Adrak: The Ginger
Adrak or Ginger (botanical name: Zingiber officinale) is a rhizome and a common Indian spice used to add flavor to cooked food. It consists of multiple active compounds and gingaroles are the major one in fresh rhizome. It also contains zingerone and zerumbone, few terpenoids and flavonoids. All these compounds are known to possess anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activities. 1-dehydro-gingerdione, one of the pungent constituents of ginger, mediates the suppression of NF-κB-regulated expression of inflammatory genes linked to toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated innate immunity. Research studies also described ginger as an active anticancer agent that exerts its effects through the inhibition of cell invasion reduction of matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression, anti-proliferation activity and anti-invasion and also through the modulation of apoptosis and inhibition of VEGF. Therefore, ginger creates optimism towards the natural but novel therapeutic strategy or the prevention of multiple diseases.
