|
 Gen info
- Zingiberaceae is a family of flowering plants of about 50 genera with about 1600 known species of aromatic perennial herbs with creeping horizontal or tuberous rhizomes.
- Zingiber zerumbet is a species of plant in the ginger family.
It is native to tropical and subtropical Asia, with a vast range of traditional use and medicinal properties.
Botany
• Luiang-usiu is a smooth, erect,
herbaceous plant. Rootstocks are large and tuberous, pale yellow
within. Leafy stem is 0.6 to 2 meters high. Leaves are numerous,
distichous, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 15 to 30 centimeters long, 5 to 8 centimeters wide.
Flowering stem from the rootstock is 10 to 30 centimeters long, clothed
with long, appressed, obtuse sheaths, bearing at the apex an ovoid, oblong,
or cylindric spike, red or green in color, 5 to 20 centimeters long. Bracts
are numerous, imbricate, orbicular, 2 to 3 centimeters long, greenish, merging
into red, and holding water. Flowers are 5 centimeters long, white or cream colored, the tube
as long as the bracts, with 3-lobed lips. Fruit is oblong,
about 2.5 centimeters long. Seeds are oblong, black, about 4 millimeters in diameter.
• Zingiber zerumbet is a perennial. From autumn until spring it goes dormant above ground as the leafy stems shrivel and die away, leaving the pale brown, creeping stems (rhizomes) at ground level. In the spring, the plant springs up anew. The 10–12 blade-shaped leaves 15–20 cm long grow in an alternate arrangement on thin, upright stem to 1.2 m (3.9 ft) tall. Among the leafy stems, the conical or club-shaped flower heads burst forth on separate and shorter stalks. These appear in the summer, after the leafy stems have been growing for a while. The flower heads are initially green and are 3 to 10 cm (1.2 to 3.9 in) long with overlapping scales, enclosing small yellowish-white flowers that poke out a few at a time. As the flower heads mature, they gradually fill with an aromatic, slimy liquid and turn a brighter red color. The flower stalks usually remain hidden beneath the leaf stalks. (44)
 Distribution
- Native to the Philippines.
-
From norther Luzon to Mindanao, in most islands and provinces, In thickets and
near settlements at low and medium altitudes.
- Also native to Andaman Is., Assam, Bangladesh, Borneo, Cambodia, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, India, Laos, Malaya, Myanmar, Nicobar Is., Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam. (21)
Constituents
- Volatile oils of the rhizomes
contain zerumbone, humulene and camprene.
- Studies have isolated bioactive compounds: humulene, monoterpenes, zerumbone from the essential oil.
- (Z)-nerolidol have been isolated from extracts of stems, leaves, and flowers.
- Ethanol extract has yielded sesquiterpene and zederone.
- Study of rhizome isolated zerumbone (1), 3-O-methyl kaempferol (2), kaempferol 3-O-(2,4-di-O-acetyl-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (3), and kaempferol-3-O-(3,4-d9-O-acetyl-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (4). (see study below) (8)
-
Aqueous extract has yielded phenolic compounds, saponins and terpenoids.
- Study isolated two aromatic compounds, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde and vanillin, and six kaempferol derivatives from the rhizomes.
- Preliminary phytochemical analysis of rhizomes revealed glycosides, sterols, triterpenes, saponins, tannins, carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, and volatile oils. (23)
- Study of leaf oil yielded 29 components with major components of zerumbone 36.98%, α-caryophyllene 16.35%, and camphene 9.24%. Rhizome oil yielded major components of zerumbone 46.83%,
α-caryophyllene 19.00%, and 1,5,5,8-tetramethyl-12-oxabicyclo[9.1.0]dodeca-3,7-diene 4.28%. (27)
- Active fraction of rhizome yielded five components: kaempferol 3-O-rhamnoside, kaempferol 3-O-(2"-O-acetyl)rhamnoside, kaempferol 3-O-(3"-O-acetyl)rhamnoside, kaempferol 3-O-(4"-O-acetyl) rhamnoside, kaempferol 3-O-(3",4"-O-diacetyl)rhamnoside, and kaempferol 3-O-(2",4"-O-diacetyl) rhamnoside. (34)
- GC-MS analysis of rhizome essential oil with major components amounting to 98.4% yielded major components of zerumbone (75.2%), ß-caryophyllene (7.1%), camphene (5.1%), eucalyptol (2.4%), and camphor (3.0%). (see study below) (52)
Properties
- Considered antihyperglycemic, antiinflammatory, antiulcer, antioxidant,
anti-platelet activating factor, antimicrobial.
