Gingerol from Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Zingiberaceae)

Gingerol is the active constituent of fresh Ginger. Gingerol is a relative of capsaicin, the compound from chile peppers. Gingerol is normally found as a pungent yellow oil. Cooking ginger turns gingerol into zingerone, which is less pungent and has a spicy-sweet aroma.
 
Health benefit of gingerol
The oleoresin from rhizomes of ginger contains [6]-gingerol (1-[4'-hydroxy-3'-methoxyphenyl]-5-hydroxy-3-decanone) and its homologs which are pungent ingredients that have been found to possess many benefits, such as anti-inflammatory, antihepatotoxic and cardiotonic effects.

Gingerol lowers body temperature
Systemic administration of [6]- gingerol, a pungent constituent of ginger, induces hypothermia in rats via an inhibitory effect on metabolic rate.
Eur J Pharmacol. 2008 Feb. Ueki S, Miyoshi M, Shido O, Hasegawa J, Watanabe T. Division of Integrative Physiology, Department of Functional, Morphological and Regulatory Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori 683, Japan.
We investigated the effects of systemic administrations of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Zingiberaceae) or its pungent constituent, [6] gingerol, on resting body temperature in rats. Rats given ginger-containing rat chow for 5 days showed no changes in their day-night cycle of body temperature or physical activity. However, a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of [6]-gingerol (2.5 or 25 mg/kg) induced a rapid, marked drop in body temperature in a dose-related manner, with no change in physical activity. A significant decrease in metabolic rate was observed immediately after an i.p. injection of gingerol (25 mg/kg), although heat-loss responses underwent no alteration (versus vehicle). These results suggest that in rats: (a) a decrease in metabolic rate is responsible for the gingerol induced hypothermia, and (b) gingerol modulates or interferes with the mechanisms underlying body temperature regulation, while other bioactive constituents of ginger may counteract the hypothermic effect of gingerol.

Gingerol and cancer
Multiple mechanisms are involved in 6-gingerol-induced cell growth arrest and apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells.
Mol Carcinog. 2008 Mar;47(3):197-208. Lee SH, Cekanova M, Baek SJ. The Laboratory of Environmental Carcinogenesis, Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-4542, USA.
6-Gingerol, a natural product of ginger, has been known to possess anti-tumorigenic and pro-apoptotic activities. Our results suggest that 6-gingerol stimulates apoptosis through upregulation of NAG-1 and G(1) cell cycle arrest through downregulation of cyclin D1. Multiple mechanisms appear to be involved in gingerol action, including protein degradation as well as beta-catenin, PKCepsilon, and GSK-3beta pathways.

[6]- Gingerol inhibits metastasis of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells.
J Nutr Biochem. 2007 Jul 31 Lee HS, Seo EY, Kang NE, Kim WK. Department of Sports Sciences, Seoul Sports Graduate University, Seoul 150-034, South Korea.
Gingerol (Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Zingiberaceae) is one of the most frequently and heavily consumed dietary condiments throughout the world. We have found that gingerol inhibits cell adhesion, invasion, motility and activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell lines.

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