Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities of Anethum graveolens L., Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck and Zingiber officinale Roscoe Essential Oils

Since synthetic chemotherapeutic drugs produce a certain degree of drug resistance and due to their common side effects, such as damage to hematopoietic cells and hair loss, it is necessary to use herbal medicine as a substrate to develop new anticancer drugs. The ingredients of three essential oils (EO) were identified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Their anticancer activities have been investigated on four human breast cancer cell lines, including MCF-7, MDA-MB-175, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-468. In addition, their antioxidant activity was evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The three plants were investigated for identifications of the ingredients of their EOs, and major ingredients were identified in each plant as alpha-phellandrene (26.75 %) in Anethum graveolens L., limonene (61.83 %) in Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck, and zingiberene (30.28 %) in Zingiber officinale Roscoe. Among the EOs, C. limon was significantly more effective than others; its half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) on MCF-7 was obtained at 201 µg.mL-1. Furthermore, Z. officinale EO showed a higher antioxidant activities in comparison to the two other EOs. Considering the antioxidant and anticancer effects of the EOs, they could be further investigated as a possible complementary medicine in cancer.

Effects of Pretreatment and Drying on the Volatile Compounds of Sliced Solar-Dried Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) Rhizome

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) rhizomes are mostly used as spice and medicine due to their high aroma intensity and medicinal bioactive compounds. However, the volatile compounds of ginger, partly responsible for its aroma and medicinal properties, can be affected by the pretreatment, drying method, and extraction processes employed. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of pretreatment and drying on the volatile compounds of yellow ginger variety at nine months of maturation. The effect of potassium metabisulfite (KMBS) and blanching pretreatment and drying on the volatile compounds of ginger using head space solid-phase microextraction with GCMS/MS identification (HS-SPME/GCMS/MS) was investigated. KMBS of concentrations 0.0 (control), 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, and 1.0% and blanching at 50°C and 100°C were used for pretreatment and dried in a tent-like concrete solar (CSD) dryer and open-sun drying (OSD). The different concentrations of KMBS-treated fresh ginger rhizomes did not result in any particular pattern for volatile compound composition identification. However, the top five compounds were mostly sesquiterpenes. The 0.15% KMBS-treated CSD emerged as the best pretreatment for retaining α-zingiberene, β-cubebene, α-farnesene, and geranial. The presence of β-cedrene, β-carene, and dihydro-α-curcumene makes this study unique. The 0.15% KMBS pretreatment and CSD drying can be adopted as an affordable alternative to preserve ginger.

Phytochemical, Pharmacognostic and Pharmacological Studies on Zingiber Officinale

Rhizomes of Zingiber officinale Roscoe. belonging to the family Zingiberaceae is used for bronchitis, as a carminative, for treating cough, cataracts and as a stimulant. The rhizome is cooked with salt and water and used as an expectorant. Extract of the juice of rhizome is used as eye-drops. In Yemen, it is mixed with other plants used for constipation, as a purgative, against colds, catarrh and acidity of the stomach. Root ginger is widely used for culinary purposes and as a spice. The rhizomes (imported from India) are used with cinnamon and cloves and made into a tea for treating colds and as a general tonic. The drink is also used as an aphrodisiac (Gazanfar, 1994). Ginger is useful in piles, rheumatism, headache, lumbago, pains, bleeding, chest congestion, cholera, cold, diarrhea, dropsy, nausea, stomachache, gastrointestinal disorders, vomiting, and diarrhea. The fresh juice of ginger acts as a strong diuretic. The juice of the leaves is effective against helminthiasis and marasmus and related conditions of diarrhea and dysentery (Monograph of Unani Medicine,2003).

