In vivo Antimutagenic Potential of Ginger on Formation and Excretion of Urinary Mutagens in Rats

Antimutagenic effect of an Asclepias subulata extract against heterocyclic aromatic amines commonly found in cooked meat and its heat stability

The antimutagenicity of an extract from the medicinal plant Asclepias subulata (ASE) against heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) commonly found in cooked meat, as well as its stability to heat treatment (HT), was evaluated. HT (180 °C/3 min) had no effect on the content in ASE of the bioactive compound corotoxigenin-3-O-glucopyranoside; conversely, calotropin significantly decreased by 72%. ASE exerted antimutagenicity against PhIP, MelQ, and MelQx in TA98 and TA100 Salmonella strains, and this activity was not affected by heat, with the exception of MelQ (p < 0.05). Since HAAs can induce colorectal cancer, the thermal stability of ASE's antiproliferative effect against colorectal cancer cells was also evaluated. HT decreased (p < 0.05) the antiproliferative activity of ASE; however, the remaining activity was still strong with an IC₅₀ of 16.8 ± 2.03 µg/mL. Therefore, ASE can be used as a food ingredient to reduce the carcinogenic potential of thermally induced HAAs.

How Safe Is Ginger Rhizome for Decreasing Nausea and Vomiting in Women during Early Pregnancy?

Ginger, Zingiber officinale Roscoe, is increasingly consumed as a food or in food supplements. It is also recognized as a popular nonpharmacological treatment for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP). However, its consumption is not recommended by all countries for pregnant women. Study results are heterogeneous and conclusions are not persuasive enough to permit heath care professionals to recommend ginger safely. Some drugs are also contraindicated, leaving pregnant women with NVP with few solutions. We conducted a review to assess effectiveness and safety of ginger consumption during early pregnancy. Systematic literature searches were conducted on Medline (via Pubmed) until the end of December 2017. For the evaluation of efficacy, only double-blind, randomized, controlled trials were included. For the evaluation of the safety, controlled, uncontrolled, and pre-clinical studies were included in the review. Concerning toxicity, none can be extrapolated to humans from in vitro results. In vivo studies do not identify any major toxicities. Concerning efficacy and safety, a total of 15 studies and 3 prospective clinical studies have been studied. For 1 g of fresh ginger root per day for four days, results show a significant decrease in nausea and vomiting and no risk for the mother or her future baby. The available evidence suggests that ginger is a safe and effective treatment for NVP. However, beyond the ginger quantity needed to be effective, ginger quality is important from the perspective of safety.

Dose-dependent effect in the inhibition of oxidative stress and anticlastogenic potential of ginger in STZ induced diabetic rats

Ginger is an important medicinal herb has numerous bioactive components and is used in the management, control and/or treatment of diseases including diabetes mellitus. The present study was undertaken to see the dose-response effect of ginger and evaluate the possible protective effects of dietary ginger on oxidative stress and genotoxicity induced by streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic rats. Inbred male Wistar/NIN rats of 8-9 weeks old were treated with 30 mg/kg of STZ. Rats were divided into different groups of control, diabetic non-treated, and diabetic treated with ginger powder at 0.5%, 1% and 5% respectively. After feeding for a month, blood and tissues were collected to see the effect of ginger on antioxidant status, DNA damage and bone marrow genotoxicity. In this study ginger exerted a protective effect against STZ-induced diabetes by modulating antioxidant enzymes and glutathione and down regulating lipid and protein oxidation and inhibition in genotoxicity in a dose-response manner.