Search Results (192)

Zingiber officinale (ginger) is a high-value crop with significant nutritional benefits, but it is susceptible to food hazards, including mycotoxins and heavy metals. Fifty-one ginger samples were collected along the value chain in Kaduna State (local government areas: Jaba, Kachia and Zango) and 44 samples obtained from markets in Oyo State (local government areas: Ibadan North, Ibadan Northeast, Ibadan Northwest, and Ibadan Southwest). The incidence of aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2) and heavy metals (mercury, cadmium, lead, copper, zinc, and chromium), as well as risk assessments, were determined. Half (50%) of the samples from Kaduna contained aflatoxins and all (100%) of the samples from Oyo State contained aflatoxins. On average, 18 to 60% of split-dried samples and 17 to 83% of fresh from Kaduna exceeded 10 ng/g total aflatoxin concentration. In Oyo State 67 to 100% of the split-dried samples exceeded 10 ng/g and 100% of both fresh and milled samples exceeded 10 ng/g total aflatoxins. The estimated probable daily intake of mercury (0.572 mg/kg bw/day) exceeded the limit of 0.23 mg/kg bw/day from Kaduna samples, whereas others were within the tolerable limits. Lead, which has no defined tolerable daily intake, was not detected in Kaduna State samples. In Oyo State samples, lead was detectable with an estimated limit of 0.007 mg/kg bw/day; whereas, the others were within the limit. The estimated probable daily intake (PDI) of aflatoxin B1 was estimated at 4.1 μg/kg bw/day and 1.5 μg/kg bw/day from Oyo State and Kaduna State samples, respectively. The provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (TDI) for aflatoxins is 2 μg/kg bw/day. The use of probiotics was explored for the detoxification of aflatoxin-spiked ginger samples (at 50 ng/g). Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 (LP) and Lactobacillus helveticus ATCC 15009 (LH) reduced aflatoxin concentrations by 50% when used alone or together at the end of a 120 h incubation period. The study highlights the incidence and risk of exposure to multiple toxicants in ginger and the need for management of aflatoxins and heavy metals along the ginger value chain. Full article

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) fields in northern China are often covered by plastic mulch film and shade netting, so Sentinel-2 records management materials as well as the crop canopy. Because these materials and their deployment differ among production systems, models calibrated locally may transfer poorly. We defined three observation windows for the main study counties: spring film mulching, summer shade-net coverage, and autumn exposed-canopy greening. Within each window, spectral bands, vegetation indices, and gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) textures were extracted from single Sentinel-2 scenes across three northern Chinese counties with contrasting practices. A cross-regional Random Forest Gini ranking, weighted by the similar county model-sample totals, retained four variables per feature family per stage (36 of 120 variables across the three-stage stack). The spectral-index-texture scheme achieved within-county F1 scores of 95.00% in Changyi, 94.83% in Qingzhou, and 95.58% in Fengrun. Leave-one-county-out (LOCO) model fitting returned a mean F1 of 94.73% compared with 95.14% for the within-county splits. Because the fixed-feature protocol was selected using all three counties, this LOCO test evaluates county-held-out classifier fitting rather than a fully nested feature-selection pipeline. Independent field verification with Global Positioning System (GPS) points ranged from 85.80% to 89.95%, and village-level area estimates agreed with remote-sensing totals (R² = 0.869). The 36-variable protocol performed similarly to the full 120-variable input (95.14% vs. 95.24% mean F1), and the selected features were stable across the three tested weighting rules. In Funing County, where shade nets are absent, omitting the shading stage on the basis of local agronomic practice yielded 93.75% accuracy against 96 independent GPS points. The results support management timing as a practical guide for ginger mapping within the tested northern production systems; wider climatic validation and fully nested transfer tests are still needed. Full article

