Bioactive substances from Red ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale Roscoe var. sunti Val) as anti-atherosclerotic agent: Inhibition of lipoxygenase in arachidonic acid metabolism

Atherosclerosis is a systemic disease, a combination of inflammatory conditions, endothelial dysfunction, and theaccumulation of lipids to form plaques in blood vessels. The inflammatory environment within the atherosclerotic lesion stimulates the lipoxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism, resulting in biosynthesis of the potent lipid inflammatory mediator. Our previous study showed fractions collected from n-hexane extract of red ginger rhizome has potential as NF-κB pathway inhibitor. This study aimed to examine its anti-inflammatory activity in macrophage cells and its effect on the lipoxygenase pathway also determined its metabolite profiles by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method. Results showed fraction F6 from red ginger n-hexane extract is a potent inhibitor of the lipoxygenase enzyme (IC₅₀ 36.40 ± 0.76 μg/ml), reduces the release of TNF-α and IL-6 cytokines, and inhibits lipid peroxidation (IC₅₀ 45.97 ± 5.14μg/ml).Not only high in 6-gingerol (194,99 ± 1,43mg/g extract), this fraction also contains zingerone, 6-paradol, and 6-shogaol which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects.