Antioxidant Activity in Extracts from Zingiberaceae Family: Cardamom, Turmeric, and Ginger

Abstract

An increase in life expectancy leads to a greater impact of chronic non-communicable diseases. This is even more remarkable in elder populations, to whom these become main determinants of health status, affecting mental and physical health, quality of life, and autonomy. Disease appearance is closely related to the levels of cellular oxidation, pointing out the importance of including foods in one’s diet that can prevent oxidative stress. Previous studies and clinical data suggest that some plant-based products can slow and reduce the cellular degradation associated with aging and age-related diseases. Many plants from one family present several applications that range from the food to the pharmaceutical industry due to their characteristic flavor and scents. The Zingiberaceae family, which includes cardamom, turmeric, and ginger, has bioactive compounds with antioxidant activities. They also have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, and antiemetic activities and properties that help prevent cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. These products are abundant sources of chemical substances, such as alkaloids, carbohydrates, proteins, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and diarylheptanoids. The main bioactive compounds found in this family (cardamom, turmeric, and ginger) are 1,8-cineole, α-terpinyl acetate, β-turmerone, and α-zingiberene. The present review gathers evidence surrounding the effects of dietary intake of extracts of the Zingiberaceae family and their underlying mechanisms of action. These extracts could be an adjuvant treatment for oxidative-stress-related pathologies. However, the bioavailability of these compounds needs to be optimized, and further research is needed to determine appropriate concentrations and their antioxidant effects in the body.

Extraction of Active Compounds from Mixtures of Hemp (Cannabis sativa) with Plants of the Zingiberaceae Family

“…[20][21][22]. Nevertheless, the measured results of antioxidant activity and total phenolic content concur well with the literature, and a broad spectrum of bioactive components with antioxidant properties is characteristic for these plants, as well as high values of phenolic components [9][10][11][12][13]. The cardamom total phenolics, which were the lowest among the materials measured, aligns well with results that Oueslati et al obtained from ethanolic extracts, 51.7 mg GA/g extract [23], and are even higher than results from ethanolic extracts that Tarfaoui et al obtained, 33.45 (±0.35) mg GA/g extract [12].…”

“…The plant extracts from the materials used in this study have well-documented antioxidant activity and high phenolic compound content [9][10][11][12][13], but this study is the first to evaluate the mutual effects of plant combinations on their content. In addition, the biologically active components of each plant were reviewed and selected for evaluation of their potential synergistic effects during extraction.…”

Possible roles of phytochemicals with bioactive properties in the prevention of and recovery from COVID-19

“…There are countries where cuisines and beverages widely use various herbs and spices. Many of the phytochemicals included in these cuisines possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects (for example zingerone of ginger [27,28] and curcumin of turmeric [28,29]), and some may bind to the SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 as well (for example carvacrol in oregano and thyme [17,30], cinnamaldehyde in cinnamon [30], geraniol in lemongrass, lavender, rose and others [30], curcumin in turmeric [30][31][32] and others [33]). It is possible that depending on the traditional cuisines in each country, there are differences in the type and amount of these phytochemicals consumed, and that may have produced the differences in the infection, severity, and recovery from COVID-19.…”

Extraction of High Value Products from Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Ginger) and Utilization of Residual Biomass

“…Zingiber officinale Roscoe (ginger) is a plant that is widely distributed worldwide and belongs to the Zingiberaceae family. It contains compounds that present a wide range of benefits, such as antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, and anticancer effects [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]. Ginger, both fresh and dried, is used for consumption as well as medicinal applications [ 5 ].…”