Fish processing by-products represent a valuable and sustainable source of collagen for biomedical and functional applications. In the present study, collagen was extracted from the scales of red mullet (Mullus barbatus), gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata), and European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) using a green extraction approach based on a natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) system composed of citric acid, xylitol, and water. The extracted collagens were comprehensively characterized by SDS-PAGE, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. The results confirmed the presence of Type I collagen and demonstrated that the characteristic triple-helical structure and molecular organization were preserved throughout the extraction process. To preliminarily evaluate their potential as matrices for incorporating bioactive compounds, collagen matrices were combined with Zingiber officinale (ginger) extract at different ratios. The resulting combinations were evaluated for antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytocompatibility properties. Antioxidant activity increased significantly with increasing ginger concentration, with the highest radical scavenging activity observed in combinations containing the greatest proportion of ginger extract. Similarly, antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was enhanced by ginger incorporation, with stronger inhibition observed against the Gram-positive bacterium. Cytocompatibility studies performed on human dermal fibroblast (HDFa) cells revealed that selected collagen–ginger combinations maintained high cell viability and did not induce substantial membrane damage, nuclear abnormalities, apoptosis, or necrosis at appropriate concentrations. Overall, the findings demonstrate that fish scale-derived collagen obtained through a sustainable NADES-based extraction process possesses favorable structural and biological properties and may serve as a potential carrier matrix for plant-derived bioactive compounds. These findings provide preliminary evidence supporting the future development of environmentally friendly functional biomaterials with prospective applications in pharmaceutical, biomedical, and tissue engineering fields. Full article

Background/Objectives: Green antibacterial synthesis is a natural alternative to chemical methods, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals by being beneficial to the environment and contributing to new therapies to combat antibiotic resistance. In this research, a simple method was developed for producing nanosystems with natural extracts of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) or Galangal (Alpinia galanga) with gold. Then, their antibacterial efficacy was evaluated and compared against strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Methods: After optimizing the systems, the core size of the nanosystems was determined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the presence of gold was confirmed with EDS. Stability control was measured using spectrometry, and the systems were characterized by measuring zeta potential and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Finally, to verify the antibacterial effect, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays were performed. Results: The analysis of the MIC experiments confirmed that the Galangal nanosystem (Au@Galangal showed better results against both bacteria. In the case of the Ginger nanosystem (Au@Ginger), the most evident results were against E. coli. Internalization studies demonstrated the antibacterial efficacy of all the nanosystems analyzed. Conclusions: The results suggest that nanosystems obtained entirely by green methods have great potential as alternative antimicrobial agents, especially against resistant strains, representing a major advance in the development of sustainable bactericidal nanosystems. Full article

In this study, green-synthesized silver nanoparticles derived from Zingiber officinale (G-AgNPs) were investigated as potential modulators of transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2), a host-associated protease involved in viral entry mechanisms. Before nanoparticle synthesis, the phytochemical composition of ginger extract was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with photodiode array detection. Silver nanoparticles were synthesized using aqueous ginger extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The nanoparticles were characterized by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis.), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The synthesized silver nanoparticles exhibited a face-centered cubic (fcc) crystalline structure, nanoscale particle size distribution, and moderate colloidal stability. Transmission electron microscopy revealed predominantly quasi-spherical nanoparticles with an average diameter of 10.61 ± 1.31 nm, while X-ray diffraction indicated an average crystallite size of 15.28 ± 5.48 nm. Biological evaluation demonstrated robust, broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, with distinct susceptibility profiles. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values were 3.125 µg/mL and 12.5 µg/mL, and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) values were 6.25 µg/mL and 25.0 µg/mL, respectively. Cell culture assays confirmed high cytocompatibility with L929 fibroblasts at all tested concentrations. In a fluorometric enzyme assay, the silver nanoparticles inhibited TMPRSS2 activity in a concentration-dependent manner, achieving 51.24% inhibition at 100 µg/mL and an estimated IC50 of 40.06 µg/mL. Although the inhibitory activity was lower than that of Camostat, the findings suggest that ginger-mediated silver nanoparticles represent promising plant-based nano-bioactive systems for further investigation of TMPRSS2 modulation. Full article

