Ginger Attenuates Blood Pressure, Oxidant–antioxidant Status and lipid profile in the Hypertensive Patients

Ginger had reportedly been used in folk medicine for the management or prevention of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, this present study sought to investigate the inhibitory effect of aqueous extract of ginger on key enzyme linked to hypertension ,Angiontensin I Converting Enzyme(ACE), and oxidant/antioxidant status and lipid profile in hypertension patients. Oxidative stress parameters malondialdehyde (MDA), antioxidant markers including, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and serum lipid status parameters were measured in 75 hypertension patients by standard procedures and the values were compared with 50 age, sex and socioeconomically matched normotensive control subjects. Aqueous extracts of white ginger (Z. officinale Roscoe) was prepared and the ability of the extracts to inhibit ACE was determined by in vitro studies. The results revealed that ginger extracts inhibited ACE in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, these protective properties of the ginger varieties could be attributed to their polyphenol contents. Thus, the possible mechanism through which ginger exert its antihypertensive properties could be through inhibition of ACE activity and prevention of lipid peroxidation .All the lipid fractions TC, TG, LDL-C, VLDL, TC/HDL-C ratio were higher in hypertensive patients than those in the healthy controls.,MDA,ACE levels were significantly raised in hypertensive patients compare to controls. Thus, monitoring lipid level and maintaining oxidative balance in hypertensive patients would be helpful in preventing the diseases associated with hypertension.