Ginger ( Zingiber officinale ) was reported to have an antioxidant, antidiabetic effect. This study was done to investigate its therapeutic effect against functional and structural alteration in liver of diabetic rat (intraperitoneal streptozotocin (STZ) in a dose of 60 mg/kg/bw). Thirty adult male rats (three-months-old and 250 g weight) were sorted into five groups ( N =6). G1 used as control, G2 was diabetic rats without any treatment, G3 was diabetic rats given oral ginger in a dose of 500 mg/kg/bw, G4 was diabetic rats treated with metformin (500 mg/kg/bw) while G5 received ginger orally. The experiment lasts for six weeks, animals were anesthetized by ether, body weight was recorded for all animals. Blood was collected for further analysis of lipid profile, liver enzymes and total antioxidant. Liver was dissected, weighted and samples were processed for histopathological study. The results showed significant decrease of glaucous level and liver enzymes in ginger treated rats. Total antioxidant was preserved. Ginger lowered blood glucose, level, regained body weight and liver index to near normal values. Diabetes induced degenerative changes and micro-vesicular lipid deposition in hepatocytes with moderate portal area fibrosis. Ultrastructure study confirmed such changes beside demonstrating increased lipid deposition in fat storing cells. Ginger was found to ameliorate those changes in treated animals. Results were matching metformin effects. In conclusion, Ginger as a natural safe Herbal medication can be used to support liver functions in diabetic status.

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of Zingiber officinale, commonly referred to as ginger, in preserving the structural integrity of testis in streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced diabetic rats compared to the efficacy of metformin, the traditional effective antidiabetic drug. STZ was utilised for the induction of diabetes mellitus in male Sprague Dawley rats. The study included five groups (n = 6 each), namely the normal control, ginger‐treated normal, nontreated diabetic, metformin‐treated diabetic and ginger‐treated diabetic groups. Biochemical assessment of fasting blood glucose level (BGL) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was performed. Histopathological assessment of the testes was performed using routine and immunohistochemical techniques. Fasting BGL significantly (p = .01) reduced, whereas TAC significantly increased (p < .001) in metformin‐ and ginger‐treated diabetic rats compared to those in untreated diabetic rats. Metformin and ginger reduced the degenerative changes observed in the testes of diabetic rats, significantly reduced (p < .001) caspase‐3 immunoexpression, and significantly increased (p < .001) the immune‐expression of androgen receptors and proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Ginger has antidiabetic effects and preserves testicular structural integrity and, thus, is recommended as an adjuvant therapy for male diabetic patients in the reproductive period.

Background: The antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and insulin-enhancing effects of ginger and cinnamon were previously confirmed in experimental and human studies, while the combined effect of ginger and cinnamon was not thoroughly investigated until now.Objectives: This study was designed to assess the antidiabetic effect of combined administration of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) and cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia L.) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats compared to metformin and to explain the mechanism behind this effect.Materials and methods: STZ was utilized to induce diabetes mellitus in male Sprague–Dawley rats. Assessments of fasting blood glucose level (BGL), the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), serum insulin, HOMA-IR, and HOMA–β cells were performed. Pancreatic gene expression of β-catenin and p53 was assessed using RT-PCR. Assessment of histopathological alterations of pancreatic islet cells was performed using routine and immunohistochemical techniques.Results: BGL significantly decreased (p = 0.01), while serum insulin and TAC significantly increased (p &lt; 0.001) in both metformin- and ginger plus cinnamon–treated groups compared to the untreated diabetic group. HOMA–β cell index significantly increased (p = 0.001) in ginger plus cinnamon, indicating their enhancing effect on insulin secretion in diabetic conditions. p53 gene expression was significantly upregulated (p &lt; 0.001), while β-catenin was insignificantly downregulated (p = 0.32) in ginger plus cinnamon–treated groups. Insulin immunoexpression in β cells significantly increased (p = 0.001, p = 0.004) in metformin- and ginger plus cinnamon–treated groups, respectively.Conclusions: The combined administration of ginger and cinnamon has a significant hypoglycemic and antioxidant effect in STZ-induced diabetes mostly through enhancing repair of islet cells mediated via upregulation of pancreatic p53 expression. Therefore, testing this effect in diabetic patients is recommended.

| Organic solvents such as car fuel, which contains benzene and other solvents were known to cause skin irritation and contact dermatitis. Although anti-inflammatory steroids topical medications were used, they may result in side effects in susceptible persons. Herbal preparation was tried in literature. In the present study, Achillea fragrantissima, a wild plant in some areas of Saudi Arabia was used to speed slow-healing wounds. Thus, the study was designed to investigate its efficacy to treat experimentally induced benzene-dermatitis in mice skin. Twenty-five adult mice were shaved and animals were divided into GI as control and GII as benzene painted. The later was further divided into four subgroups; untreated, steroidal medicinal cream treated, a group treated with olive oil extract of Achillea (dried plant soaked in olive oil) and a group treated with olive oil only. Gross and histopathological observation were used to evaluate the treatment effects. Benzene painting produced skin hardening, scaling, epidermal hyperplasia and inflammatory reaction in skin dermis. Decrease in the hypodermal adipose tissue thickness was observed, those pathological changes were much improved or even absent in treated mice. Such results are similar to that observed in the group treated by medicinal cream. Achillea plant could be a source of future effective anti-dermatitis cream medicinal formulation against benzene-induced dermatitis. Olive oil extract of Achillea will be tested and compared to olive oil alone to prove the hypothesis.

Fascioliasis, caused by Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica, is considered one of the most important helminthes diseases among both humans and animals. The use of triclabendazole (TCBZ) as the only antihelminthic drug against fascioliasis faced recent problems being of many side effects and development of the drug resistance by the parasites. Given the widespread use of ginger (Zingiber officinale) in many traditional medicines and the various metabolic properties, this study aims to investigate the in vitro antihelminthic activity of Z. officinale ethanol extracts on F. gigantica in comparison to TCBZ. Fifty-four live adult F. gigantica worms were divided into nine groups of six in each, including positive control (G1), negative control (G2), triclabendazole sulfoxide (TCBZSO) of 20μg/ml (G3), ginger extract of 5, 25 and 50 mg/ml (G4, G5 and G6, respectively) and combined TCBZSO with ginger extract of 5, 25 and 50 mg/ml (G7, G8 and G9, respectively). The worm motility scores, survival index and histological examination were utilized to further analyze the effect of treatments on the worms' morphology. Results indicated a marked decrease in worms' motility treated with ginger extracts compared to TCBZSO group. The observed decrease was positively correlated to both time and concentration. Histological examination showed that a higher concentration of ginger extract alone or in combination with TCBZSO caused severe tegumental alterations, more than those observed in TCBZSO treatment alone. In conclusion, the results strongly confirm the plausible development of ginger-based antihelminthic drug against F. gigantica infection.