Microbial fermentation of plant-derived materials is increasingly recognized as a strategy to enhance biological activity through phytochemical bioconversion. In this study, we investigated the antibiofilm effects of fermented Zingiber officinale rhizome extract against major periodontal pathogens and examined the underlying mechanisms. Ginger extract fermented with plant-derived lactic acid bacteria showed significantly greater inhibition of biofilm formation by Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans than non-fermented extract. The inhibitory activity increased with fermentation time, resulting in approximately 60–70% reduction in biofilm formation at higher concentrations. Chromatographic analysis revealed decreased 6-gingerol and increased 6-shogaol levels after fermentation, suggesting bioconversion of 6-gingerol to 6-shogaol. Direct treatment with 6-shogaol inhibited biofilm formation in a dose-dependent manner in all tested pathogens. Quantitative PCR analysis further showed that 6-shogaol significantly downregulated the quorum sensing-related gene luxS and multiple adhesion- and virulence-associated genes, including flp, fimA, mfa1, radD, fadA, ltxA, and rgpB. These findings indicate that lactic acid bacterial fermentation enhances the antibiofilm activity of ginger extract through increased 6-shogaol production, highlighting its potential as a natural anti-biofilm and anti-virulence agent for periodontal disease prevention and management. Full article

Dried ginger slices are widely used for both culinary and medicinal applications. It is worth noting that a systematic model describing the dynamics of flavor profile changes during the drying of ginger has not been established. This study aimed to investigate the effects of hot-air drying on the volatile composition and odor-active compounds of ginger. Sensory evaluation revealed a shift in the aroma profile from pungent, floral, and herbal notes in fresh ginger toward predominantly roasted and woody notes in dried samples. In this study, molecular sensory science was employed. The results showed that 92 volatile compounds were tentatively identified, with terpenes showing a pronounced increase in relative proportion after drying. Nineteen compounds with flavor dilution (FD) ≥ 8 and odor activity value (OAV) ≥ 1 were confirmed as key aroma contributors, with zingiberene, linalool, geraniol, citronellal, 1,8-cineole, myrcene, and (E)-nerolidol exhibiting the highest FD values. These findings provide a quantitative basis for understanding aroma modulation during ginger drying and may offer practical guidance for the quality control of dried ginger products. Full article

This review examines the bioactive compounds of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), with a particular focus on metabolites and antimicrobial peptides exhibiting antimicrobial activity. The chemical composition, biological properties, and mechanisms of action of the major ginger-derived compounds are discussed, with emphasis on their antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antibiofilm potential. Particular attention is given to their antimicrobial spectrum and to potential synergistic interactions with other natural bioactive compounds that may enhance their efficacy against pathogenic microorganisms. Despite their promising therapeutic properties, the application of ginger-derived molecules against skin-associated pathogens remains challenging due to their limited stability, poor bioavailability, and the protective effects of microbial biofilms, which reduce treatment effectiveness and contribute to persistent infections. Current strategies designed to overcome these limitations, including chemical modification, liposomes, nanoemulsions, and hydrogel-based delivery systems, are reviewed. In addition, this review highlights the potential of microalgae-based encapsulation systems as innovative and sustainable platforms for the delivery of ginger bioactives. Owing to their diverse biochemical composition and structural characteristics, microalgae represent a promising source of natural biomaterials for the development of diverse encapsulation strategies. These emerging systems may potentially improve the stability, controlled release, bioavailability, and antibiofilm efficacy of ginger-derived compounds, supporting the development of novel formulations for the management of biofilm-associated skin infections. Full article

