Title:Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Ginger) and its Bioactive Compounds in Diabetes:
A Systematic Review of Clinical Studies and Insight of Mechanism
of Action
Volume: 31
Issue: 7
Author(s): Bao Van, Ashraf N. Abdalla*, Alanood S. Algarni, Asaad Khalid, Gokhan Zengin, Muhammad Zakariyyah Aumeeruddy and Mohamad Fawzi Mahomoodally*
Affiliation:
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-
Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University
of Mauritius, 230 Réduit, Mauritius
- Center for Transdisciplinary Research, Department of Pharmacology,
Saveetha Dental College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Science, Saveetha University, Chennai 600077, India
- Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520,
South Africa
Keywords:
Diabetes, Zingiber officinale roscoe, ginger enone, gingerol, paradol, shogaol, zingerone.
Abstract:
Background: Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Ginger) belongs to the Zingiberaceae
family, which is renowned for its rich nutritional and phytochemical composition,
and has been validated for its anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory properties via in vitro,
in vivo, and clinical studies. Nonetheless, a comprehensive review of these pharmacological
studies, especially clinical studies, together with an analysis of the mechanism of action
of the bioactive compounds is still lacking. This review provided a comprehensive
and updated analysis of the anti-diabetic efficacy of Z. officinale and its compounds ginger
enone, gingerol, paradol, shogaol, and zingerone.
Methods: The present systematic review was conducted using the PRISMA guidelines.
Scopus, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and PubMed were the main databases used for
retrieving information from inception to March 2022.
Results: From the findings obtained, Z. officinale can be regarded as a therapeutic species
showing significant improvement in clinical studies on glycemic parameters (Fasting
blood glucose (FBG), hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), and insulin resistance). In addition, the
bioactive compounds of Z. officinale act via several mechanisms as revealed by in vitro
and in vivo studies. Overall, these mechanisms were by increasing glucose-stimulated insulin
secretion, sensitising insulin receptors and raising glucose uptake, translocation of
GLUT4, inhibition of advanced glycation end product-induced increase of reactive oxygen
species, regulation of hepatic gene expression of enzymes associated with glucose
metabolism, regulation of the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines, amelioration of the
pathological injuries of kidneys, protective effect on the morphology of β-cells as well as
its antioxidant mechanisms, among others.
Conclusion: Z. officinale and its bioactive compounds displayed promising results in in
vitro and in vivo systems, nevertheless, it is highly recommended that human trials be
conducted on these compounds since clinical studies are the core of medical research and
considered the final stages of the drug development process.
