A Systematic Review of Garlic and Ginger as Medicinal Spices against Viral Infections

Garlic (Allium sativum) and Ginger (Zingiber officinale) are globally utilized herbal medicinal spices. This systematic review discussed available evidence on the direct and indirect antiviral activities of garlic and ginger. Studies investigating the antiviral activities of garlic and ginger were searched and retrieved from four databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, Science direct, and MEDLINE. Data search and retrieval were done up to 15 October 2021. A total of 28 studies were included in this systematic review (garlic = 18 studies; ginger = 10 studies). Fresh garlic aqueous extract and fresh ginger hot water extract were the most investigated forms of garlic and ginger, respectively. There was minimal evidence on the prophylactic antiviral effect of garlic and ginger, moderate evidence on the therapeutic and prophylactic/therapeutic antiviral effects, and minimal evidence on the enhancement of the immune system against viral infections. The low-moderate quality evidence on the direct and indirect antiviral effects of garlic and ginger has provided the necessary background to instigate further high-quality investigations to validate the current information, address the grey areas, and provide valuable insights into the possible utility of garlic and ginger as raw materials in drug development against viral infections

A Systematic Review of Garlic and Ginger as Medicinal Spices against Viral Infections

Garlic (Allium sativum) and Ginger (Zingiber officinale) are globally utilized herbal medicinal spices. This systematic review discussed available evidence on the direct and indirect antiviral activities of garlic and ginger. Studies investigating the antiviral activities of garlic and ginger were searched and retrieved from four databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, Science direct, and MEDLINE. Data search and retrieval were done up to 15 October 2021. A total of 28 studies were included in this systematic review (garlic = 18 studies; ginger = 10 studies). Fresh garlic aqueous extract and fresh ginger hot water extract were the most investigated forms of garlic and ginger, respectively. There was minimal evidence on the prophylactic antiviral effect of garlic and ginger, moderate evidence on the therapeutic and prophylactic/therapeutic antiviral effects, and minimal evidence on the enhancement of the immune system against viral infections. The low-moderate quality evidence on the direct and indirect antiviral effects of garlic and ginger has provided the necessary background to instigate further high-quality investigations to validate the current information, address the grey areas, and provide valuable insights into the possible utility of garlic and ginger as raw materials in drug development against viral infections

Market Selling Conditions and Storage Methods Influences β-carotene Stability and Retention in Biofortified Gari

The influence of regular market selling conditions and storage methods on β-carotene stability and retention were investigated in two different biofortified gari types. Freshly processed gari samples obtained from TMS 01/1412 and TMS 01/1371 respectively were exposed to 35-450C sunlight (ESL) and 60 watts electric bulb light (EEB); stored in black polyethylene bag (SPB) and air-tight aluminum container (SAC) respectively. The stability (using area under curve analysis) and retention (%) of β-carotene in all the experiments were monitored and compared over a period of 4 weeks. Results revealed that ESL had a huge negative influence on the stability and retention of β-carotene in the two biofortified gari types. Although EEB showed minimal but progressive negative influence, SAC followed by SPB showed the least negative influence on the nutrient stability. The overall retention of β-carotene in gari processed from TMS 01/1412 and TMS 01/1371 respectively were as follows: ESL (12.1%, 12.8%), EEB (58.5%, 47.5%), SPB (61.9%, 50.8%) and SAC (60.2%, 82.6%). SAC retained the most appreciable amount of the nutrient thus suggesting it as a better form of storage while ESL lost the largest amount of the nutrient thus portraying it as a detrimental market selling condition for the biofortified gari

The Mechanistic Roles of Sirtuins in Breast and Prostate Cancer

Mammalian sirtuins (SIRT1–7) are involved in a myriad of cellular processes, including apoptosis, proliferation, differentiation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, aging, DNA repair, senescence, viability, survival, and stress response. In this review, we discuss the current information on the mechanistic roles of SIRT1–7 and their downstream effects (tumor promotion or suppression) in cancers of the breast and prostate. Specifically, we highlight the involvement of sirtuins in the regulation of various proteins implicated in proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, chemoresistance, invasion, migration, and metastasis of breast and prostate cancer. Additionally, we highlight the available information regarding SIRT1–7 regulation by miRNAs, laying much emphasis on the consequences in the progression of breast and prostate cancer