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Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Roscoe ex Sm. (family-Zingiberaceae) is an important medicinal herb. Though rhizome extract of this species has been used in traditional herbal medicine across the globe for the treatment of numerous diseases like worms, cough, leprosy, asthma and other skin diseases, the composition of the extract is not characterised properly till date. Thus, acetone extract of Zingiber zerumbet rhizome was subjected to Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) to analyze the phytoconstituents. A total of nine compounds were obtained out of which zerumbone was found to be the major constituent covering 64.58 % of the total area. Beside zerumbone, other important compounds like diacetone alcohol (10.64 %), α-humulene (8.93 %), caryophyllene oxide (5.68 %), humulene epoxide (3.18 %), Eudesm-7(11)-en-4-ol (2.87 %), aromadendrene oxide (1.98 %) were also found in the tested extract with some other compounds in trace amount. Among the compounds, terpenes were found to be the primary constituent of the extract. This finding revealed the presence of the high amount of terpenes in the rhizome of Z. zerumbet for the first time. The study indicated that Z. zerumbet is a good source of sesquiterpenes and oxygenated sesquiterpenes which can be used at industrial level for the production of pharmaceuticals, perfumes and flavouring agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analysed the chemical compositions of essential oils from Zingiber mekongense Gagnep from Vietnam. In the analysis, essential oils hydrodistilled from the leaves, stems, rhizomes and fruits were subjected to gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The average yields of essential oils were 0.15 %, 0.10 %, 0.17 % and 0.20 (v/w) respectively, calculated on a dry weight basis. The essential oils contained large amounts of α-pinene (3.4 % - 12.9 %), β-pinene (10.0 % - 43.1 %), cis-β-elemene (11.8 % - 22.6 %) and β-caryophyllene (9.2 % - 24.1 %). The rhizome oil contained significant quantity of α-zingiberene (9.4 %) and (E)-nerolidol (5.8 %). The chemical compositions of essential oils from Z. mekongense were being reported for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of present study was to analyze the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of hexane extract from different plant parts ofZingiber chrysanthumRosc. GC/MS analysis revealed the vast chemical diversity with geranyl linalool as major constituent which varied quantitatively in different parts like rhizomes (27.8%), seed (40.3%) and perianth (3.8%) along with other minor mono and sesquiterpenoids. The antioxidant activity of the hexane extracts was measured by their ability to scavenge free radicals, metal chelating and reducing power. The antioxidant of the extracts was found to have positive correlation with the total phenolic content of the extracts while IC50values exhibited negative correlation. The total phenolic contents were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu method using gallic acid as the standard. Among the extracts under study exhibited dose dependent antioxidant potential however DPPH radical scavenging activity was found maximum in with IC50value 187.93±0.75 μg/ml and negative correlation (-0.788) with phenols. Based on these data, it can be concluded that this medicinally important traditionally herb may be a good source of industrially important phytochemicals like geranyl linalool and natural antioxidant. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Context: Due to increase in the number of patients with impaired immunity, incidence of dermatophytoses has increased considerably. Antidermatophytic agents with anti-inflammatory and protease-inhibiting activities will help in restricting inflammatory response associated with dermatophytoses. Aims: The present study aims to evaluate antidermatophytic and protease-inhibiting activities of zerumbone. Cytotoxicity was tested using Chang liver cell line as a preliminary step in toxicity study. Methods and Materials: Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of zerumbone purified from the rhizome of Zingiber zerumbet were determined against Epidermophyton floccosum var. nigricans, Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum, and Trichophyton rubrum. MIC was determined according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) method M38-A2. Protease-inhibiting property was tested using trypsin as the enzyme. In vitro cytotoxic effect was studied using the MTT assay. Results: MIC of zerumbone was 8 mg/L against E. floccosum and M. canis and 16 mg/L for M. gypseum and T. rubrum. MFC of zerumbone was 64 mg/L against E. floccosum and M. canis and 128 mg/L for M. gypseum and T. rubrum. Zerumbone exhibited remarkable protease-inhibiting activity. In the MTT assay, IC50 values were 150 and 0.31 μg, respectively, for zerumbone and reference drug. Statistical Analysis Used: For protease inhibition, assay and cytotoxicity assay control and tests were done in triplicate and the results are expressed as mean ± SD, where n = 3. Conclusions: Zerumbone