Gingerol

Gingerol, or sometimes [6]-gingerol, is the active constituent of fresh ginger. Chemically, gingerol is a relative of capsaicin and piperine, the compounds which give chilli peppers and black pepper their respective spicyness. It is normally found as a pungent yellow oil, but also can form a low-melting crystalline solid.

Cooking ginger transforms gingerol into zingerone, which is less pungent and has a spicy-sweet aroma. When ginger is dried, gingerol undergoes a dehydration reaction forming shogaols, which are about twice as pungent as gingerol. This explains why dried ginger is more pungent than fresh ginger.

Ginger also contains 8-gingerol, 10-gingerol, and 12-gingerol.

Physiological effects

[6]-Gingerol administered by intraperitoneal injection has been used to induce a hypothermic state in rats.

Gingerol seems to be effective in an animal model of rheumatoid arthritis.

Gingerol and its analogues have a favourable toxicity profile, but are cytotoxic towards a range of cancer cell lines including blood cancer and lung cancer.