Ginger root extract was found to reduce inflammation in this study of cartilage cells in a pig model of arthritis.

Nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2) were both reduced within 24 hours after application of ginger root extract. Both are key pro-inflammatory agents thought to be important in the pain and inflammation of arthritis.

It is suggested that ginger root extract may play an important role in the future treatment of arthritis.

The publication:

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J Med Food. 2005 Summer;8(2):149-53.

Comparative effects of ginger root (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) on the production of inflammatory mediators in normal and osteoarthrotic sow chondrocytes.

Shen CL, Hong KJ, Kim SW.

Department of Pathology, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409-2141, USA.

Summary of the abstract

Ginger root was previously demonstrated to exert anti-arthritic effects in sow cartilage explants.

This study further investigated the comparative effects of ginger root extract (GRE) on the production of inflammatory mediators, including nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), in normal chondrocytes (NC) and osteoarthrotic chondrocytes (OC) isolated from pigs.

Collectively, OC produce more inflammatory mediators than do NC, and the production of inflammatory mediators was reduced when GRE was added to both the OC and the NC. The inhibitory effects of GRE on NO and PGE2 production by sow OC observed in this study suggest an important role for GRE as an anti-arthritic agent.

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