is a novel candidate for use in dermatophytoses therapy because of the combined antifungal, anti-inflammatory (unpublished results), and protease-inhibiting properties. Cytotoxicity of zerumbone was found to be very low compared with the reference drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women worldwide. Several signaling pathways have been implicated as causative and progression agents. The tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α protein plays a dual role in promoting and inhibiting cancer depending largely on the pathway initiated by the binding of the protein to its receptor. Zerumbone, an active constituent of Zingiber zerumbet, Smith, is known to act on the tumor necrosis factor pathway upregulating tumour necrosis factor related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) death receptors and inducing apoptosis in cancer cells. Zerumbone is a sesquiterpene that is able to penetrate into the hydrophobic pockets of proteins to exert its inhibiting activity with several proteins. We found a good binding with the tumor necrosis factor, kinase κB (IKKβ) and the Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) component proteins along the TNF pathway. Our results suggest that zerumbone can exert its apoptotic activities by inhibiting the cytoplasmic proteins. It inhibits the IKKβ kinase that activates the NF-κB and also binds to the NF-κB complex in the TNF pathway. Blocking both proteins can lead to inhibition of cell proliferating proteins to be down regulated and possibly ultimate induction of apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We investigated the effects of zerumbone on high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic hamsters. [•] Zerumbone lowered plasma and hepatic lipid accumulation in hyperlipidemic hamsters. [•] Zerumbone increased fecal lipid excretion in hyperlipidemic hamsters. [•] Zerumbone modulated the hepatic genes expression involved in the lipolytic and lipogenic pathways of lipids metabolism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Zingiberaceae plants are distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, being used in many famous medicinal materials. Meanwhile, some Zingiberaceae plants are important horticultural flowers because they are green all year round and have special aromas. To conduct an extensive investigation of the resources of Zingiberaceae plants, the volatile compounds of ten species of Zingiberaceae were extracted and analyzed by GC–MS, including Costus comosus var. bakeri (K.Schum.) Maas, Curcuma rubescens Roxb., Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb., Curcuma attenuata Wall., Hongfengshou, Hedychium coronarium Koeng, Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Smith, Hedychium brevicaule D. Fang, Alpinia oxyphylla Miq., and Alpinia pumila Hook.F. A total of 162 compounds were identified, and most of those identified were monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. (E)-labda-8(17),12-diene-15,16-dial, n-hexadecanoic acid, 4-methoxy-6-phenethyl-2H-pyran-2-one, and L-β-pinene were found in high concentrations among the plants. These ten species of Zingiberaceae contained some of the same volatiles, but their contents were different. Pharmacological effects may be associated with the diversity of volatiles in these ten plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Phytochemicals and their synthetic derivatives are making a significant contribution in modern drug discovery programs by targeting several human diseases, including cancer. Most of these natural compounds are often multitargeted in nature, which is generally a very desirable property for cancer therapy, as carcinomas typically involve dysregulation of multiple genes and associated cell-signaling pathways at various stages of initiation, progression and metastasis. Additionally, these natural agents generally have lower side-effects, are readily available and hence are cost effective. One such natural compound is zerumbone, a cyclic eleven-membered sesquiterpene, isolated from the tropical plant Zingiber zerumbet Smith that has attracted great attention recently for its potent anticancer activities in several tumor models. This review summarizes the data based on various in vitro and in vivo studies related to the effects of zerumbone on numerous pivotal molecular targets in cancer and its reported chemopreventive/therapeutic effects in different models of cancer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The rhizome oil of Zingiber zerumbet Smith contains an exceptionally high content of sesquiterpenoids with zerumbone, a predominating potential multi-anticancer agent. Biosynthetic pathways of zerumbone have been proposed, and two genes ZSS1 and CYP71BA1 that encode the enzymes catalyzing the first two steps have been cloned. In this paper, we isolated a cDNA clone ( ZSD1) that encodes an alcohol dehydrogenase capable of catalyzing the final step of zerumbone biosynthesis. ZSD1 has an open reading frame of 804 bp that encodes a 267-residue enzyme with a calculated molecular mass of 28.7 kDa. After expression in Escherichia coli, the recombinant enzyme was found