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%).

Antibacterial effect of Allium sativum cloves and Zingiber officinale rhizomes against multiple-drug resistant clinical pathogens

Objective:To evaluate the antibacterial properties ot Allium sativum(garlic) cloves and Zingiber officinale(ginger) rhizomes against multi-drug resistant clinical pathogens causing nosocomial infection.Methods:The cloves of garlic and rhizomes of ginger were extracted with 95%(v/v) ethanol.The ethanolic extracts were subjected to antibacterial sensitivity test against clinical pathogens.Results:Anti-bacterial potentials of the extracts of two crude garlic cloves and ginger rhizomes were tested against five gram negative and two gram positive multi-drug resistant bacteria isolates.All the bacterial isolates were susceptible to crude extracts of both plants extracts.Except Enterobacter sp.and Klebsiella sp.,all other isolates were susceptible when subjected to ethanolic extracts of garlic and ginger.The highest inhibition zone was observed with garlic(19.4S mm) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa(P.aeruginosa).The minimal inhibitory concentration was as low as 67.00 μg/mL against P.aeruginosa.Conclusions:Natural spices of garlic and ginger possess effective anti-bacterial activity against multi-drug clinical pathogens and can be used for prevention of drug resistant microbial diseases and further evaluation is necessary.

Antimicrobial activity and essential oils of Curcuma aeruginosa,Curcuma mangga,and Zingiber cassumunar from Malaysia

Objective:To analyze the chemical composition of the essential oils of Curcuma aeruginosa (C.aeruginosa),Curcuma mangga(C.mangga),and Zingiber cassumunar(Z.cassumunar). and study their antimicrobial activity.Methods:Essential oils obtained by steam distillation were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass speclrometry(GC-MS).The antimicrobial activity of the essential oils was evaluated against four bacteria:Bacillus cereus(H.cereus).Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus).Escherichia coli(E.coli).and Pseudomonas aeruginosa(P.aeruginosa);and two fungi:Candida albicans(C.albicans) and Cyptococcus neoformans(C.neoformans),using disc-diffusion and broth microdilution methods.Results:Cycloisolongifolene,8.9-dehydro-9- formyl(35.29%) and dihydrocoslunolide(22.51%) were the major compounds in C.aeruginosa oil; whereas caryophyllene oxide(18.71%) and caryophyllene(12.69%) were the major compounds in C.mangga oil:and 2,6.9,9-tetramethyl-2.6.10-cycloundecatrien-1-one(60.77%) andα-caryophyllene(23.92%) were abundant in Z.cassumunar oil.The essential oils displayed varying degrees of antimicrobial activity against all lested microorganisms.C.mangga oil had the highest and most broad-spectrum activity by inhibiting all microorganisms tested,with C.neoformans being the most sensitive microorganism by having the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration(MFC) values of 0.1μL/mL. C.aeruginosa oil showed mild antimicrobial activity,whereas Z.cassumunar had very low or weak activity against the tested microorganisms.Conclusions:The preliminary results suggest promising antimicrobial properties of C.mangga and C.aeruginosa,which may be useful for food preservation,pharmaceutical treatment and natural therapies.

Densitometric HPTLC analysis of 8-gingerol in Zingiber officinale extract and ginger-containing dietary supplements,teas and commercial creams

Objective:To develop and validate a simple,accurate HPTLC method for the analysis of 8-gingerol and to determine the quantity of 8-gingerol inZingiber officinaleextract and gingercontaining dietary supplements,teas and commercial creams.Methods:The analysis was performed on 10×20 cm aluminium-backed plates coated with 0.2 mm layers of silica gel 60 F254(E-Merck,Germany)with n-hexane:ethyl acetate 60:40(v/v)as mobile phase.Camag TLC Scanner III was used for the UV densitometric scanning at 569.Results:This system was found to give a compact spot of 8-gingerol at retention factor(Rf) value of(0.39依0.04)and linearity was found in the ranges 50-500 ng/spot(r2=0.9987).Limit of detection(12.76 ng/spot),limit of quantification(26.32 ng/spot),accuracy(less than 2%)and recovery(ranging from 98.22-99.20)were found satisfactory.Conclusions:The HPTLC method developed for quantification of 8-gingerol was found to be simple,accurate,reproducible,sensitive and is applicable to the analysis of 8-gingerol in Zingiber officinaleextract and ginger-containing dietary supplements,teas and commercial creams.

