Protective Effect Of Ginger Research Articles

Effect of Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) on Sodium Arsenite- Induced Reproductive Toxicity in Male Rats

Arsenite is a major environmental chemical and a known reproductive toxicant via the depression of spermatogenesis and androgenesis in males. The possibility of sodium arsenite reproductive toxicity been caused by autooxidation was investigated in this study taking advantage of the anti-oxidant properties of ginger and its androgenic activities. The effect of exposure to sodium arsenite (10 mg/kg BW/day) by gavage via oral cannula without or with aqueous ginger extract (500mg/kg BW/day) co-treatments for 30 days was evaluated in adult male rats. The weight of the reproductive organs, sperm count, motility, and morphology were evaluated. Plasma FSH, LH and testosterone levels were assayed. Lipid peroxidation (indexed by MDA) and antioxidants enzymes likes GSH, SOD, CAT were assessed. Sodium arsenite treatment decreased the reproductive organs weight: testis, epididymis, prostate and seminal vesicle; sperm functions: count, motility and normal morphology; plasma hormones level: FSH, LH and testosterone. There was a decrease in the activities of GSH, SOD and CAT as well as an increase in MDA concentration. Co-administration of aqueous ginger extract with arsenite was found to protect against adverse change in the reproductive organ weight, attenuate the decrease in sperm functions, enhance plasma reproductive hormones level along with increased antioxidants activities and reduced peroxidation. This study showed that sodium arsenite apart from being a hormonal disrupter also causes oxidative stress which contributed to the reproductive damage in the male rats. The protective effects of ginger on reproductive toxicity and oxidative stress as evidenced by the clear restoration of sperm functions, testicular steroidogenesis and reproductive organo-somatic indices could be attributed to its antioxidants and androgenic properties. Key Words : Arsenite, Ginger, Antioxidants and Sperm.

The Effect of Dietary Ginger (Zingiber officinals Rosc) on Renal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rat Kidneys

Oxidative stress has been considered as one of the possible mechanisms of ischemia/ reperfusion (I/R) injury in the kidney. The aim of this study was to analyze the possible protective effect of dietary ginger (Zingiber officinals Rosc), a free radical scavenger, on renal I/R injury in rats. The protective effect of ginger against the damage inflicted by reactive oxygen species (ROS) during renal I/R was investigated in Wistar albino rats using histopathological and biochemical parameters. Thirty rats were randomly divided into five experimental groups (i.e., control, sham-operated, ginger, I/R, and I/R + ginger groups, n = 6 each). The ginger and I/R + ginger groups were fed on the test diet containing 5% ginger. The rats were subjected to bilateral renal ischemia followed by reperfusion in I/R and I/R + ginger groups. At the end of the reperfusion period, rats were sacrificed, and kidney function tests, serum and tissue oxidants and antioxidants, and renal morphology were evaluated. Serum urea, creatinine, and cystatin C (CYC) levels were significantly elevated in the ischemia group, but these levels remained unchanged in the ginger + I/R group compared to the I/R group. Reduction of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity was significantly improved by the treatment with ginger compared to I/R group. Administration of ginger resulted in significant reduction levels of tissue malondialdehyde (MDA), NO, protein carbonyl contents (PCC) in the ginger + I/R group compared with the I/R group. Ginger supplementation in the diet before I/R injury resulted in higher total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and lower total oxidant status (TOS) levels than I/R group. The ginger supplemented diet prior to I/R process demonstrated marked reduction of the histological features of renal injury. The findings imply that ROS play a causal role in I/R-induced renal injury, and ginger exerts renoprotective effects probably by the radical scavenging and antioxidant activities.

Protective Effect of Ginger Against Benzo(a)pyrene Induced DNA Damage

Protective Effect of Ginger Against Benzo(a)pyrene Induced DNA Damage