- Studies have suggested antipyretic, analgesic, anti-asthma, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antioxidant, gastroprotective, immunomodulatory, anti-platelet aggregation, non-genotoxic, chemopreventive, antiproliferative, anthelmintic, mosquito larvicidal, anti-allergic, anti-secretory, anti-osteoarthritic, immunosuppressive, anti-leishmanial antimicrobial, anti-cariogenic, vasodilating,properties.
Parts utilized
Rhizome, oil.
 Uses
Edibility
- Used as food flavoring and appetizer in various Malays' cuisines.
Folkloric
- In the Philippines, decoction is prescribed for asthma, and as a topical for rheumatism.
- Pulverized rhizome also used for diarrhea.
- The fluid squeezed from the swollen ends of club-shaped stems is used
for shampoo.
- Rhizome is used like the common ginger, as a remedy for coughs, asthma,
parasitism, and variety of skin diseases.
- In China, used for stomach aches, tonic
and stimulant.
- Malays use the fresh rhizome for edema, stomach aches, sores. The juice of boiled rhizomes are used to treat worm infestation in children.
- In Thailand, fresh rhizomes are used as antiflatulent.
- In China, rhizomes macerated in alcohol are used as tonic, depurative, stimulant.
- In Taiwan, plant used as antiinflammatory adjuvant for stomach pains, fever and sprains.
- In India, rhizome powder mixed with Morinda citrifolia used for severe pain. Cooked and softened rhizome used for toothache, asthma, cough, worms, leprosy and other skin diseases.
- In Hawaii, compressed rhizomes used for bruises and cuts and to treat headaches, toothaches, ringworm, joint sprains. The milky juice from the pine cones are used as shampoo.
- In Southeast Asia, used for fever, toothache, loss of appetite, constipation
and pain.
Latino healers in NY use ZZ for uterine fibroids.
Others
- Perfume: Powdered rhizomes used as perfume.
- Shampoo: Sticky liquid existing in the clusters of this plant is containing surfactants which could be applied as a hair shampoo. (37)
The most common use of the plant awapuhi is as shampoo and hair conditioner. A clear fragrant juice in the flower heads is used for softening and providing shininess to the hair, leff in the hair or rinsed out. Juice also used as massage lubricant.
(44)
Studies
• Antipyretic / Analgesic / Rhizome: Study evaluated ethanol and aqueous rhizome extracts of ZZ for analgesic
activity using acid induced writhing in mice and antipyretic activity in Brewer's yeast induced pyrexia in rats. Results showed ZZ possess both analgesic and antipyretic activities. Although the mechanism is unclear, the possibility of prostaglandin inhibition is considered.
(1)
• Anti-Inflammatory / Antinociceptive / Rhizomes: Study of the methanol extract of ZZ rhizomes showed anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities probably involving the inhibition of bradykinin-, prostaglandin-, histamine- and opioid-mediated processes.
