Zingiber

Zingiber officinalis

ACCORDING TO TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE: SPLEEN STOMACH LUNG, WARMING THERMAL CHARACTERISTIC, COUNTERACTS WIND-COLD.

Ginger, "An aroma of Heaven," is how it was described in ancient literature, and its history as a spice, is lost in the mists of time. The rhizome, has always been usedto in ogni corner of the planet as a spice for flavoring a myriad of foods just as a multitude are the medicinal uses that see it employed particularly in traditional medicines. The chemical constituents of ginger have been studied since the early nineteenth century. The most important compounds, are divided into nonvolatile and volatile.

The chemical composition of ginger varies with variety, region and agro-climatic condition and owes its unique aromatic properties to the combination of flavors. The most pungent compound derive and develop during the dehydration process of gingerol, the concentration of which increases during the drying process manifesting properties similar to those of capsaicin and piperine, the compounds that give chili and black pepper their characteristic spiciness. In the present day, various pharmacopoeias in many countries list ginger extract for various digestive problems precisely because of its aromatic, spasmolytic, carminative effect and the absorptive properties of ginger, which are probably the basis of therapeutic applications in a whole range of digestive disorders.

Several studies have shown that ginger extract, essential oils and glycolipids contained therein possess an interesting number of actions in the pharmacological field such as anti-ulcerogenic or ulcer preventive efficacy, anti-Helicobacter pylori, antioxidant, anxiolytic, antiemetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenesis, antithrombotic.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Grzanna R, Linmark L, Frondoza CG. Ginger-an herbal medicine product with broad antiinflammatory actions. J Med Food 2005; 8(2): 125-132

Lawrence BM. 1984. Major tropical spices - Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.). Perfumer & Flavorist 9:1-40

Selvan MT, Thomas KG, Manojkumar K. 2002. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.). In: HP Singh, K Sivaraman and MT Selvan (editors). Indian Spices - Production and Utilization. Coconut Development Board, India. pp. 110-131.

Soeken KL, Miller SA, Ernst E (2003) Herbal medicines for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review. Rheumatology (Oxford) 42(5):652-659

Borrelli F, Capasso R, Pinto A, Izzo AA. Inhibitory effect of ginger (Zingiber Officinale) on rat ileal motility in vitro. Life Sci 2004; 74: 2889-2896

Afzal M, Al-Hadidi, Menon M, Pesek J, Dhami MS. Ginger: an ethnomedicinal, chemical and pharmacological review. Drug Methabol Drug Interac 2001; 18(3-4): 159-190

Mahady GB, Pendland SL, Yun GS, Lu ZZ, Stoia A. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe ) and the Gingerols inhibit the growth of Cag A+ strains of Helicobacter pylori. Anticancer Res 2003; 23(5A): 3699-3702

Sharma SS, Gupta YK. Reversal of cisplatin-induced delay in gastric emptying in rats by ginger (Zingiber officinale). J Ethnopharmacol 1998; 62(1): 49-55

Vishwakarma SL, Pal SC, Kasture VS, Kasture SB. Anxiolytic and antiemetic activity of Zingiber officinal. Phytother Res 2002; 16: 621-626

Ernst E, Pittler MH. Efficacy of ginger for nausea and vomiting: A systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Br J Anaesth 2000; 84: 367-371