Social insect pests such as leaf-cutting ants challenge conventional pest management because effective control must disrupt colony-level organization rather than target individual insects. Colony persistence depends on the mutualistic association between gardener workers and their cultivated fungus, Leucoagaricus gongylophorus. Compounds that selectively impair these components while preserving forager-mediated bait transport may therefore offer strategic advantages. We evaluated the essential oils of weeping willow (Salix babylonica), Surinam cherry (Eugenia uniflora), weeping bottlebrush (Melaleuca viminalis), ginger (Zingiber officinale), and black pepper (Piper nigrum) against two leaf-cutting ant species, Atta sexdens and Acromyrmex subterraneus, after characterizing their chemical composition by GC–MS. The oils displayed distinct terpenoid profiles: bottlebrush oil, for instance, was dominated by 1,8-cineole and α-pinene, while ginger oil was rich in camphene and β-phellandrene. Forager and gardener workers were tested separately, along with their symbiotic fungus. Responses were generally concentration-dependent, although effects varied among oils and biological targets. Ginger oil exhibited strong fungicidal activity, but only at the highest concentration tested (100 mg mL⁻¹). Bottlebrush oil showed marked toxicity to A. sexdens gardeners at concentrations as low as 0.10 mg mL⁻¹, while effects on foragers were comparatively low. The remaining oils produced limited or inconsistent responses. These findings indicate that caste-selective toxicity and fungal suppression are achievable but not widespread among essential oils. Bottlebrush oil emerges as a promising candidate for further investigation, particularly regarding its constituent compounds and potential synergistic interactions for toxic bait development. Full article

Damage caused by larvae of Noctua comes Hübner, 1813, was recorded during an experiment on ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) cultivated under protected conditions in Poland. This is the first confirmed report of feeding by larvae of the lesser yellow underwing on ginger. Biometric traits and nutrient content in plant material were determined at five different time points. Soil analyses included determination of soil texture, pH, organic C and total N content, electrical conductivity, and the abundance of selected macro- and micronutrients. The most favorable biometric parameters were recorded on October 17, 2024, which represented optimal conditions for ginger growth and development under Polish climatic conditions. These results may support optimization of production costs and agronomic practices in future ginger growing seasons. Moreover, no changes were observed in soil chemical properties, such as pH, organic carbon content, total nitrogen, or the C:N ratio, indicating stable soil conditions. However, a decrease in available potassium was observed, suggesting preferential uptake of this element by ginger plants. After ginger cultivation, concentrations of Na, Ca, Mg, Cl⁻, and NO₃⁻ increased, while K and NH₄⁺ decreased. Available phosphorus increased (to 376.7 mg·kg⁻¹), remaining at a very high level, while potassium decreased. These changes indicate that cultivation had little impact on soil chemical properties. Full article

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is a high-value horticultural crop widely cultivated for its culinary and medicinal applications, yet its production is increasingly constrained by soil-borne diseases. Among these, Fusarium yellows, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. zingiberi (Foz), is one of the most damaging constraints in ginger-growing regions around the world, leading to progressive yellowing, vascular blockage, and decline in rhizome quality. Members of the Fusarium oxysporum species complex are known to include both pathogenic and non-pathogenic lineages that often co-occur within the same host and environment, complicating disease diagnosis and epidemiological understanding. In this study, we examined Fusarium-like isolates recovered from both symptomatic and symptomless ginger plants within Southeast Queensland, the major ginger production region in Australia. We then investigated the genetic diversity, effector gene content, and pathogenic potential of these isolates. Comparative analyses revealed two genetically and functionally distinct groups: a clonal Foz lineage consistently associated with Fusarium yellows symptoms and characterised by a conserved set of Secreted In Xylem (SIX) effector genes (SIX7, SIX9, SIX10, and SIX12) and a diverse set of F. oxysporum isolates lacking these effectors. The conserved presence and co-localisation of SIX7, SIX10, and SIX12 within a 5 kb region on a 1.4 Mb contig in the Foz lineage is consistent with the retention of a stable lineage-specific effector module, likely associated with accessory genomic regions that may contribute to host specificity and pathogenicity in the Fusarium oxysporum species complex. Pathogenicity assays confirmed that only the Foz lineage induced disease, whereas non-Foz isolates caused no visible symptoms despite limited colonisation of host tissues. These findings highlight the coexistence of pathogenic and endophytic Fusarium lineages within ginger production systems and support the use of effector-based markers for improved detection and disease management. Full article