• Antiinflammatory / Rhizomes: Study of water-soluble extract of rhizomes of Zingiber zerumbet yielded a potent inhibitor of acute inflammation. The extracts were devoid of any toxicity up to 500 mg/kg in rats. The anti-inflammatory effect was similar to the reference drug mefenamic acid. (2)
• Zerumbone / Anti-Inflammatory: Study of rhizomes yielded
zerumbone (1), 3-O-methyl kaempferol (2), kaempferol-3-O-(2, 4-di-O-acetyl-α-l-rhamnopyranoside) (3), and kaempferol-3-O-(3,4-di-O-acetyl-α-l-rhamnopyranoside) (4). Compounds 1 and 2 demonstrated
potent inhibition of NO production with IC50 values of 4.37 and 24.35 µM, and also significantly suppressed iNOS expression in a dose-dependent manner, (see constituents above) (8)
• Zerumbone / Inhibitor of Tumor Promoter: Study isolated zerumbone from the rhizomes of Z. zerumbet as a a potent inhibitor of tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced Epstein-Barr virus activation. (3)
• Anti-tumor / Zerumbone: Zerumbone, an active principle from Zingiber zerumbet, exhibited antitumor effects in P-388D1 cells in vitro and in
vivo: Results suggest a potential
lead compound for the development of anticancer drugs. (4)
• Apoptosis in Liver Cancer / Zerumbone: Zerumbone was found to induce the apoptotic process in HepG2 cells through the up-and-down regulation of Bax/Bcl-2 protein independently of functional p53 activity. (12)
• Immunomodulation: (1) Anti-hypersensitive
and anti-inflammatory activities of water extract of Zingiber zerumbet
(L.) Smith: Results show ZZ can be beneficial for asthmatic patients
through immunomodulation and cytokine production. (2) Study evaluated the immunomodulatory effects of zerumbone isolated from ZZ. Results showed zerumbone can be used as an immunomodulatory agent which can react toward the immune cell cytokine production in a dosage dependent pattern.
• Chemopreventive: A study
on the modifying effects of dietary feeding of zerumbone isolated from
ZZ showed zerumbone to have possible chemopreventive abilities through
expression of COX-2 expression, cell proliferating activity of colonic
mucosa and induction of detoxification enzymes in the development of
carcinogen-induced ACF.
• Antiproliferative: A study
showed ZZ extracts and fractions exhibited antiproliferative effect
on human breast carcinoma cell lines. (7)
• Anti-Asthma / Antiinflammatory: A study showed ZZ extracts have beneficial effects for the treatment
of asthmatic patients through its ability to inhibit synthesis of LTC4
and through immunomodulation of Th1/Th2 cytokine production.
• Essential Oils: A study
yielded 29 components in the leaf oil, the major components as zerumbone,
α-caryophyllene and camphene. The rhizome oil yielded 30 components, the main ones being zerumbone, α-caryophyllene, 1,5,5,8-tetramethyl-12-oxabicyclo[9.1.0]dedeca-3,7-diene. (10)
• Antiplatelet Aggregation: Methanol extract exhibited strong antiplatelet aggregation in human whole blood in vitro.