Composition of Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Ginger), Soil Properties and Soil Enzyme Activities Grown in Different Concentration of Mineral Fertilizers

Ginger is rich in different chemical compounds such as phenolic compounds, terpenes, polysaccharides, lipids, organic acids, minerals, and vitamins. The present study investigated the effect of mineral fertilizers on the content of mineral elements in the rhizomes of Zingiber officinale Roscoe, soil enzymes activity, and soil properties in Surkhandarya Region, Uzbekistan. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first in Uzbekistan to investigate the mineral elements of ginger rhizome inhabiting Termez district, Surkhandarya region. A Field experiment was conducted at the Surkhandarya experimental station research Institute. Four treatments have been studied (Control with no fertilizers (T-1), N75P50K50 kg/ha (T-2), N125P100K100 kg/ha (T-3) and N100P75K75 + B3Zn6Fe6 kg/ha (T-4)). Results showed that T-4 treatment significantly increased ginger rhizome K, Ca, P, Mg, Fe, Na, Mn, Zn, Si, Li, and V content as compared to all other treatments and control. T-3 treatment significantly increased Mo, Ga, and Ag content in comparison to other treatments. Soil enzymes showed a significant increase for all treatments against control, while T-4 treatment has recorded the highest enzyme activity in comparison to all other treatments in urease, invertase, and catalase content. Soil chemical properties have significantly changed for all treatments against the non-cultivated soil and the zero fertilizers plantation with variation among different treatments. Results showed that ginger root is rich in minerals and can be used as a great potential for nutritional supplements and soil enrichment. This study suggest that combination of macro-microelements have the potential to increase the content of mineral elements in the rhizomes of ginger in field conditions.

Combined Metabolome and Transcriptome Analyses of Young, Mature, and Old Rhizome Tissues of Zingiber officinale Roscoe

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is known for its unique pungent taste and useability in traditional Chinese medicine. The main compounds in ginger rhizome can be classified as gingerols, diarylheptanoids, and volatile oils. The composition and concentrations of the bioactive compounds in ginger rhizome might vary according to the age of the rhizome. In this regard, the knowledge on the transcriptomic signatures and accumulation of metabolites in young (Y), mature (M), and old (O) ginger rhizomes is scarce. This study used HiSeq Illumina Sequencing and UPLC-MS/MS analyses to delineate how the expression of key genes changes in Y, M, and O ginger rhizome tissues and how it affects the accumulation of metabolites in key pathways. The transcriptome sequencing identified 238,157 genes of which 13,976, 11,243, and 24,498 were differentially expressed (DEGs) in Y vs. M, M vs. O, and Y vs. O, respectively. These DEGs were significantly enriched in stilbenoid, diarylheptanoid, and gingerol biosynthesis, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, plant-hormone signal transduction, starch and sucrose metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, and α-linoleic acid metabolism pathways. The metabolome profiling identified 661 metabolites of which 311, 386, and 296 metabolites were differentially accumulated in Y vs. M, Y vs. O, and M vs. O, respectively. These metabolites were also enriched in the pathways mentioned above. The DEGs and DAMs enrichment showed that the gingerol content is higher in Y rhizome, whereas the Y, M, and O tissues differ in linoleic and α-linoleic acid accumulation. Similarly, the starch and sucrose metabolism pathway is variably regulated in Y, M, and O rhizome tissues. Our results showed that ginger rhizome growth slows down (Y > M > O) probably due to changes in phytohormone signaling. Young ginger rhizome is the most transcriptionally and metabolically active tissue as compared to M and O. The transitioning from Y to M and O affects the gingerol, sugars, linoleic acid, and α-linoleic acid concentrations and related gene expressions.

Detection of changes in growth, yield and genetic variation using RAPD markers among M1V2 and M1V3 generations of irradiated ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe)