Lymphoma is a hematological malignancy and a major non-communicable disease characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of lymphoid cells, frequently associated with dysregulation of the cellular myelocytomatosis (c-Myc) oncogenic pathway. In this study, we investigated the anti-lymphoma potential of bioactive compounds derived from edible plants in the Zingiberaceae family, including fingerroot (Boesenbergia rotunda), turmeric (Curcuma longa), white turmeric (Curcuma mangga), zedoary (Curcuma zedoaria), and ginger (Zingiber officinale). Crude extracts from these traditionally consumed medicinal food plants were evaluated for cytotoxic effects against human B-cell lymphoma cell lines (Raji and Daudi) and compared with normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Among the tested extracts, ginger and turmeric exhibited selective cytotoxicity toward lymphoma cells. Ginger was selected for further investigation, and subsequent analyses identified 6-shogaol as the principal active compound. 6-Shogaol significantly suppressed total and phosphorylated c-Myc protein expression, induced dose-dependent apoptosis, and caused cell cycle arrest in lymphoma cells. Network pharmacology and pathway enrichment analyses suggested the modulation of multiple oncogenic signaling pathways, particularly the PI3K/Akt/c-Myc and MAPK signaling. These findings indicate that 6-shogaol exerts anti-lymphoma activity through the coordinated modulation of oncogenic and apoptotic pathways. However, as this study is limited to in vitro and computational analyses, further in vivo validation is required. Overall, 6-shogaol represents a promising food-derived lead compound for the development of novel therapeutic strategies against lymphoma. Full article

In this study, we investigated the antifungal potential of methanolic extracts and essential oils obtained from five medicinal plants (Salvadora persica, Mentha spicata, Achillea millefolium, Matricaria chamomilla, and Zingiber officinale) against 25 clinical isolates of Candida albicans collected from patients with denture stomatitis. Antifungal susceptibility was assessed using broth microdilution as the primary method, with agar diffusion assays performed to provide complementary visual confirmation. Nystatin was included as a reference control. Across the tested samples, essential oils consistently showed stronger antifungal effects than the corresponding methanolic extracts. Notably, Z. officinale essential oil exhibited the highest level of activity, inhibiting 15 out of 25 isolates and, in several cases, demonstrating efficacy comparable to or exceeding that of nystatin. Chemical profiling by GC–MS indicated that the ginger essential oil was dominated by sesquiterpene and monoterpene hydrocarbons, with zingiberene (21.49%) being the major constituent, followed by β-sesquiphellandrene, α-curcumene, sabinene, and α-citral. This terpene-rich composition may contribute to the observed antifungal activity, potentially through the disruption of fungal cell membrane integrity. Taken together, these results suggest that Z. officinale essential oil represents a promising natural antifungal candidate for the management of denture-associated C. albicans infections. Further studies, including biofilm-based assays and in vivo evaluations, will be necessary to confirm its clinical applicability. To the best of our knowledge, this study is among the first to comparatively assess these five medicinal plants against clinical C. albicans isolates derived specifically from denture stomatitis patients. Full article

