Alcohol Intoxication and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Background:Increasing number of people globally gives in to indiscriminate consumption of excess alcohol as a coping mechanism to relieve any form of physical or psychological stress.Previously,ethnomedicinal use of Zingiber officinale Roscoe(Ginger)have been shown to exhibit broad range of pharmacological benefits but no data has reported the phytotherapeutic treatment of Zingiber officinale methanol extract(MEZO)on alcohol-use disorder(AUD)and post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD)-induced oxidative and inflammatory stress relevant to disruption of kidney functions in animal model.Objective:To investigate the protective effect of MEZO on kidney-oxidative and inflammatory biomarkers in sub-chronic alcohol exacerbation of PTSD symptoms in mice.Methods:Male Swiss mice were administered 30%ethanol for two weeks and thereafter introduced to single pro-longed stress to induce AUD and PTSD respectively prior to post-treatment with MEZO and vitamin C.Markers of oxidative stress,inflammatory cytokines,kidney functions,HPA-axis signaling molecules,vasodilator substance,and histopathology of the kidney were evaluated.Results:Sub-chronic alcohol intoxication heightened PTSD-induced oxido-inflammatory stress,altered the kidney function indices and HPA-axis,and reduced nitric oxide production,which were ameliorated by the phytother-apeutic treatment with MEZO.Furthermore,severe degeneration and atrophy of renal tubules were observed.Meanwhile,MEZO interventions strongly abated all these effects.Conclusions:Herein,the study shows that phytotherapeutic treatment with MEZO prevents the damaging effects of co-exposure to sub-chronic alcohol intoxication and PTSD.

Anti-fatty liver effects of oils from Zingiber officinale and Curcuma longa on ethanol-induced fatty liver in rats

OBJECTIVE： The present study is aimed at evaluating the protective effects of oils from Zingiber officinale （ginger） and Curcuma Ionga （turmeric） on acute ethanol-induced fatty liver in male Wistar rats. METHODS： Ferric reducing antioxidant power activity and oxygen radical absorbance capacity of the oils were evaluated ex vivo. Rats were pretreated for 28 d with standard drug （Livolin Forte） and oils from Z. officinale and C. Ionga before they were exposed to 45% ethanol （4.8 g/kg） to induce acute fatty liver. Histological changes were observed and the degree of protection was measured by using biochemical parameters such as alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activities. Serum triglyceride （TG） level, total cholesterol （TC） level and the effects of both oils on reduced gluthatione （GSH）, glutathione-S- transferase （GST）, superoxide dismutase （SOD） and hepatic malondialdehyde （MDA） levels were estimated. RESULTS： Oils from Z. officinale and C. Ionga at a dose of 200 mg/kg showed hepatoprotection by decreasing the activities of serum enzymes, serum TG, serum TC and hepatic MDA, while they significantly restored the level of GSH as well as GST and SOD activities. Histological examination of rats tissues was related to the obtained results. CONCLUSION： From the results it may be concluded that oils from Z. officinale and C. Ionga （200 mg/kg） exhibited hepatoprotective activity in acute ethanol-induced fatty liver and Z. officinale oil was identified to have better effects than C. Ionga oil.

Virus-Induced Gene Silencing in the Culinary Ginger （Zingiber officinale）： An Effective Mechanism for Down-Regulating Gene Expression in Tropical Monocots

Virus-induced gene silencing （VIGS） has been shown to be effective for transient knockdown of gene expression in plants to analyze the effects of specific genes in development and stress-related responses. VlGS is well established for studies of model systems and crops within the Solanaceae, Brassicaceae, Leguminaceae, and Poaceae, but only recently has been applied to plants residing outside these families. Here, we have demonstrated that barley stripe mosaic virus （BSMV） can infect two species within the Zingiberaceae, and that BSMV-VIGS can be applied to specifically down-regulate phytoene desaturase in the culinary ginger Zingiber officinale. These results suggest that extension of BSMV-VlGS to monocots other than cereals has the potential for directed genetic analyses of many important temperate and tropical crop species.

Non-polar Solvent Microwave-Assisted Extraction of Volatile Constituents from Dried Zingiber Officinale Rosc.

A new method, non-polar solvent microwave-assisted extraction （NPSMAE）, was applied to the extraction of essential oil from Zingiber officinale Rosc. in closed-vessel system. By adding microwave absorption mediumcarbonyl iron powders （CIP） into extraction system, the essential oil was extracted by the non-polar solvent （ether） which can be heated by CIP. The constituents of essential oil obtained by NPSMAE were comparable with those obtained by hydrodistillation （HD） by GC-MS analysis, which indicates that NPSMAE is a feasible way to extract essential oil from dried plant materials. The NPSMAE took much less extraction time （5 min） than HD （180 min）, and its extraction efficiency was much higher than that of conventional polar solvent microwave-assisted extraction （PSMAE） and mixed solvent microwave-assisted extraction （MSMAE）. It can be a good alternative for the extraction of volatile constituents from dried plant samples.