The effects of gamma-rays on the growth and yield of twelve mutant lines of Zingiber officinale Roscoe from 2 varieties; namely Bentong and Tanjung Sepat were analysed for a second (M1V2) and a third generation (M1V3). Mutant rhizomes have previously been exposed to different doses (0, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13 Gy) of gamma-rays that were propagated until the third generation. In the study, the phenotypic characteristic and genetic variation study using Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) of ginger mutant lines of M1V2 and M1V3 were analysed and compared with the first generation (M1V1). Parameters such as sprouting rhizome, plant height, the average number of leaves and shoots, average length and width of leaves, and average weights of rhizomes per plant for mutant lines of both varieties were collected. It was observed that the increase in dosage had a negative effect on the growth performance of plants. The number of leaves and shoots, length and width of leaves and average weight of rhizomes for both generations were decreased as the dose increased. The plants from the treatment 5 Gy dose produced the highest ginger rhizome yields of 65.45±1.35 g and 165.0±2.30 g in the Bentong and Tanjung Sepat varieties respectively, after nine months of cultivation in M1V2. While in M1V3, the rhizome yield at 5 Gy showed that the highest rhizome yields were reduced in both varieties of Bentong (45.45±1.25 g) and Tanjung Sepat (125.0±2.30 g). The PCR-based RAPD analysis showed 98.29% of polymorphism which indicated genetic variations between ginger mutant lines. The information provides an important input in determining resourceful management strategies for genetics improvement of ginger.

Formulation and Sensory Analysis of Cocktails Based on Ginger Oleoresin (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), Pineapple Juice (Ananas comosus L. MERR) and Bissap Concentrate (Hibiscus sabdariffa)

Aims: The aim of this study is to formulate cocktails based on ginger oleoresin, pineapple juice and bissap concentrate in order to contribute to the development of these agricultural products and improve the income of producers. Study Design: The biological material consists of pineapple juice, ginger oleoresin and bissap concentrate. The oleoresin and the bissap concentrate were supplied respectively by Gazignaire (France) and the Water Chemistry and Natural Substances Laboratory. Place and Duration of Study: The cocktails were formulated and then subjected to sensory analyzes, from July to October 2018, at the Biochemistry and Food Sciences laboratory at Félix Houphouët-Boigny University. Methodology: The cocktails were formulated through a composite central plan having as variables the proportions of the pineapple juice, the bissap concentrate and the ethanol composing the cocktail. Thus 15 cocktail formulations were developed, the sensory characteristics of which were estimated. Results: Hedonic analysis of the formulations indicates acceptance of 12 of them by more than 50% of tasters.In addition, 5 formulations F4; F6; F12; F13 and F15 are preferred in proportions varying between 62% and 77%.The descriptive analysis of these 5 formulations indicates that only the pineapple flavor makes it possible to distinguish them and the F13 formulation is less provided with them.However, these formulations according to their flavor, aroma and texture are classified into 3 groups according to a principal component analysis.Which could offer consumers more choice. Conclusion: Commercial production of these cocktails could improve the availability of ginger, bissap and pineapple year-round and help improve the income of producers.

Extraction and characterization of 6-shogaol and 6-gingerol from Zingiber officinale var.Bentong

Zingiber officinale Roscoe var. Bentong or locally known as Bentong ginger is exclusively planted and harvested in the district of Bentong, Pahang, Malaysia. The demand for this ginger species has dramatically increased due to its high food and medicinal values, owing to the presence of 6-shogaol and 6-gingerol as active compounds. This study aimed to measure the concentrations of those active compounds with respect to their one-year plantation duration (January - December 2018). The proximate analysis, heavy metals and antioxidant activity were simultaneously determined during the plant growth. 6-gingerol was present in both fresh and dried samples whilst 6-shogaol could only be found in dried samples. Fresh ginger recorded the highest 6-gingerol content (2.09 mg/g) in the seventh month of harvesting time. On the other hand, in the sixth month of harvesting time, dried ginger had the highest concentration of 6-gingerol (0.66 mg/g) and 6-shogaol (1.85 mg/g). Notably, the accumulation of heavy metals such as As, Pb, Cd and Hg in Bentong ginger was relatively low and within the permissible limit. Meanwhile, the total polyphenol and phenolic content of Bentong ginger extract solution were observed to decrease as the ginger was maturing. In conclusion, Z. officinale Roscoe var. Bentong yielded different amounts of active compounds with respect to its harvesting time. Nevertheless, it generally exhibits good values in terms of chemical compositions that can be potentially used as nutraceutical food.