zerumbone and gingerol

As the human life expectancy increases, age-linked diseases have become more and more frequent. The worldwide increment of dementia cases demands medical solutions, but the current available drugs do not meet all the expectations. Recently the attention of the scientific community was attracted by natural compounds, used in ancient medicine, known for their beneficial effects and high tolerability. This review is focused on Ginger (

Topics: Catechols; Dementia; Drug Discovery; Fatty Alcohols; Guaiacol; Humans; Ketones; Models, Molecular; Plant Extracts; Protective Agents; Sesquiterpenes; Structure-Activity Relationship; Zingiber officinale

Recurrent meningiomas constitute an uncommon but significant problem after standard (surgery and radiation) therapy failure. Current chemotherapies (hydroxyurea, RU-486, and interferon-α) are only of marginal benefit. There is an urgent need for more effective treatments for meningioma patients who have failed surgery and radiation therapy. Limonin, Tangeritin, Zerumbone, 6-Gingerol, Ganoderic Acid A, and Ganoderic Acid DM are some of the plant derivatives that have anti-tumorgenic properties and cause cell death in meningioma cells in vitro. Due to its ease of administration, long-term tolerability, and low incidence of long-term side effects, we explored its potential as a therapeutic agent against meningiomas by examining their efficacy in vitro against meningioma cells. Treatment effects were assessed using MTT assay, Western blot analysis, caspases assay, and DNA fragmentation assay. Results indicated that treatments of IOMM-Lee and CH157MN meningioma cells with Limonin, Tangeritin, Zerumbone, 6-Gingerol, Ganoderic Acid A, and Ganoderic Acid DM induced apoptosis with enhanced phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3 β (GSK3β) via inhibition of the Wnt5/β-catenin pathway. These drugs did not induce apoptosis in normal human neurons. Other events in apoptosis included downregulation of tetraspanin protein (TSPAN12), survival proteins (Bcl-XL and Mcl-1), and overexpression apoptotic factors (Bax and caspase-3). These results provide preliminary strong evidence that medicinal plants containing Limonin, Tangeritin, 6-Gingerol, Zerumbone, Ganoderic Acid A, and Ganoderic Acid DM can be applied to high-grade meningiomas as a therapeutic agent, and suggests that further in vivo studies are necessary to explore its potential as a therapeutic agent against malignant meningiomas.

Topics: Apoptosis; Catechols; Cell Line, Tumor; DNA Fragmentation; Fatty Alcohols; Flavones; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; Heptanoic Acids; Humans; Lanosterol; Limonins; Meningioma; Sesquiterpenes; Triterpenes; Wnt Signaling Pathway

Natural dietary anti-obesogenic phytochemicals may help combat the rising global incidence of obesity. We aimed to identify key hepatic pathways targeted by anti-obsogenic ginger phytochemicals fed to mice.. Weaning mice were fed a high-fat diet containing 6-gingerol (HFG), zerumbone (HFZ), a characterized rhizome extract of the ginger-related plant Alpinia officinarum Hance (high fat goryankang, HFGK) or no phytochemicals (high-fat control, HFC) for 6 wks and were compared with mice on a low-fat control diet (LFC). Increased adiposity in the HFC group, compared with the LFC group, was significantly (p<0.05) reduced in the HFG and HFGK groups without food intake being affected. Correlation network analysis, including a novel residuals analysis, was utilized to investigate relationships between liver proteomic data, lipid and cholesterol biomarkers and physiological indicators of adiposity. 6-Gingerol significantly increased plasma cholesterol but hepatic farnesyl diphosphate synthetase, which is involved in cholesterol biosynthesis was decreased, possibly by negative feedback. Acetyl-coenzyme A acyltransferase 1 and enoyl CoA hydratase, which participate in the β-oxidation of fatty acids were significantly (p<0.05) increased by consumption of phytochemical-supplemented diets.. Dietary ginger phytochemicals target cholesterol metabolism and fatty acid oxidation in mice, with anti-obesogenic but also hypercholesterolemic consequences.

Topics: Acetyl-CoA C-Acyltransferase; Adiposity; Alpinia; Animals; Anti-Obesity Agents; Biomarkers; Body Weight; Catechols; Cholesterol; Diet, Fat-Restricted; Diet, High-Fat; Enoyl-CoA Hydratase; Fatty Alcohols; Geranyltranstransferase; Liver; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Plant Extracts; Principal Component Analysis; Proteins; Proteomics; Sesquiterpenes; Zingiber officinale