Pain Relieving Properties of Ginger (Z. officinale) and Echinacea (E. angustifolia) Extracts Supplementation among Female Patients with Osteoarthritis. A Randomized Study

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Echinacea and ginger species extracts supplementation among patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: Three hundred female patients with knee OA participated in this randomized study. They had OA of the knee and moderate-to-severe pain and they were divided into two groups. Study group (n=150) and control group (n=150). The study which lasted for 6-week. The study group received Ginger and Echinacea extract supplementations twice daily, with/ without acetaminophen. The study examined the reduction in "knee pain on standing for the study group (Ginger and Echinacea group)" defined by a reduction in pain of > or = 15 mm on a visual analog scale. The study measured other biological values such as BP, ESR, Creatinine and liver enzymes. Results: The supplementation of ginger and Echinacea extracts resulted in improvements in many values. Systolic blood pressure dropped from 120.5 ± 10.4 to 119.7 ± 8.9 mmHg, pain intensity VAS decreased from 6.9 ± 2.1 to 6.6 ± 1.5, ESR17.3 ± 11.9 and 21.0 ± 9.8mm/h, creatinine 0.87 ± 0.19mg/dl and 0.85 ± 0.16 mg/ dl and liver enzymes 21.6 ± 8.5 IU/L and 20.9 ± 4.5 IU/L for ALT and 20.9 ± 4.5 IU/L and 20.3 ± 7.4 IU/L for AST. Conclusion: The use of ginger extract in knee osteoarthritis patients had a moderately statistically significant effect on reducing pain with safe profile and mild GI adverse events.

Review of a Few Selected Examples of Intermolecular Dioxygenases Involving Molecular Oxygen and Non-Heme Iron Proteins

“…This reaction uses NAD+ as a cofactor, and produces formate as the product, which is then converted to carbon dioxide (CO2). This process allows methanotrophs to use methane as their sole source of carbon and energy for growth and survival [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19].…”

“…Methanotrophic bacteria utilize an enzyme known as methane monooxygenase (MMO) for the hydroxylation of methane. Two distinct forms of MMO have been identified; the first form is an enzyme that is found in habitats with a high concentration of copper [17][18][19][20][21][22]. The active site of the enzyme consists of three atoms of a certain metal; however, further discussion of this is beyond the scope of this text.…”

“…Therapeutic activity is thought to be associated with the capacity to bind and degrade DNA. Several studies have demonstrated that the degradation of DNA necessitates the joint presence of molecular oxygen and a FeII metal ion [13][14][15][16].…”

“…The crystal structure of the ferric complex has yet to be determined by radiocrystallography, while that of the cupric (CuII) complex has been established. Furthermore, model complexes of cobalt (CoIII) and zinc (ZnII) have been investigated through spectroscopic and theoretical approaches, both in the absence and presence of molecular oxygen [12][13][14][15][16]. Bleomycin is made up of three parts: • A complexing active site containing three amides and two amines from the β-hydroxyhistidine, pyrimidinyl proionamide, and  aminoalanine groups; • a peptide region extended by a bithiazole; • a sugar region extended by a potential ligand of the carbamoyl type [6][7][8][9][10].…”

“…Reactions catalyzed by the 4 enzymes characterized by X-ray diffraction.Several types of LOX have been identified, including 5-LOX, which are involved in the biosynthesis of leukotrienes and lipoxins, which are mediators of anaphylactic shock and inflammatory disorders[5][6][7][8][9]; 15-LOX, which are necessary for the initiation of organelle degradation, a pivotal process in certain pathways of differentiation of particular cell types, such as reticulocytes[21]; and 12-LOX, which are implicated in the treatment of cancer cells[2][3][4][5]. Three enzymes, SLO-1, SLO-2, and SLO-3, have been isolated from soybeans[2][3][4][5][6].…”