Ginger: From serving table to salient therapy

Abstract Natural products have for long been receiving wide attention for the prevention and treatment of various diseases. Attention is being given to natural products because they are cost-effective, safe and well tolerated. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), one of the widely used natural products, has been reported to promote digestion and metabolism in the Ayurvedic and Chinese Medicine. Additionally, it was reported to be effective in acting as a remedy for cough, cold, nausea, vomiting, food poisoning and arthritic pain. The medicinal and nutritional value of ginger has led scientific researchers to explore its anti-microbial, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties. The anti-cancer properties of ginger have been attributed mainly to the most active components in ginger, which are 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol. Understanding the mechanisms by which these pungent components control cancer cell proliferation might put ginger in the frontline for cancer treatment. The aim of this review is to cover all the medicinal applications of ginger extract and/or the non-volatile bioactive constituents of ginger (6-gingerol and 6-shogaol) with a focus on both the chemotherapeutic role of ginger and the role it plays as adjuvant therapy in several diseases.