Ginger ( Zingiber officinale ) is one of the most well-known spices and medicinal
plants worldwide that has been used since ancient times to treat a plethora of diseases
including cold, gastrointestinal complaints, nausea, and migraine. Beyond that, a
growing body of literature demonstrates that ginger exhibits anti-inflammatory, antioxidant,
anti-cancer and neuroprotective actions as well. The beneficial effects of ginger
can be attributed to the biologically active compounds of its rhizome such as gingerols,
shogaols, zingerone and paradols. Among these compounds, gingerols are the most abundant
in fresh roots, and shogaols are the major phenolic compounds of dried ginger. Over
the last two decades numerous in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that the major
ginger phenolics are able to influence the function of various immune cells including
macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells and T cells. Although the mechanism of action
of these compounds is not fully elucidated yet, some studies provide a mechanistic
insight into their anti-inflammatory effects by showing that ginger constituents are
able to target multiple signaling pathways. In the first part of this review, we summarized
the current literature about the immunomodulatory actions of the major ginger compounds,
and in the second part, we focused on the possible molecular mechanisms that may underlie
their anti-inflammatory effects.