• Anthelmintic: In a comparative study, it was observed that Z. zerumbet showed better activity than C. maxima compared to the standard Albendazole. The study concludes the potential use of the ethanol extracts of both plants as anthelmintic against P. posthuma in an in vitro model. (17)
• Absence of Genotoxic Effects: Study evaluated the potential genotoxicity of the ethanol extracts of rhizome. Results suggest the use of the extract in traditional medicine pose no risk of genotoxicity. (19)
• Antimicrobial Effects: Study evaluated an ethanolic extract and fractions of ZZ against pathogenic bacterial and fungi. Results showed potent antibacterial and antifungal phytochemicals in the extracts. The crude ethanol extract showed highest activity against Vibrio parahemolyticus. (20)
• Antioxidant / Cytotoxicity: Study evaluated the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of an ethanolic extract of Z. zerumbet rhizome. Results showed significant radical scavenging activities on DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays. On cytotoxicity assessment by in vitro trypan blue exclusion test, the rhizome extract was found to be cytotoxic at concentrations higher for human consumption. ZZ was also found to be a rich source of kaempferol. (22)
• Gastroprotective / Zerumbone: Study evaluated the gastroprotective effect of zerumbone, the main bioactive compound of Z. zerumbet rhizome, against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model in rats. Results showed zerumbone promotes ulcer protection, probably attributable to maintenance of mucus integrity, antioxidant activity, and HSP-70 induction. Zerumbone also exhibited antibacterial activity against H. pylori. (24)
• Antiproliferative / Human Breast Carcinoma Cell Lines: Study investigated the effect of extracts and fractions of Z. zerumbet on growth on human breast carcinoma (MCF-7) cell lines. A comparative study between both subfractions and tamoxifen showed that the active subfraction of ZZ displayed a strong antiproliferative effect with EC50 of 2.81 ± 0.24 and 2.49 ± 0.13 µg/mL, respectively on MCF-7, with less cytotoxicity to normal cells. (25)
• Mosquito Larvicidal / Rhizome: Study of dichlormethane and methanol extracts of Z. zerumbet rhizome showed larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti and Anopheles nuneztovari mosquitoes, higher against AN than the former. (26)
• Anti-Leishmanial / Induction of Apoptosis / Zerumbone: Study showed zerumbone could induce ROS mediated apoptosis in Leishmania donovani promastigotes and was also found effective in reducing intracellular amastigotes in infected-macrophages. (28)
• Zerumbone / Anti-Inflammatory / Analgesic: Study evaluated the in vivo anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of zerumbone isolated from ZZ in rats. Results showed zerumbone potently inhibited inflammation induced by both λ-carrageenan and prostaglandin E2 and potently inhibited pain in the abdominal writhing test. (29)
• Cytotoxicity / Thymoquinone and Zerumbone / Prevention of Leukemia Cancer Progression: Study evaluated the cytotoxicity effects of Nigella sativa and Zingiber zerumbet extracts on acute Human myeloid leukemia cell line (HL60) and compared the compounds thymoquinone from NS and zerumbone from ZZ. Results showed the PE extract of Ns and HEX extract of Zz showed cytotoxic effect on HL60 cells and triggers apoptotic cell death. The HEX extract of Zz was more effective a an anticancer agent than the PE extract of Ns for human myeloid leukemia. (30)
• Antinociceptive / Essential Oil / Rhizome: Study evaluated rhizome essential oil for antinociceptive activity using chemical and thermal models of nociception i.e., acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing test, hot plate test and formalin-induced paw edema licking test. Results suggest the essential oil of ZZ rhizome possessed both central and peripheral antinociceptive activities supporting the popular folkloric used to relieve some pain conditions. (31)
• Mosquito Larvicidal / Antimicrobial / Rhizome Essential Oil: Study evaluated the chemical constituents, antimicrobial and larvicidal properties of hydrodistilled rhizome essential oil. The most abundant compound of the EO was zerumbone (51.3%). The EO showed mortality of 98.3% at 24 h and 100% at 48 h against Ae. albopictus at concentration of 100 µg/mL. It showed 100% mortality against Cx. quinquefasciatus. It showed larvicidal activity towards /cx. quinquefasciatus with LC50 of 33.28 mg/mL at 24 h and 21.81 mg/mL at 48 h. The EO showed activity against microbe Aspergillus niger. (32)
