Zingiberaceae extracts for pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

BackgroundMembers of the family Zingiberaceae including turmeric, ginger, Javanese ginger, and galangal have been used for centuries in traditional medicine. Preclinical studies of Zingiberaceae extracts have shown analgesic properties. This study aims to systematically review and meta-analyze whether extracts from Zingiberaceae are clinically effective hypoalgesic agents.MethodsLiterature was screened from electronic databases using the key words Zingiberaceae AND pain OR visual analogue score (VAS) to identify randomized trials. From this search, 18 studies were identified, and of these, 8 randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trials were found that measured pain by VAS for inclusion in the meta-analysis.ResultsFindings indicated significant efficacy of Zingiberaceae extracts in reducing subjective chronic pain (SMD − 0.67; 95 % CI − 1.13 to − 0.21; P = 0.004). A linear dose-effect relationship was apparent between studies (R2 = 0.71). All studies included in the systematic review reported a good safety profile for extracts, without the renal risks associated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and with similar effectiveness.ConclusionOur findings indicated that Zingiberaceae extracts are clinically effective hypoalgesic agents and the available data show a better safety profile than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. However, both non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and Zingiberaceae have been associated with a heightened bleeding risk, and there have been no comparator trials of this risk. Further clinical studies are recommended to identify the most effective type of Zingiberaceae extract and rigorously compare safety, including bleeding risk.

Efficacy of Turmeric Extracts and Curcumin for Alleviating the Symptoms of Joint Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials

“…8,9 They have been used as seasonings in many ethnic cuisines in various countries such as Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. They have long been used as anti-inflammatory treatments in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicines.…”

The effect of ginger supplementation on serum C-reactive protein, lipid profile and glycaemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Mechanisms of action include modulation of leukotriene (LT) and prostaglandin (PG) synthesis and inhibition of nuclear factor-κB (11). In vitro , the main components of ginger (gingerols and shogaols) can inhibit the synthesis of several pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-1, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and IL-8 as well as PG and LT synthesis enzymes (6, 12).…”

Effects of shinbuto and ninjinto on prostaglandin E2 production in lipopolysaccharide-treated human gingival fibroblasts

“…Shokyo is the powdered rhizome of ginger (Zingiber offinale Roscoe), whereas, kankyo is the steamed and powdered rhizome of ginger. Many reports demonstrated that ginger has anti-inflammatory effects in human (Afzal et al, 2001;Lakhan et al, 2015), animal (Thomson et al, 2002;Aimbire et al, 2007;El-Abhar et al, 2008), and in vitro models (Ara and Sogawa, 2016;Podlogar and Verspohl, 2012). Shokyo contains gingerols such as 6-, 8-, and 10-gingerols.…”