A Review of the Antidiabetic Activities of Ginger

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus, a chronic metabolic disorder with major health care burden worldwide, is increasing, with 173 million adults being diabetic and over 8 million deaths recorded annually. Undesirable pathological conditions and high rates of secondary failure limit the use of current antidiabetic agents, thus, the need for more effective antidiabetic agents. Medicinal plants such as spices, rich in bioactive components that promote prevention and treatment of chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer and Type-2 diabetes, are inexpensive with no side effects. The Zingiberaceae family, of which ginger is a member, consists of many species frequently cited for their antidiabetic and hypoglycemic properties. All important scientific literatures from 2000 to 2018 on the antidiabetic potentials of Zingiber officinale were evaluated. According to these studies, ginger exerts its antidiabetic effects through restorative effects on pancreatic β-cells, increasing insulin sensitivity, action and peripheral utilization of glucose. Other mechanisms include increased synthesis of hepatic glycogen through the enhancement of glycogen regulatory enzyme expression in the liver, inhibition of carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes, stimulation of pancreatic insulin release and inhibition of hepatic glucose production. Further studies, especially in humans are needed, more so, since ginger is one of the spices generally regarded as safe.

Protective Effects of Medicinal Plant-Based Foods against Diabetes: A Review on Pharmacology, Phytochemistry, and Molecular Mechanisms

“…Olive oil and honey also provide natural chemicals that have demonstrated antidiabetic activity. The aforementioned plant-derived foods exert their antidiabetic activity on multiple organs (e.g., liver, intestine, pancreas, skeletal muscle, adipose tissue) and via different mechanistic pathways [ 28 , 141 , 156 , 168 ] ( Figure 1 ).…”

“…The vast array of bioactive compounds found in medicinal plants continues to be an important resource for drug discovery and development, and structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies are important to understand how minor modifications in chemical structures can modulate antidiabetic or antioxidant activity [ 188 ]. SAR analysis has demonstrated that alkaloids found in medicinal plants such as Coptis chinensis, Commelina communis , Zingiber officinale , Nigella sativa, Cuminum cyminum , Anemarrhena asphodeloides , and Piper nigrum can improve postprandial hyperglycemia by inhibiting maltase-glucoamylase, which is becoming increasingly important as a target in antidiabetic drug discovery [ 84 , 121 , 137 , 156 , 189 ]. Such studies help researchers to design and develop compounds with improved activity and selectivity and also highlight the role of plant-based foods in the development of new drugs to control diabetes.…”

“…Zingiber officinale (Zingiberaceae), also known as ginger, is a medicinal plant native to Asia. Its roots and rhizomes are used as a spice and flavoring agent and for medicinal purposes [ 156 , 157 , 158 ]. Traditionally, ginger has been used to treat digestive disorders, nausea, rheumatism, respiratory conditions, cough, bleeding, baldness, toothache, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, neurological diseases, asthma, stroke, constipation, and cancer [ 158 , 159 ].…”

“…Ginger mainly contains monoterpenes, including oxygenated monoterpenes, such as geranial, linalool, borneol, citronellal, neral, and α-terpineol, as well as sesquiterpenes including zingiberene, zingiberenol, α- and β-farnesene, ar-curcumene, copaene, and cadinene [ 156 ].…”

“…One study showed that a hydroalcoholic extract of ginger at a dose of 400 mg/kg lowers blood glucose and increases body weight and serum insulin in STZ-induced diabetic rats [ 156 ]. Gingerols were found to inhibit both prostaglandin and leukotriene biosynthesis as well as angiogenesis, which may attenuate inflammation associated with diabetes [ 159 ].…”