Soil salinity limits ginger productivity, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unclear. The 14-3-3 proteins are conserved regulators in stress signaling. Here, we genome-wide characterized the 14-3-3 family in Zingiber officinale and examined the possible involvement of Zo14-3-3-03 in salt response. A total of 21 Zo14-3-3 genes were identified and classified into four groups with uneven chromosomal distribution. Among them, Zo14-3-3-03 was strongly salt-responsive: transcript levels increased 9.91- to 33.82-fold during 1–7 days of treatment and reached 62.47-fold in leaves at day 14. NaCl treatment elevated GUS expression driven by the Zo14-3-3-03 promoter. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of Zo14-3-3-03 resulted in silenced plants exhibiting higher malondialdehyde (up to 73.6%), lower antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, POD, CAT, and APX: 18.9–31.9% reduction), reduced osmolytes (proline, soluble protein, sugars, and ascorbic acid: 23.2–36.2% reduction), excessive reactive oxygen species, and decreased relative water content. Several antioxidant-related genes were significantly downregulated. Protein interaction assays suggested a possible interaction with ZoSOS2, and the expression of SOS2 pathway genes was altered in silenced plants, indicating a potential link to calcium signaling and ion homeostasis. Taken together, these results suggest that Zo14-3-3-03 participates in ginger salt stress response possibly through redox balance, osmotic adjustment, and calcium-mediated pathways which would provide a basis for understanding 14-3-3-mediated stress responses and nominates Zo14-3-3-03 as a candidate requiring deeper validation for salt tolerance improvement in ginger. Nevertheless, due to limited functional validation, its role as a positive regulator and breeding target remains preliminary. Further genetic and mechanistic studies are needed to confirm causality and assess field-level applicability. Full article

Background: Despite mechanical hygiene, plaque-related illnesses like gingivitis and periodontitis affect over 3.5 billion people globally. Natural mouthwashes are becoming increasingly popular as consumers shift toward plant-based alternatives to chlorhexidine, which may have drawbacks that limit long-term acceptability. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term clinical potential of three herbal mouthwashes—Matricaria chamomilla (chamomile), Salvia officinalis (sage), and Zingiber officinale (ginger)—in reducing dental plaque and clinical signs of gingival inflammation in young adults. (2) Materials and Methods. A randomised controlled clinical trial was conducted on 175 systemically healthy participants, allocated equally into five groups (three herbal groups, placebo, and chlorhexidine). Each herbal group used a 2% aqueous infusion three times daily for twelve weeks. The 2% aqueous infusion concentration was selected based on commonly reported concentrations in previous phytotherapeutic and clinical studies evaluating herbal mouthwashes, balancing potential efficacy with safety and tolerability. The plant materials were sourced from certified suppliers, and standardized dried plant parts were used under controlled preparation conditions. Clinical assessments were performed at baseline (T0), week 1 (T1), week 5 (T2), and week 9 (T3), corresponding to the beginning of each evaluation interval within the 12-week study, using the Silness–Löe Plaque Index and the modified Löe–Silness Gingival Index. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc correction. (3) Results. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a significant main effect of time for both plaque accumulation and gingival index scores. For the Silness–Löe Plaque Index, a marked time-dependent reduction was observed across the active treatment groups (p < 0.001; η²_p = 0.56), with a significant time × group interaction (p < 0.001; η²_p = 0.49). Similarly, the modified Löe–Silness Gingival Index showed a significant reduction over time (p < 0.001; η²_p = 0.22), with a significant interaction effect between time and mouthwash type (p < 0.001; η²_p = 0.17). No statistically significant differences were found among the three herbal mouthwashes in post hoc Bonferroni comparisons (all p > 0.05), whereas all active treatments showed significantly better outcomes compared with the placebo. (4) Discussion. All three rinses showed similar clinical effects on plaque and gingival scores. However, without mechanistic assays, no claims can be made about comparable antibacterial or anti-inflammatory activity. Compared with conventional antiseptics such as chlorhexidine, herbal rinses offer important advantages in terms of biocompatibility, safety, and tolerability, with no staining, taste alteration, or mucosal irritation reported. At T3, the correlation between plaque and gingival indices was weak (Spearman’s ρ = 0.18, p = 0.09), suggesting limited linear association; this finding should be interpreted cautiously, as the low end-range values and limited variability of both indices at this time point may have masked a true association. This exploratory observation raises, but does not confirm, the possibility that factors other than plaque reduction may contribute to gingival improvement. (5) Conclusions. Significant reductions in dental plaque and clinical signs of gingival inflammation were observed following regular use of chamomile, sage, and ginger mouthwashes for twelve weeks. All herbal formulations exhibit similar clinical results. Longer-term controlled trials incorporating microbiological and phytochemical analyses are recommended to validate these findings further. Full article