A Study Of The Cardiovascular Toxic Effects Of Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) In Adult Male Albino Rats And Its Possible Mechanisms Of Action

Abstract

Ginger is a world known food plant which is equally reputed for its medicinal properties. The aim of the work is to study the acute and subacute cardiovascular toxicity of ginger in adult male albino rats and its possible mechanisms of action. The in-vivo studies included eighty four adult male albino rats for the acute and subacute toxicity experiments. The rats were divided into 7 groups each one consisted of 12 rats. All rats received ginger orally in saline. Each of the in-vivo studies included 2 control groups, the negative and positive control rats. In the acute toxicity study, rats received ginger in a single dose of 2500 mg/ kg. In the subacute toxicity study group VI and VII received ginger in a daily dose of 50 mg/ kg and 500 mg/ kg respectively for 28 days. After 24 hours of the acute toxicity and 28 days of the subacute experiments six rats of each group were used for blood pressure and heart rate recording. The other 6 rats were used for histopathological study of the cardiac tissue. The in-vitro experiments included 6 rabbits each weighing 1.5-2 kg. Ginger (5mg/ml) was incubated with the aortic spiral strip of each rabbit to investigate the possible mechanisms of action of Ginger. It was concluded that; single dose of 2500 mg/ kg ginger can be a toxic by causing severe hypotension and bradycardia with induction of prenecrotic changes in cardiac tissue. The administration of ginger in a dose of 50 mg/ kg for 28 days produced bradycaria with waviness in cardiac muscle fibers. Ginger in a dose of 500 mg/ kg produced both hypotension and bradycardia with degenerative changes in cardiac myocyte tissue. The hypotensive and bradycardic effects of ginger may be partially due to induction of vasodilatation by increasing nitric oxide release or synthesis and partially due to a calcium channel blocking effect. Also, a cholino-mimetic effect could be contributed in the cardiovascular effects of ginger. While the In-vitro results revealed that ginger is a partial vasorelaxant as it produced a relaxant effect on rabbit's aortic strip procontracted with phenylephrine, while preincubation with L-nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME) significantly attenuated the ginger-induced relaxation indicating that the vasodilator effect of ginger is partially mediated through nitric oxide synthesis or release from L-NAME.

Gingerol Inhibits Serum-Induced Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation and Injury-Induced Neointimal Hyperplasia by Suppressing p38 MAPK Activation

“…52 It has also been shown that ginger extract induced relaxation in PE precontracted rings was reduced in the presence of L-NG-Nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME). 53 The results regarding inhibition in PE-induced contraction was similar to previous published reports where ginger extract has been shown to inhibit both the receptor-operated channels and the intracellular Ca ++ channels, 52 which are involved in PE-induced contractions. 54 6-Gingerol, which is an active constituent of ginger extract, may be responsible for such an effect.…”

Analgesic Effect of Bangle Rhizome Ethanol Extraction on Thermally Induced Pain in Mus musculus

“…Recent studies showed that a single dose of bangle extract 118 mg/kg and repeated doses of 500 mg/kg/day did not cause death and abnormal clinical signs for 90 days. 15,16 This also proved bangle is safer than a single dose of ginger extract 2500 mg/kg that causes severe hypotension and bradycardia. 16 All doses of bangle extract in this study showed significant results, but it did not determine the lowest dose.…”

“…15,16 This also proved bangle is safer than a single dose of ginger extract 2500 mg/kg that causes severe hypotension and bradycardia. 16 All doses of bangle extract in this study showed significant results, but it did not determine the lowest dose. Therefore, further study is needed to define the exact minimum dose of bangle extract as analgesic.…”

A Review of the Antidiabetic Activities of Ginger

“…Ginger helps to relieve various inflammatory disorders like gout, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis; as an analgesic, hypoglycemic, cardiotonic, antiemetic, antimicrobial and antifungal. Other uses include as an antidiabetic, antidyslipidemia, hypotensive, vasodilator, antiobesity and anticancer agent [15][16][17][18].…”