• Seasonal Variation in Metabolites and Activities: Study showed the highest content of total flavonoid (29.7 mg quercetin equivalents (QE) g dry material (DM) and total phenolic (44.8 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g DM was detected at the rhizome extract of 9-month-old plants. As the plant matured from 3 to 9 months, total flavonoid and total phenolic content decreased in the leaf, but significantly increased in the rhizomes. The most abundant secondary metabolites were: flavonoids, catechin > quercetin > rutin > luteolin > myricetin > kaempferol, phenolic acids, gallic acid > ferulic acid > caffeic acid > cinnamic acid. The 9-month old rhizome extracts showed highest CHS activity. Nine-month old rhizomes showed highest DPPH activity (76.42%). Study suggests 3- and 9-month old plants are recommended when harvesting the leaf and rhizomes for most effective pharmaceutical quality of the components. (33)
• Anti-Allergic / Immunomodulatory / Essential Oil / Rhizomes / Review: The essential oil extracted from rhizomes yielded many major metabolites with anti-allergic and immune modulation properties. The major bioactive compounds in the rhizome essential oil were zerumbone, limonene, borneol, pinene, linalool, humulene, and caryophyllene. (35)
• Alleviation of Alcohol Induced Brain Injury / Antioxidant / Review: Study evaluated the effects of ethyl acetate. extract of Z. zerumbet rhizomes against ethanol-induced brain damage in male Wistar rats. Extract treatment significantly reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (p<0.05) in the brain homogenate. Administration of the extract showed showed protective effects on ethanol induced brain damage as evidenced by higher levels of SOD, CAT, GPx, and GSH in the brain homogenate. Histological exam of the cerebrum and cerebellum showed the extract prevented loss of Purkinje cells and retained the number and shape of cells. The protective effect is mediated through its antioxidant properties. (36)
• Treatment of Osteoarthritis / Review: Study reviews the scientific resources around therapeutic effectiveness of Zingiber zerumbet in the treatment of adverse symptoms of OA disorder. Z. zerumbet is a plant which could be frequently applied for reduction of OA symptoms because of its circulatory stimulant and anti-inflammatory effects. (37)
• Immunosuppressive on Innate Immune Responses / Rhizome: Study evaluated the immunosuppressive effects of standardized ethanol extract on innate immune responses in male Wistar rats. Z, zerumbet significantly inhibited the migration of neutrophils, expressions of CD11b/CD18 integrine, phagocytic activity and production of reactive oxygen species in a dose-dependent manner The extract also dose-dependently inhibited the expression of lysozyme and ceruloplasmin in rat plasma.. Extract showed strong inhibitory effects on innate immune responses and potential as an effective immunosuppressive agent. (38)
• Anticancer / Zerumbone / G2/M Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis / Jurkat Cell Line: Study evaluated the anticancer property of zerumbone (ZER) on the human T-cell (Jurkat) line using the MTT assay, microscopic evaluations, flow cytometric analyses, and caspase activity estimations. Results showed zerumbone has selective cytotoxicity to Jurkat cells in a dose-and time-dependent manner with IC50 of 11.9± 0.2, 8.6 ± 0.5 and 5.4 ± 0.41µg/mL at 24, 48 and 72 hours of treatment respectively. ZER significantly (P<0.05) arrested Jurkat cells at the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. The antiproliferative effect of ZER on Jurkat cells was through the apoptotic intrinsic pathway via the activation of caspase-3 and -9. Results suggest potential as a safe chemotherapeutic compound for the treatment of cancers, especially leukemia.
(39)
• Neuroprotective / Paraquat-Induced Parkinsonism / Rhizome: Study evaluated the neuroprotective effects of ethyl acetate of Z. zerumbet against oxidative stress on paraquat-induced Parkinsonism in rats. Results showed Z. zerumbet reduced oxidative stress in the substantia nigra of PQ-induced neuronal damages. Study suggests potential as a preventive agent for neurodegenerative disorders caused by environmental toxins. (40)
• Inhibition of Tumor Angiogenesis / Zerumbone: Zerumbone derived from Z. zerumbet has been reported to have antitumor growth and anti-inflammatory properties in some types of cancer, Study evaluated the effects of zerumbone against gastric cancer angiogenesis examining the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in gastric cancer cell lines. Among six cancer cell lines tested, AGS cells exhibited the highest expression of VEGF. Cell proliferation, VEGF expression and NF-kB activity in AGS cells were all significantly inhibited by zerumbone. Both VEGF and NF-kB activity in AGS cells were reduced by zerumbone treatment, thereby inhibiting angiogenesis. Results suggest a potential new anti-angiogenic and antitumor drug for treatment of gastric cancer. (41)
• Antidermatophytic and Protease Inhibiting activities / Rhizome:
Study evaluated the Antidermatophytic and protease inhibiting activities of Zingiber zerumbet. Methanolic extract of the rhizome exhibited 100 percentage inhibition of mycelial growth of tested dermatophytes at the concentration 1 mg/ml. The inhibitory effect was statistically significant with P=0.000. The rhizome exhibited antidermatophytic as well as trypsin inhibiting activity. The material is a traditionally used ingredient in food preparations.