to catalyze 8-hydroxy-α-humulene into zerumbone. ZSD1 is a member of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase superfamily (SDR) and shares high identities with other plant SDRs involved in secondary metabolism, stress responses and phytosteroid biosynthesis. In contrast to the transcripts of ZSS1 and CYP71BA1, which are almost exclusively expressed in rhizomes, ZSD1 transcripts are detected in leaves, stems and rhizomes, suggesting that ZSD1 may also be involved in other biological processes. Consistent with its proposed flexible substrate-binding pocket, ZSD1 also converts borneol to camphor with Km and kcat values of 22.8 μ m and 4.1 s−1, displaying its bisubstrate feature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In our previous study, we reported the isolation of a novel humulene derivative, 5-hydroxyzerumbone, from Zingiber zerumbet and its inhibitory activity on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cells. This study was performed to examine its mechanism of action on the regulation of NO production. 5-Hydroxyzerumbone inhibited the expressions of iNOS mRNA and protein in a concentration-dependent manner. Treatment with 5-hydroxyzerumbone also induced the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in macrophage cells. In addition, 5-hydroxyzerumbone inhibited LPS-induced transcriptional activation of NF-κB, indicating that regulation of NF-κB activity might be involved in the inhibition of NO production by 5-hydroxyzerumbone. 5-Hydroxyzerumbone, however, did not affect the degradation of IκB-α and the activation of p38 and ERK in LPS-treated cells. Taken together, these results suggest that down-regulation of LPS-induced NO production by 5-hydroxyzerumbone is mediated by the suppression of iNOS expression through the modulation of NF-κB activation and HO-1 induction in macrophage cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we have identified a new sesquiterpene synthase gene (ZSS2) from Zingiber zerumbet Smith. Functional expression of ZSS2 in Escherichia coli and in vitro enzyme assay showed that the encoded enzyme catalyzed the formation of β-eudesmol and five additional by-products. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that ZSS2 transcript accumulation in rhizomes has strong seasonal variations. To further confirm the enzyme activity of ZSS2 and to assess the potential for metabolic engineering of β-eudesmol production, we introduced a gene cluster encoding six enzymes of the mevalonate pathway into E. coli and coexpressed it with ZSS2. When supplemented with mevalonate, the engineered E. coli produced a similar sesquiterpene profile to that produced in the in vitro enzyme assay, and the yield of β-eudesmol reached 100mg/L. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses the study on the effects of labdane-type trialdehyde from myoga (Zingiber mioga Roscoe) on the inhibition of human platelet aggregation and human 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX). Diterpenes were identified from the flower buds of myoga, in which, spectroscopic data indicated it to be a new compound called miogatrial. The new compound, as well as sesquiterpene also exhibits strong inhibitory activity against human platelet aggregation and 5-LOX.

The anticancer properties of zerumbone (2,6,9 humulatriene-8-one, a sesquiterpenoid) from Zingiber aromaticum were compared with those of curcumin from Curcuma longa in an in vitro MTT tetrazolium salt assay using HT-29, CaCo-2, and MCF-7 cancer cells and in an azoxymethane (AOM)-induced animal model of colon cancer using aberrant crypt foci (ACFs) as a preneoplastic marker. The IC50 of zerumbone was approximately 10 μM and that of curcumin was 25 μM. Cell cycle arrest in HT-29 cells was observed at G0/G1 for 10 and 12.5 mM and G2/M for 25 μM after 24 h at concentrations of 10-25 μM of zerumbone, and a concentration-dependent increase in apoptosis (2-6% of viable cells) was observed after 48 h using the same concentration range. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed extracts in an AIN diet prepared from the equivalent of 4% by weight of dried rhizomes of Z. aromaticum and C. longa. ACFs were induced by two doses (15 mg/kg body weight) subcutaneously of AOM 1 wk apart, the rats were killed 10 wk later, and the ACFs were assessed in the colon. Total ACFs were significantly reduced by Z. aromaticum extract (down 21%, P < 0.05) relative to control, the effect being most evident with large ACFs (≥3 aberrant crypts per focus). Similar reductions were observed with 4% C. longa extract in the diet (down 24%, P < 0.01) and with 2,000 ppm curcumin, the effect being particularly evident with large ACFs. The concentration of zerumbone in the Z. aromaticum extract diet was assayed at 300 ppm and of curcumin in the C. longa extract diet was also 300 ppm, i.e., the extract of C. longa was as effective at one-seventh the concentration of curcumin as the positive control. Zerumbone is effective as an anticancer agent, possibly by its apoptosis-inducing and antiproliferative influences. This latter possibility is currently being investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]