Bioactive Compounds from Zingiber montanum and Their Pharmacological Activities with Focus on Zerumbone

Abstract

The genus Zingiber consists of about 85 species and many of these species are used as food, spices, and medicines. One of the species, Zingiber montanum (J. Koenig) Link ex A. Dietr. is native to Southeast Asia and has been extensively used as traditional medicines and food. The aim of this review was to collect and critically analyze the scientific information about the bioactive compounds and pharmacological activities of Z. montanum with focus on one of the main components, zerumbone (ZER). Various studies have reported the analysis of volatile constituents of the essential oils from Z. montanum. Similarly, many phenylbutanoids, flavonoids and terpenes were also isolated from rhizomes. These essential oils, extracts and compounds showed potent antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities among others. Zerumbone has been studied widely for its anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and other pharmacological activities. Future studies should focus on the exploration of various pharmacological activities of other compounds including phenylbutanoids and flavonoids. Bioassay guided isolation may result in the separation of other active components from the extracts. Z. montanum could be a promising source for the development of pharmaceutical products and functional foods.

NMR‐based stability evaluation of (E)‐1‐(3′,4′‐dimethoxyphenyl)butadiene (DMPBD) from Zingiber cassumunar Roxb. rhizome

“…1 The rhizomes of this plant are extensively used as spice and as a crude drug in traditional medicine for the treatment of various conditions, such as inflammation, sprains, rheumatism, muscular pain, wounds, asthma, constipation, dyspepsia, gastritis, stomach bloating, and stomachache. [2][3][4][5][6] The extracts of Z. cassumunar contain many constituents, including phenylbutanoids, curcuminoids, flavonoids, terpenes, and quinones, and exhibit diverse bioactivities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antihistaminic, and antimicrobial activities. [2][3][4][5] The main constituents isolated from rhizome extracts are phenylbutanoids (Figure 1), [7][8][9][10][11][12] such as (E)-1-(3 0 ,4 0 -dimethoxyphenyl)butadiene (DMPBD) (1), (E)-4-(3 0 ,4 0 -dimethoxyphenyl)but-3-en-1-ol (2), (E)-4-(3 0 ,4 0 -dimethoxyphenyl)but-3-en-1-yl acetate (3), and the dimers (±)-cis-3-(3 0 ,4 0 -dimethoxy-phenyl)-4-[(E)-3 0 ,4 0 -dimethoxystyryl]-cyclohex-1-ene ( 4) and (±)-trans-3-(3 0 ,4 0 -dimethoxy-phenyl)-4-[(E)-3 0 ,4 0dimethoxystyryl]-cyclohex-1-ene (5).…”

“…[2][3][4][5][6] The extracts of Z. cassumunar contain many constituents, including phenylbutanoids, curcuminoids, flavonoids, terpenes, and quinones, and exhibit diverse bioactivities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antihistaminic, and antimicrobial activities. [2][3][4][5] The main constituents isolated from rhizome extracts are phenylbutanoids (Figure 1), [7][8][9][10][11][12] such as (E)-1-(3 0 ,4 0 -dimethoxyphenyl)butadiene (DMPBD) (1), (E)-4-(3 0 ,4 0 -dimethoxyphenyl)but-3-en-1-ol (2), (E)-4-(3 0 ,4 0 -dimethoxyphenyl)but-3-en-1-yl acetate (3), and the dimers (±)-cis-3-(3 0 ,4 0 -dimethoxy-phenyl)-4-[(E)-3 0 ,4 0 -dimethoxystyryl]-cyclohex-1-ene ( 4) and (±)-trans-3-(3 0 ,4 0 -dimethoxy-phenyl)-4-[(E)-3 0 ,4 0dimethoxystyryl]-cyclohex-1-ene (5). Among these, DMPBD (1) has been identified as a potent active compound with antiinflammatory [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] and anticancer activities.…”

“…(family Zingiberaceae), known in Thai as “Plai,” is a perennial herb consisting of underground rhizomes which is widely distributed in Southeast Asia and India 1 . The rhizomes of this plant are extensively used as spice and as a crude drug in traditional medicine for the treatment of various conditions, such as inflammation, sprains, rheumatism, muscular pain, wounds, asthma, constipation, dyspepsia, gastritis, stomach bloating, and stomachache 2–6 . The extracts of Z. cassumunar contain many constituents, including phenylbutanoids, curcuminoids, flavonoids, terpenes, and quinones, and exhibit diverse bioactivities, including antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, anticancer, antihistaminic, and antimicrobial activities 2–5 .…”

Evaluation of the Cytotoxic Activity and Anti-Migratory Effect of Berberine–Phytantriol Liquid Crystalline Nanoparticle Formulation on Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer In Vitro

“…Natural compounds such as berberine, curcumin, and zerumbone share the same features of low water solubility, poor bioavailability, and low cellular uptake, thereby limiting its clinical use for a wider range of diseases [42,79]. However, with the utilization of the nanotechnology approach, it is possible to improve their physiochemical characteristics, and formulating nanoparticles could enhance their therapeutic efficacy.…”

Healthy Zerumbone: From Natural Sources to Strategies to Improve Its Bioavailability and Oral Administration

“…The sesquiterpenoid zerumbone has also been detected in the essential oil of the rhizome of Z. montanum (J. Koenig) Link ex A. Dietr., where it constitutes one of the main components with relevant pharmacological activities (anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, gastric and liver protection) [ 55 ]. These results differ from those of other authors who reported a different chemical composition of the essential oil Z. montanum .…”