(42)
• Hepatoprotective / Paracetamol toxicity/ Rhizome: Study evaluated the
hepatoprotective effect of zerumbone (ZER) derived from Z. zerumbet in Paracetamol toxicity in rats. Results showed treatment with ZER significantly reduce ALT (P = 0.041), AST (P=0.044) and total hepatic protein (P = 0.045) in comparison to PCM-induced rats. Rats treated with ZER exhibited the normal structure of hepatocytes with no vacuolization or necrosis and showed significantly reduced neutrophil count (P = 0.037). (43)
• Bitter Ginger for Patients with Solid Tumors with No Treatment Options / Clinical Study: Patients with advanced cancer experience symptoms that decrease the quality of life. Study evaluated the role of zerumbone in quality of life and symptom control in cancer patients with no treatment options. A pilot, non-randomized, single-center, open prospective, and systematic study
included 35 patient who were given 400 mg of zerumbone twice daily. Sixteen patients completed the 8-week study. There was no significant changes in weight or sleep quality. There was significant improvements in quality of life in global activity, social, and emotional dimension, along with significant improvement in anxiety and depression. Bitter ginger showed low toxicity. Results showed promising results in improving quality of life and reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. A randomized placebo-controlled study is needed to confirm the results. (45)
• Zerumbone for Leukemia Therapy: Zerumbone (ZER) is a natural crystalline compound isolated from Z. zerumbet. Study evaluated the anticancer properties of
ZER on cancer cells of T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Jurkat cells, using MTT assay. Results showed ZER has cytotoxic effect against Jurkat cells in a time dependent manner. The inhibitory effect of ZER on leukemia cells growth was due to induction of apoptosis evidenced by microscopic study. Results suggest potential as anticancer agent for therapy of leukemia. (46)
• Zerumbone / Anticariogenic / Essential Oil: The essential oil from rhizomes of Z. zerumbet is mainly constituted by the biomolecule zerumbone with untapped antimicrobial potential. Study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of zerumbone from bitter ginger rhizomes against the cariogenic Streptococcus mutans. Different concentrations were tested against standard strains of S. mutans (ATCC 35668) using microdilution method. Zerumbone showed MIC of 250 µg/mL and MBC of 500 µg/mL against S. mutans. After six hours of bacteria-zerumbone interaction,
all concentrations started to kill bacteria, and between 48 and 72 hours 99.99% of bacteria were killed in comparson with original inoculum.. Zerumbone showed no cytotoxicity to mammalian continuous cell lines. Results showed potential of zerumbone as antimicrobial against S. mutans infection and its use in phyto-pharmaceutical formulations to prevent and treat tooth decay disease. (47)
• Vasorelaxant Effect: Study evaluated the vasorelaxant activity of zerumbone on rat aorta rings and L-type Ba2+ current blocking activity on single myocytes isolated from rat-tail artery. Results showed zerumbone showed an overall weak invitro vasodilating activity, partially attributable to the blocking of L-type Ca2+ channel, which dose not seem to represent a serious threat to its widespread use. (48)
• Zerumbone Extraction via SWE: Study reports on the extraction of Zz via subcritical water extraction (SWE). Zerumbone concentration via
SWE yielded 19.82 mg/g. Total phenolic content (TPC) was higher with SWE compared to Soxhlet extract at 19.19 vs8.30 mg GAE/g DW respectively. Results showed SWE as a promising and environmentally friendly alternative since it uses water as solvent and is comparable to conventional method. (49)
• Mitigation of Vascular Diabetic Retinal Lesions / Rhizomes: The ethanol extract of Zz rhizome has been reported to ameliorate hyperglycemia in diabetes. Study evaluated the effects of ethanol extract of of Zz rhizome (EEZZR) on diabetic retinopathy in STZ-induced diabetic rats.