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.

Chemical Constituents of the Root Essential Oils of <i>Zingiber rubens</i>Roxb., and <i>Zingiber zerumbet</i>(L.) Smith

Zingiber rubens Roxb., and Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Smith were collected respectively from Nghe An, Province and Ha Tinh, Province,Vietnam. The root essential oils were obtained by water distillation and analyzed by Gas chromatography (GC) and Gas chromatography coupled with Mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The most abundant components of Z. rubens were (Z)-citral (30.1%), camphene (9.7%), β-phellandrene (7.5%) and 1,8-cineole (7.0%) and zingiberene (5.3%). The main oil constituents of Z. zerumbet were (Z)-citral (26.1%), camphene (16.3%), sabinene (14.6%), zingiberene (7.2%) and lavandulyl acetate (6.7%). This species has low zerumbone (1.2%) content.

Repellent,larvicidal and adulticidal activities of essential oil from Dai medicinal plant Zingiber cassumunar against Aedes albopictus

Zingiber cassumunar is an important plant used in traditional medicine and as a natural mosquito re-pellent.However,the compounds responsible for the repellent activity of the plant are still unknown.The aim of the study is to identify the components of Z.cassumunar essential oil that show repellent activity against Aedes albopictus.We also evaluated the larvicidal and adulticidal activities of Z.cassumunar essential oil against Ae.albopictus.In-cage mosquito repellent experiments showed that Z.cassumunar essential oil possessed moderate repellent activity with a minimum effective dose(MED)of 0.16±0.01 mg/cm^(20,compared to reference standard N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide(DEET,0.03±0.01 mg/cm^(20).Bioassay-guided fractionation identified the major active compound of Z.cassumunar essential oil as(-)-terpinen-4-ol(1)(MED:0.19±0 mg/cm^(20).We also found that Z.cassumunar essential oil showed moderate larvicidal activity against first instar larvae of Ae.albopictus with a LC50(50%lethal concentration)of 44.9 mg/L after 24 h.Fumigation bioassays showed that Z.cassumunar essential oil exhibits moderate adulticidal activity against Ae.albopictus with a LC50 of 5.44%,while(-)-terpinen-4-ol showed significant adulticidal activity with a LC50 of 2.10%after 24 h.This study verifies that the Z.cassumunar essential oil has mosquito repellent activity,and that(-)-terpinen-4-ol is mainly responsible for this activity.Furthermore,this study provides scientific support for the folk usage of Z.cassumunar essential oil as mosquito repellent and indicates that Z.cassumunar essential oil and(-)-terpinen-4-ol can be used as plant-derived repellents and insecticides for mosquito control.

Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oil of <i>Zingiber officinale</i>Roscoe (Zingiberaceae)

Zingiber officinale, commonly known as ginger, is a species native of tropical Asia. It is grown and used in tropical countries of America, including Mexico, where it is used for the treatment of throat infections. The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition of essential oil of Z. officinale rhizome and evaluate their antimicrobial activity. The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation, and the chemical composition of the oil was determined by GC-MS. To determine the antimicrobial activity diffusion, agar dilution and radial growth inhibition methods were employed. Microbial growth curves were performed on the strains most susceptible. It was identified 28 compounds in the essential oil, the most abundant were eudesmol (8.19%), γ-terpinene (7.88 %), a-curcumene (7.28%), alloaromadendrene (6.56%), zingiberene (6.06 %), α-pinene (5.76 %), δ-cadinene (3.84%), elemol (3.39%), farnesal (3.45%), E-β-farnesene (3.57%), neril acetate (2.8%) and β-myrcene (2.94%). In antimicrobial activity, the essential oil inhibited the growth of 15 bacterial strains, 3 of yeast fungi and 4 of mycelia fungi. The most susceptible strains were S. aureus FES-I (MIC = 0.25 mg/mL) S. epidemidis FES-C (MIC = 0.5 mg/mL), E. faecalis ATCC 14506 (MIC = 1.0 mg/mL), C. tropicalis (CMI = 0.125 mg/mL) and T. mentagrophytes (CF50 = 0.08 mg/mL). In the microbial growth curves the essential oil showed bactericidal effect on S. aureus FES-I and S. marcescens ATCC 14756 from the first hour of exposure of the strains to oil, eliminating 99.9% of CFU in concentrations of 0.5 and 0.75 mg/mL respectively. The results validate the medicinal use of Z. officinale in the treatment of diseases of possible infectious origin.

