Research teams of two Lublin universities are working on the use of ginger in the treatment of epilepsy. Scientists are searching compounds derived from the extract of this plant that may provide anticonvulsant effects. They received over PLN 2.5 million for their research under the OPUS competition of the National Science Center.
The essence of epilepsy is a sudden dysfunction of nerve cells in the brain, which triggers bioelectrical discharges resulting in recurrent seizures. The disease has been known for centuries; Julius Caesar, Socrates or Napoleon Bonaparte suffered from it. Nevertheless, modern medicine is still not able to effectively treat it.
The new antiepileptic drugs are primarily intended to alleviate or inhibit seizures, also in drug-resistant forms of epilepsy, which currently accounts for about 30-40 % of all cases. In addition, they should be free from side effects and have neuroprotective properties and they should protect neurons against death caused by discharges.
Scientists from Lublin universities – the Medical University (UM) and the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS) are working on the use of phenolic compounds isolated from the rhizomes of ginger – a plant used in traditional Asian medicine in the treatment of epilepsy.
Ginger is already used for medicinal purposes: it soothes nausea, supports the digestive system, many people also use it against a mild cold. New possibilities discovered by Lublin researchers show that one of the ginger compounds they tested, 6-gingerol, had anticonvulsant impact.
In the first stage of the Lublin project, researchers will obtain ginger extracts, which will then be tested on zebrafish larvae. This task will be performed by the scientists of the Medical University, who will select compounds with the strongest anticonvulsant properties.
Later, researchers from the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University will conduct tests using mouse models of epilepsy seizures and epilepsy. Their task will be to finally confirm the anticonvulsant properties of compounds obtained from ginger. Activities will be extended with biochemical tests and molecular analyzes.
Researchers would like to find compounds that will have anticonvulsant effects and can be used as some form of epilepsy therapy. They intend to obtain compounds that have such a strong anticonvulsant effect that they could be used as antiepileptic drugs. If this fails, the results of the research will serve as a therapy supporting treatment with typical drugs.
Scientists from Lublin also want to test other effects of ginger – e.g., its antidepressant or anxiolytic properties in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
Arkadiusz Słomczyński