EEZZR exhibited similar characteristics to calcium dobesilate (CD) in reducing blood-retinal barrier permeability in diabetic rats. Retinal histopathological study showed retinal vessels were decreased in EEZZR-treated rats. EEZZR decreased the increased retinal expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and upregulated the expressions of renal pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) in diabetic rats. Retinal mRNS expression of TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, monocyte chemotactic proteins-1, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 were all decreased in EEZZR-treated rats. The protective effect of EEZZR may be involved in the restoration of balance between stimulators and inhibitors of angiogenesis. EEZZR can ameliorate retinal inflammation via transrepression of NF-kB and inhibition of ERK1/2 signaling pathway.
(50)
• Immunosuppressive Effects / Zerumbone: Study evaluated the effects of daily treatment of zerumbone (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) from Zz rhizomes for 14 days on various cellular and humoral immune responses in Balb/C mice.
Zerumbone downregulated the engulfment of E. coli and release of NO and MPO. It exhibited suppression of cytokines release, T and B lymphocytes proliferation, significantly inhibited the % expression of CF4 and CD8 in splenocytes. Zerumbone demonstrated strong suppression on sRBC-triggered swelling of mice paw in DTH. It suppressed anti-sRBC immunoglobulins (IgM and IgG) antibody titer. The potent suppressive effects of zerumbone suggests potential for development of an immunosuppressive agent. (51)
• Biologic Activities / Rhizome Essential Oil: GC-MS analysis of rhizome essential oil with major components amounting to 98.4% yielded major components of zerumbone (75.2%), ß-caryophyllene (7.1%), camphene (5.1%), eucalyptol (2.4%), and camphor (3.0%).
The EO and zerumbone exhibited antimalarial and antileishmanial activities, and antimicrobial activity against Cryptococcus neoformans. (52)
• Anti-Inflammatory / THP1 Cell Line / Rhizome: Study evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of methanolic extract of rhizome of Zz using THP1 cell line. The extract showed ability to inhibit cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase, myeloperoxidase and nitric oxide synthase induced by lipopolysaccharide. Results suggest the rhizome ME has potential as drug for allergic and inflammatory disorders in traditional and modern medicine. (53)
• Acute and Subchronic Ora Toxicity Study / Rhizome: Study evaluated the acute and subacute toxicity (28 days) of ethanol extract of Zz rhizomes (EEZZ) via oral route in Wistar rats. Single dose of 15g/kbw did not produce toxic signs or deaths, with LD50 higher than 15g/kg. In subchronic toxicity study, EEZZ
gavage doses of 1000, 2000, and 3000 mg/kg daily for 4 weeks showed no alteration in body weight, food and water consumption, and no significant changes in hematological and biochemical parameters. Necropsy and histopath exams did not reveal any remarkable changes. The no-observed effect for EEZZ
is 3000 mg/kg. Study suggests consumption of EEZZ
for various medicinal purposes is safe. (54)
• Ethosomes Loaded with Rhizome for Deep Layer Fungal Skin Infection: Study reports on development of an ethosome formulation loaded with Z. zerumbet rhizome extract for enhanced antifungal activity in deep layer skin. Ethisomes were prepared by cold method, composed of 1% (w/v) phosphatidylcholine and 40% (v/v) ethanol. The ethosome significantly enhanced skin penetration and retention of active compound (zerumbone) compared with liquid extract. Study showed Zz rhizome extract could be loaded into ethosomes and has potential for clinical application after further invivo penetration and permeation tests. (55)
Availability
Wild-crafted. |