Evaluation of Various Crude Extracts of <i>Zingiber officinale</i>Rhizome for Potential Antibacterial Activity: A Study <i>in Vitro</i>

In vitro antibacterial activity of crude aqueous and organic extracts of rhizome of Zingiber officinaleRoscoe (ginger) was studied against both Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi) and Gram-positive (Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes) bacterial strains. The present study reveals that the pattern of inhibition varied with the solvent used for extraction and the organism tested. Plant extracts prepared in organic solvents provided more consistent antibacterial activity as compared to aqueous extracts. Methanol extract was the most active against maximum number of bacterial species tested. Gram-positive bacteria were found the most sensitive as compared to Gram-negative bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus was significantly inhibited by almost all the extracts even in very low MIC followed by other Gram-positives. Escherichia coli (a Gram-negative bacterium) was showing the least inhibition with highest MIC values, while Salmonella typhi was found completely resistant. Methanol extract yielded the presence of terpenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids and tannins in phytochemical screening. Results of the present study sign the interesting assurance of designing a potentially active antibacterial agent from Zingiber officinale.

<i>Streptomyces zerumbet</i>, a Novel Species from <i>Zingiber zerumbet</i>(L.) Smith and Isolation of Its Bioactive Compounds

Streptomyces zerumbet W14, a novel species of the endophyte genus Streptomyces was isolated from the rhizome tissue of Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Smith. Identification of strain W14 was based on its morphology, chemotaxonomy and phylogenetic analysis using 16S rDNA sequence. It was classified as the secondary meabolites of the culture extract were studied. The major active ingredients from the crude extract were purified by silica gel column chromatography and identified by spectroscopic data. The crude extract and purified compounds were tested for their biological activities on antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. The crude extract showed inhibition on the growth of Gram-positive bacteria with the MIC and MBC values of 8 - 32 μg/ml and 32 - 128 μg/ml, respectively. The isolated compounds were identified to be methyl 5-(hydroxymethyl)furan-2-carboxylate (1) and geldanamycin (2). Bioassay studies showed that compound 1 had antibacterial activity against Staphylococus aureus ATCC 25923 and Methicillin Resistant S. aureus strain Sp6 (clinical isolate) with the MIC and MBC values of 1 μg/ml and 16 - 64 μg/ml, respectively, and also showed activity against Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (vaccine strain) with MIC and MBC values of 128.00 μg/ml and 128.00 μg/ml, respectively. The compound 2 at the concentration of 1 - 5 μg/ml had in vitro anti-inflammatory activity on LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells by inhibition of mRNA expression and production of inducible NO synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). These results suggest that compounds 1 and 2 produced by S. zerumbet W14 (an endophyte of Z. Zerumbet) have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities, respectively. Therefore, the future studies on these compounds could be useful for the management of bacterial infections and inflammatory diseases.

Effect of Zingiber Officinale Sucus on contraction of isolated duodenum in rabbits

Objective:Observation of ginger (Zingiber Officinale Sucus, ZOS) effect on rabbit isolated duodenum and to explore the correlation mechanism with M and H1 receptor. To investigate the effects of ZOS on isolated duodenum of rabbits treated with acetylcholine, histamine, atropine and chlorpheniramine respectively. Methods: The optimal concentration of ZOS was 1% and the above drugs were applied to the isolated duodenal segments respectively. The contractile force was recorded by BL-420E biological signal acquisition system. Results: The results showed that ZOS significantly inhibited the contraction of isolated rabbit duodenal smooth muscle in a positive concentration-dependent manner. The mechanism of inhibiting contraction had little correlation with M and H1 receptors. Conclusion: It could inhibit the efficacy of acetylcholine and histamine, and was a synergist for atropine and chlorpheniramine. This study provided a basis for the use of ginger in daily life and the development of combined medication.

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 C&ocirc;te 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.