Neuromodulatory effects of ethyl acetate fraction of Zingiber officinale Roscoe extract in rats with lead-induced oxidative stress

Objective: This study investigated the ameliorative potential of Zingiber officinale Roscoe extract against lead-induced brain damage in rats.Methods: Thirty male rats were divided into 5 groups of 6 rats each. Lead-acetate toxicity was induced by intraperitoneal injection(10 mg/kg body weight(b.w.)) in Groups B–E. Group A(control) and Group B(lead-acetate) were left untreated; vitamin C(200 mg/kg b.w.) was administered to Group C; ethyl acetate fraction from Z. officinale extract(200 and 100 mg/kg b.w.) was administered to Group D and E by oral gavage once daily for 7 days. Changes in the content of some key marker enzymes such as acetylcholinesterase(AChE), butyrylcholinesterase(BChE), monoamine oxidase(MAO), epinephrine, dopamine,Na^+/K^+-ATPase, catalase(CAT), superoxide dismutase(SOD) and glutathione peroxidase(GPx) as well as malonaldehyde(MDA) levels were determined in serum.Results: Exposure to lead acetate resulted in a significant decrease(P < 0.05) in the activities of BChE,AChE, Na^+/K^+-ATPase, SOD, CAT and GPx with a corresponding increase in the levels of MDA, xanthine oxidase, epinephrine, dopamine and MAO relative to the control group. Levels of all disrupted parameters were alleviated by co-administration of Z. officinale fraction and by the standard drug, vitamin C.Conclusion: These results suggest that ethyl acetate fraction of Z. officinale extract attenuates leadinduced brain damage and might have therapeutic potential as a supplement that can be applied in lead poisoning.

Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Diarylheptanoids Isolated from Zingiber officinale Rhizomes

One new diarylheptanoid, namely （4E,6E）-7-（3,4-dihydroxy-5-methoxyphenyl）-1-（4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl）- hepta-4,6-dien-3-one （1）, was isolated from the rhizomes of Zingiber officinale, along with ten known ones, tetra- hydrocurcumin （2）, curcumin （3）, 5-hydroxy-1,7-bis（4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl）heptan-3-one （4）, gingerenone A （5）, 7-（3,4-dihydroxyphenyl）-5-hydroxy-1-（4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl）heptan-3-one （6）, （E）-1,7-bis（4-hydroxy- 3-methoxyphenyl）hept-1-ene-3,5-dione （7）, （E）-7-（4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl）-1-（4-hydroxyphenyl）-hept-l-ene- 3,5-dione （8）, shogasulfonic acid A （9）, 1,5-epoxy-3-hydroxy-1-（3,4-dihydroxy-5-methoxyphenyl）-7-（4-hydroxy-3- methoxyphenyl）heptane （10）, and （3S, SS）-3,5-diacetoxy-1,7-bis（3,4-dihydroxyphenyl）heptane （11）. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectral evidence and comparisons with literature data. The free radical scavenging activity of 1--11 was evaluated by the 1,l-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl （DPPH） assay. Most of the isolated com- pounds were found to be better antioxidants than the positive control ascorbic acid. These compounds were also evaluated for their cytotoxicity against HeLa and MNK-45 cells using the MTT assay. Our results suggest that com- pounds 3 and 5-8 inhibited HeLa cells, and 3, 5, 7 and 8 inhibited MNK-45 cells. It was found that compound 5 was markedly cytotoxic against HeLa and MNK-45 cell lines with ICs0 values of 6.4 and 7.8 μmol/L, respectively.

Effects of Roselle and Ginger on cisplatin-induced reproductive toxicity in rats

Aim： To evaluate the protective effects of Hibiscus sabdariffa （Roselle） and Zingiber officinale （Ginger） against cisplatin-induced reproductive toxicity in rats and to study the mechanisms underlying these effects. Methods： Ethanol extracts of H. sabdariffa or Z. officinale [1 g/（kg·day）] were given p.o. to male albino rats for 26 days, which began 21 days before a single cisplatin i.p. injection （10 mg/kg body weight）. Results： Extracts of H. sabdariffa and Z. offcinale reduced the extent of cisplatin-induced sperm abnormality and enhanced sperm motility. Both extracts restored the control level of malondialdehyde （MDA） （lipid peroxidation marker） in the cisplatin-treated testis. The cisplatin injection induced decline in the levels of superoxide dismutase （SOD）, reduced glutathione （GSH） and catalase （CAT） were significantly reversed to control levels in groups where cisplatin was preceded by the administration of either H. sabdariffa or Z. officinale. Conclusion： Both H. sabdariffa and Z. officinale treatment increased the activities of testicular antioxidant enzymes and restored sperm motility of cisplatin-treated rats. The protective effects of tested plants are, therefore, suggested to be mediated by their potent antioxidant activities.

