Inflammatory intestinal disease
Inflammatory intestinal diseases cover various diseases where there is a chronic inflammatory state in the small/and large intestine. The cause is unknown, but researchers believe that it may be caused by an autoimmune disease, which refers to the condition where the body’s immune system by mistake attacks its own cells.
There is mostly a distinction between ‘Crohn’s’ disease and ‘ulcerative’ colitis. People suffering from inflammatory intestinal diseases experience diarrhoea and pain, and may lose blood through their stools. Further, they have an increased tendency of developing complications, such as anaemia (blood loss), as their intestine does not absorb nutrients from food as effectively.
Researchers have now looked at nanotechnology as a means of delivering medicaments, herein drugs that concentrates on the digestive system. The advantage of nanotechnology is that deliver dosages of nutrients to specific areas to avoid an unwanted effect on the rest of the body.
Advantages of ginger
Ginger has long been known for its therapeutic effects. For thousands of years, it has been used as a remedy against various diseases, herein a cold, nausea, arthritis, migraine and elevated blood pressure. It is used on both fresh, dried, preserved, conserved, crystalised, candied and powdered form, such as candy and spicy foods and as a drink. Ginger tea is thought to contribute to a healthy digestion. Ginger as supplement is available in health food shops.
New research with ginger-derived nanoparticles
New research has found another way in which ginger can be consumed and exert its effect, and this is by using a high-speed centrifugation, whereby they achieve ginger-derived nanoparticles. In the study from Georgia State University, they began by squeezing the juice out of fresh ginger roots in a kitchen blender. Afterwards, they centrifuged the juice to separate the nanoparticles in it.
Results from studies on mice indicate that the particles can reduce acute colitis and prevent chronic colitis and colitis-related cancer. Moreover, the particles appear to help the intestine’s ability to repair itself by promoting survival and proliferation (i.e. division) of cells in the mucus membrane of the colon. The particles also seem to slow down the production of protein that aids inflammation and to increase the levels of protein that fight inflammation.
The particles can effectively target the colon as they mostly are absorbed by cells in the intestines mucus membrane, where the inflammatory intestinal diseases occur. Moreover, the articles have shown not to be toxic. Because of this, the researchers suggest that the particles can be used to treat the two most important forms of inflammatory intestinal disease as well as cancer connected to colitis.
The researchers behind the study mentioned that the high level of fat in the particles is the key to their therapeutic effect. Other important active substances that are natural in ginger is 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol. Past research has shown that these two connection can prevent oxidation, inflammation and cancer. It is these components that also make ginger effective against nausea and other digestive problems. Delivering these compounds in a nanoparticle could be a more effective way of treating the colon than by using natural ginger as a food or supplement. Maybe it will become a future treatment option.