姜制半夏传统制作工艺考证

姜半夏传统制作工艺:完整半夏姜制法多在前期生半夏汤洗的基础上进行,亦有直接用姜汤洗的记载。半夏片为汤洗后切片,再用姜汁浸、炒、煮、蒸等,以炒法为优。半夏粉为半夏汤洗切片研细粉,再用姜汤浸澄,多用于制作糊丸或包衣。半夏饼为汤洗后半夏研粉与生姜汁或去皮生姜混合制成的饼状物,再经炙、煨、炒等法而成。半夏曲始于宋代,当时半夏曲有制饼与发酵两种,均以生姜为辅料。制饼者并没有发酵的过程,实为半夏饼。半夏曲的配方众多,生姜必不可少。地方炮制经验中将生半夏水浸泡,生姜煮取汁,再共同煮制为主流。地方炮制规范中多为生半夏水浸透,姜汤矾水共煮。现代学者的研究方向主要集中在炮制工艺优选与炮制原理两方面。建议恢复姜半夏的传统汤洗姜制工艺。

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.

Mechanisms underlying the vascular relaxation activities of Zingiber officinale var. rubrum in thoracic aorta of spontaneously hypertensive rats

Objective: To evaluate vasorelaxant and vasoconstriction effects of Zingiber officinale var. rubrum(ZOVR)on live rats and isolated aortic rings of spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHRs).Methods: Extracts of ZOVR were subjected to in-vivo antihypertensive screening using noninvasive blood pressures in SHRs. The most potent extract, ZOVR petroleum ether extract(ZOP) was then fractionated using n-hexane, chloroform and water. Isolated thoracic aortic rings were harvested and subjected to vascular relaxation studies of n-hexane fraction of ZOP(HFZOP) with incubation of different antagonists such as Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester(L-NAME, 10 μmol/L), indomethacin(10 μmol/L), methylene blue(10 μmol/L), atropine(1 μmol/L), glibenclamide(10 μmol/L), prazosin(0.01 μmol/L), and propranolol(1 μmol/L).Results: During the screening of various ZOVR extracts, ZOP produced the most reduction in blood pressures of SHRs and so did HFZOP. HFZOP significantly decreased phenylephrine-induced contraction and enhanced acetylcholine-induced relaxation. L-NAME, indomethacin, methylene blue, atropine, and glibenclamide significantly potentiated the vasorelaxant effects of HFZOP. Propranolol and prazosin did not alter the vasorelaxant effects of HFZOP. HFZOP significantly suppressed the Ca2+-dependent contraction and influenced the ratio of the responses to phenylephrine in Ca2+-free medium.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that ZOP may exert an antihypertensive effect in the SHR model. Its possible vascular relaxation mechanisms involve nitric oxide and prostacyclin release, activation of cGMP-KATP channels, stimulation of muscarinic receptors, and transmembrane calcium channel or Ca2+release from intracellular stores. Possible active compounds that contribute to the vasorelaxant effects are 6-gingerol, 8-gingerol and 6-shogaol.

Nephroprotective effects of Zingiber zerumbet Smith ethyl acetate extract against paracetamol-induced nephrotoxicity and oxidative stress in rats

Paracetamol (PCM) overdose can cause nephrotoxicity with oxidative stress as one of the possible mechanisms mediating the event. In this study, the effects of ethyl acetate extract of Zingiber zerumbet rhizome [200 mg per kg of body weight (mg/kg) and 400 mg/kg] on PCM-induced nephrotoxicity were examined. Rats were divided into five groups containing 10 rats each. The control group received distilled water while other groups were treated with extract alone (400 mg/kg), PCM alone (750 mg/kg), 750 mg/kg PCM+200 mg/kg extract (PCM+ 200-extract), and 750 mg/kg PCM+400 mg/kg extract (PCM+400-extract), respectively, for seven consecutive days. The Z. zerumbet extract was given intraperitoneally concurrent with oral administration of PCM. Treatment with Z. zerumbet extract at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg prevented the PCM-induced nephrotoxicity and oxidative impairments of the kidney, as evidenced by a significantly reduced (P<0.05) level of plasma creatinine, plasma and renal malondialdehyde (MDA), plasma protein carbonyl, and renal advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP). Furthermore, both doses were also able to induce a significant increment (P<0.05) of plasma and renal levels of glutathione (GSH) and plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. The nephroprotective effects of Z. zerumbet extract were confirmed by a reduced intensity of renal cellular damage, as evidenced by histological findings. Moreover, Z. zerumbet extract administered at 400 mg/kg was found to show greater protective effects than that at 200 mg/kg. In conclusion, ethyl acetate extract of Z. zerumbet rhizome has a protective role against PCM-induced nephrotoxicity and the process is probably mediated through its antioxidant properties.

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.