Three new diarylheptanoids and their antioxidant property

Three new diarylheptanoids, i.e., sodium（5S,2E）- 1,7-bis（4-hydroxyphenyl）- 1-hydroxy-2-hepten-5 -sulfonate （1）, sodium（5R,2E）-1,7-bis（4-hydroxyphenyl）-1-hydroxy-2-hepten-5-sulfonate （2） and 3,5-diacetoxy-1-（3-methoxy-4,5-dihydroxyphenyl）-7-（4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl）heptane （3） were isolated from the rhizomes of Zingiber officinale. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods. The antioxidant activities of 3 were assayed by in vitro models involving DPPH free radicals and superoxide anion radicals.

Efficacy of Botanical Insecticides in Control of Flea Beetle (Phyllotreta cruciferae) on Cabbage (Brassica oleracea Linn) on Field

An investigation of effect of Latana camara, Tephrosia vogelii and Zingiber officinale applied at 5%, 10% and 25% concentrations on flea beetle of cabbage was conducted on the Teaching and Research Farm of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Ogbomoso in the early seasons of 2011 and 2012. The experiment consisted of 11 treatments laid in a Randomized Complete Block Design （RCBD） with three replications. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and significant means were compared using the Least Significant Difference （LSD） at p〈0.05. All the tested plant extracts exhibited moderate efficacy in the control of flea beetle. The treatment plant extracts performed as well as synthetic insecticides （0.76±0.05 and 0.76±0.05, respectively）. It was discovered that 25% w/v of Z. officinale gave the best yield of 0.50 kg · hm-2. The result showed that extract of T. vogelii （0.71±0.00） and L. camara （0.96±0.23） could suppress flea beetle population at different hours of spraying, while Z. officinale showed an effect at 48 HAS （0.71±0.00） and 72 HAS （0.76±0.05） alter spraying.

生姜茎叶提取物对高粱蚜生长发育及防御酶活性的影响

为明确生姜(Zingiber officinale Roscoe)茎叶提取物(Ginger shoot extract,GSE)对蚜虫生长发育的抑制作用以及防御酶应答机制,以生姜茎叶和高粱蚜(Melanaphis sacchari Zehntner)为对象,研究GSE对高粱蚜生长发育及致死作用和虫体内超氧化物歧化酶(Superoxide dismutase,SOD)、过氧化物酶(Peroxidase,POD)和乙酰胆碱酯酶(Acetylcholinesterase,AChE)活性的影响。结果表明,与对照(CK)相比,5、10、15mg/mL的GSE对高粱蚜的产仔数、蜕皮数和体重增长均有抑制效应,且浓度越高对高粱蚜生长发育的抑制效果越强,15mg/mL的GSE在5d时对高粱蚜的产仔数、蜕皮数和体重增长抑制作用最强,分别下降了58.58%、93.81%和32.32%。3种浓度的GSE也能显著增加高粱蚜若蚜的死亡率,且浓度越高杀蚜活性越强,其中15mg/mL的GSE在1d时高粱蚜若蚜死亡率最高,达到72.23%。15mg/mL的GSE能显著增加高粱蚜体内SOD活性,且在1d时活性最强,相比CK增加23.85%。高粱蚜体内POD活性则呈现先激活后抑制的趋势,而高粱蚜体内AChE活性在饲喂5d内均受到显著抑制,且在1d时抑制效果最强,相比CK下降了96.90%。结果显示,GSE可能成为蚜虫防治的新型植物源杀虫剂。

Virulence of Pythium deliense causing soft rot in Ginger,a new report from Kerala,India

Ginger(Zingiber officinale Rosc.)rhizome is widely used as a spice and medicine and,its large-scale production is being seriously affected by several fungal and bacterial diseases.Soft rot disease caused by various species of Pythium is the most destructive among them.Samples showing soft rot symptoms were collected from the ginger fields of Kozhikode and Wayanad districts of Kerala.Detailed study of the morphology,growth parameters and molecular characteristics of the fungal isolates confirmed the identity of Pythium deliense.The pathogenicity of the isolates was demonstrated by in vitro and in vivo methods.This is the first report of the pathogen,P.deliense causing soft rot in ginger from Kerala,India.

