Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, a cancer of different organs of the digestive system, is one of the most common cancers around the world. The incidence and death rate of some of these cancers are very high. Although a large variety of chemotherapeutic agents have been introduced since the last few decades to combat GI cancer, most of them are very expensive and have side effects. Therefore, the compounds derived from natural sources, which are considered to be safe and cost effective, are needed. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is one of the most widely used natural products consumed as a spice and medicine for treating nausea, dysentery, heartburn, flatulence, diarrhea, loss of appetite, infections, cough, and bronchitis. Experimental studies showed that ginger and its active components including 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol exert anticancer activities against GI cancer. The anticancer activity of ginger is attributed to its ability to modulate several signaling molecules like NF-κB, STAT3, MAPK, PI3K, ERK1/2, Akt, TNF-α, COX-2, cyclin D1, cdk, MMP-9, survivin, cIAP-1, XIAP, Bcl-2, caspases, and other cell growth regulatory proteins. In this review, the evidences for the chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic potential of ginger extract and its active components using in vitro, animal models, and patients have been described.
Highlights
The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is one of the important parts of the body
Colon biopsies were obtained to determine the levels of prostaglandin (PGE)-2, leukotriene B4 (LTB4), 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids, and 5, 12, and 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids
The medicinal properties of ginger have been known for thousands of years, a significant number of in vitro, in vivo, and epidemiological studies further provide substantial evidence that ginger and its active compounds are effective against wide variety of human diseases including GI cancer
Summary
The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is one of the important parts of the body This tract starts from the mouth, includes esophagus, stomach, small and large intestine, and rectum, and ends with anus. GI cancer is defined as the cancer of organs of the digestive system including the esophagus, gallbladder, liver, pancreas, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus (Figure 1) [2]. The common risk factors for GI cancer include infection, smoking, drinking alcohol, high fat diet, age, race, gender, family history, and geographical location. An inverse association between the consumption of fruits and vegetables and cancer risk was evident by an epidemiological study in Netherlands. Consumption of diet rich in plant products may be one of the important reasons for the low incidence of cancer in Asia. The role of ginger and its active ingredients against GI cancer have been discussed as it has worldwide consumption as a spice
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