The protective effects of steamed ginger on adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells and adiposity in diet-induced obese mice

Role of Nutraceuticals in Obesity Management: A Mechanism and Prospective Supported by Molecular Docking Studies

Obesity and its comorbidities represent a major health problem worldwide. Treatment by reducing food intake and physical activity interventions has limited success especially with elderly people with chronic diseases. Nutraceuticals are naturally originated and successfully used for their physiological and nutritional benefit in health care. They might be alternative means to help lose weight and reduce obesity-associated metabolic disorders with the improvement of health, delay the aging process, prevention of chronic diseases, increase of life expectancy, or support to the structure or function of the body. The current study enumerates the inherent role of nutraceuticals in the management of obesity and its related comorbidities. The study is supported with the molecular docking studies discussing the mechanism of action. An attempt to optimize the role of nutraceuticals is made in this article in addition to widen the scope of its use in this chronic worldwide disease.

Plant-Derived Exosome-Like Nanovesicles: Current Progress and Prospects

Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles, ranging in size from 30-150nm, which can be derived from various types of cells. In recent years, mammalian-derived exosomes have been extensively studied and found to play a crucial role in regulating intercellular communication, thereby influencing the development and progression of numerous diseases. Traditional Chinese medicine has employed plant-based remedies for thousands of years, and an increasing body of evidence suggests that plant-derived exosome-like nanovesicles (PELNs) share similarities with mammalian-derived exosomes in terms of their structure and function. In this review, we provide an overview of recent advances in the study of PELNs and their potential implications for human health. Specifically, we summarize the roles of PELNs in respiratory, digestive, circulatory, and other diseases. Furthermore, we have extensively investigated the potential shortcomings and challenges in current research regarding the mechanism of action, safety, administration routes, isolation and extraction methods, characterization and identification techniques, as well as drug-loading capabilities. Based on these considerations, we propose recommendations for future research directions. Overall, our review highlights the potential of PELNs as a promising area of research, with broad implications for the treatment of human diseases. We anticipate continued interest in this area and hope that our summary of recent findings will stimulate further exploration into the implications of PELNs for human health.

Nutritional benefits of ginger for patients with non-communicable diseases

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a famous dietary spice rich in bioactive components like gingerols, and it has been used for a long time as food and medicine. Indeed, clinical studies have confirmed the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of ginger. Thus, ginger seems to be an excellent complementary nutritional strategy for non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease. This narrative review aims to discuss the possible effects of ginger on the mitigation of common complications such as inflammation, oxidative stress, and gut dysbiosis in NCD.

MicroRNA loaded edible nanoparticles: an emerging personalized therapeutic approach for the treatment of obesity and metabolic disorders

Obesity is a metabolic chronic disease whose prevalence is strongly growing in the last years, reaching pandemic proportions. Nowadays weight loss, achieved through lifestyle changes, is the first line therapeutic objective, although great inter-individual variabilities influence response to treatment, suggesting the involvement of epigenetic factors. In this contest, there is increasing recognition of the role of small RNA molecules, particularly microRNAs in the epigenetic regulation of genes involved in adipose tissue and glucose metabolism and several microRNAs have been found to be dysregulated in obesity and metabolic diseases. The development of novel personalized therapeutic strategies using microRNAs bears promise. However, the application of naked microRNAs has been hampered by their low specificity and sensitivity. In a recent issue of Theranostics, Kumar et al. explored the possibility of microRNA delivery through ginger-derived nanoparticles (GDNPs) as an alternative therapeutic approach for obesity treatment. The results reported by Kumar et al., addressing non-coding RNAs and edible plant derived nanoparticles, open new perspectives for the application of this innovative and safe delivery system in the clinical practice for the treatment of obesity and other metabolic disorders.

Ginger from Farmyard to Town: Nutritional and Pharmacological Applications

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is one of the most widely used natural products consumed as a spice and medicine for treating diabetes, flatulent intestinal colic, indigestion, infertility, inflammation, insomnia, a memory booster, nausea, rheumatism, stomach ache, and urinary tract infections. To date, over 400 bioactive components, such as diarylheptanoids, gingerol analogues, phenylalkanoids, sulfonates, monoterpenoid glycosides, steroids, and terpene compounds have been derived from ginger. Increasing evidence has revealed that ginger possesses a broad range of biological activities, especially protective effects against male infertility, nausea and vomiting, analgesic, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, and other effects. The pharmacological activities of ginger were mainly attributed to its active phytoconstituents such as 6-gingerol, gingerdiol, gingerol, gingerdione, paradols, shogaols, sesquiterpenes, zingerone, besides other phenolics and flavonoids. In recent years, in silico molecular docking studies revealed that gingerol (6-gingerol, 8-gingerol, and 10-gingerol) and Shogaol (6-shogaol, 8-shogaol, 10-shogaol) had the best binding affinities to the receptor protein in disease conditions such as diabetes, inflammation, obesity, and SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, some clinical trials have indicated that ginger can be consumed for alleviation of nausea and vomiting induced by surgery, pain, diabetes, obesity, inflammation, male infertility. This review provides an updated understanding of the scientific evidence on the development of ginger and its active compounds as health beneficial agents in future clinical trials.