Protective effect of ginger volatile oil against acetic acid-induced colitis in rats: a light microscopic evaluation

OBJECTIVE： Ulcerative colitis is a chronically recurrent inflammatory bowel disease of unknown origin. In the present study, the effect of ginger （rhizome of Zingiber officinale Roscoe） volatile oil on a rat model of colitis was evaluated. METHODS： Volatile oil of ginger with doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, prednisolone （4 mg/kg）, or vehicle were administered orally to groups of male Wistar rats （n = 6） for 5 d. Animals were randomly divided into 6 groups, each group consisting of 6 rats. Colitis was induced by intracolonic instillation of 2 mL of 4% （v/v） acetic acid solution. All rats were sacrificed 24 h later and the tissue injuries were assessed macroscopically and histopathologically. RESULTS： Ginger volatile oil with all doses reduced colon weight/length ratio （P 〈 0.01） and the effects were similar to the reference drugs. Higher oral doses of volatile oil （200 and 400 mg/kg） reduced ulcer severity （P 〈 0.05 and P 〈 0.01）, ulcer area （P 〈 0.01） and ulcer index （P 〈 0.01）. On the other hand, evaluation of microscopic scores showed that the dose of 400 mg/kg of volatile oil was effective to reduce inflammation severity （P 〈 0.01） and inflammation extent （P 〈 0.05） compared to the control group. CONCLUSION： It is concluded that ginger volatile oil could effectively reduce symptoms of experimental colitis in a dose-dependent manner.

Analgesic and Anti-inflammatory Effects of Ginger Oil

Objective Ginger(Zingiber officinale) is widely used as a spice in cooking and as a medicinal herb in traditional herbal medicine.The present study was to investigate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of ginger oil in experimental animal models.Methods The analgesic effect of the oils was evaluated by the 'acetic acid' and 'hot-plate' test models of pain in mice.The anti-inflammatory effect of the oil was investigated in rats,using rat paw edema induced by carrageenan,adjuvant arthritis,and vascular permeability induced by bradykinin,arachidonic acid,and histamine.Indomethacin(1 mg/kg),Aspirin(0.5 g/kg) and Dexamethasone(2.5 mg/kg) were used respectively as reference drugs for comparison.Results The ginger oil(0.25-1.0 g/kg) produced significant analgesic effect against chemically-and thermally-induced nociceptive pain stimuli in mice(P < 0.05,0.01).And the ginger oil(0.25-1.0 g/kg) also significantly inhibited carrageenan-induced paw edema,adjuvant arthritis,and inflammatory mediators-induced vascular permeability in rats(P < 0.05,0.001).Conclusion These findings confirm that the ginger oil can be used to treat pain and chronic inflammation such as rheumatic arthritis.

Differential inhibitory potentials of three plant extracts against Dermestes maculatus Degeer and microorganisms in smoked catfish, Clarias gariepinus Burchell

Objectives:Three medicinal plants:Zingiber officinale rhizome,Allium sativum bulb,and Moringa oleifera seeds,were evaluated for progeny inhibition in fish beetle,Dermestes maculatus,and incidence of bacteria and fungi in smoked-dried Clarias gariepinus.Materials and Methods:Cleaned C.gariepinus were separately soaked in extracts of these selected plants(50 g/1000 ml)for 60 min before smoke-drying in a mud kiln at 105℃ and later divided into lots.Sensory evaluation was conducted on uninfested fishes in lot A while fishes in lot B was artificially infested with five pairs of newly emerged adult D.maculatus for 10 days.Number of emerged larva,adult insects,and incidence of microorganisms before and following 90 days in storage after infestation were used as indices of potency of the extracts.Results:Results obtained showed that all the treated uninfested smoked-dried C.gariepinus retained high scores for taste,texture,aroma,and appearance within the first 5 weeks of storage after smoking when compared with the control.This implied that the tested extracts had no negative effect in terms of sensory attributes on the treated fish during storage and can therefore be used for fish preservation.Meanwhile,A.sativum among all the selected extracts had the least number of larvae(17.67±1.45),adult(21.00±1.53),fungi(9.00×10^(2)±0.53 sfu/ml)and bacteria counts(11.33×10^(2)±0.33 cfu/ml)following 90 days in storage after infestation.Conclusion:Allium sativum among the tested extracts proved to be most effective and could be recommended for control of D.maculatus and microorganisms in smoked C.gariepinus.