Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
This is a collaborative, integrated proposal addressing the NIFA-program priority area (code A1344) to help prevent and manage obesity, a chronic disease that affects mortality and morbidity. The proposal also addresses one of the research scopes of the "The Agricultural Experiment Stations Act of 1887," including "chemical composition of useful plants, and aligned with the Mission of USDA/NIFA is "Invest in and advance agricultural research, education, and extension to solve the societal challenges. In addition, the proposed research aligns with the land grant mission of the VSU 2020-2025 Strategic plan. Our objectives are (1) the Influence of harvesting time on bioactive compounds in ginger grown under reducedwater supply, (2) the Anti-obesity effect of ginger on High Fat Diet-induced obesity in a mouse model through changes in the gut bacteria, and (3) the development of recipes for ginger consumption and dissemination of evidence-based health information. The proposed research is innovative because it will provide significant new research-based information to ginger growers under environmental stress. We will elucidate the mechanism how gingereffect obesity and provide educational opportunities to undergraduate/graduate students and dietetic interns. We will disseminate evidence-based health information about ginger to farmers and consumers. Our multidisciplinary approach will serve the purpose and priorities of AFRI to provide a solution for efficient, profitable, and sustainable cultivation of ginger species under local conditions. Our study will serve as a model for a "translational approach" that will link our farm and laboratory research to farmers, healthcare workers, and consumers through our extension programs.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
70%
Applied
20%
Developmental
10%
Goals / Objectives
The proposed study is an extension of our successful completion of the initial CBG (2021-38821-34601) on "Evaluation of ginger varieties for promoting its cultivation and consumption for preventing obesity." Briefly, our data indicate that ginger has the highest phenolic contents and superior anti-oxidation activity when harvested early (baby ginger). The baby ginger extract inhibits lipid accumulation in liver cells by up to 20% in a dose-dependent manner. Our findings suggest that immature ginger can potentially inhibit lipogenesis pathways by limiting the channeling of glucose carbon in fatty acid synthesis via inhibiting the expression of ACC and glycerol production via inhibiting the expression of PEPCK, consequently inhibiting triglyceride formation.The proposed studies goal is to validate the superior quality of immature ginger grown in a different region of Eastern USA under deficit irrigation and test the anti-obesity properties of baby ginger in an animal model. Furthermore, we will also study the effect of ginger on gut microbiota and their role in ginger-mediated anti-obesity. We will accomplish these goals by following objectives as described below: OBJECTIVESObjective 1: Influence of deficit irrigation treatment and harvest time on ginger phytochemical quality and quantity (Dr. Andrew Ristvey and Dr. Victoria Volkis)1.1: To optimize the cultivation of ginger under deficit irrigation treatment.1.2: To characterize the influence of harvest time on the phytochemical profile of ginger grown under deficit irrigation.1.3: To conduct farmers' training/education outreach programs.1.4: To engage students at UMES in the production research on ginger. Objective 2: To characterize the anti-obesity properties of baby ginger in a high-fat diet-induced mice model (Dr. Rafat Siddiqui) 2.1: To determine the effect of baby ginger on weight loss in a mice model2.2: To analyze plasma, liver, and adipose tissue for appropriate biochemical, histological, and molecular markers/changes induced by ginger treatment. 2.3: To investigate the effect of ginger on gut microbiota profile. 2.4 To engage students at VSU/UMES in analytical, cellular, and molecular research in obesity.Objective 3: To develop and disseminate evidence-based health information about ginger (Dr. Theresa Nartea and Dr. Victoria Volkis).3.1: To develop ginger-based power aid drinks, healthy gummies, jam, cookies, etc., and characterize the bioactive contents in the products for consumer use.3.2: To promote the consumption of developed products, demonstrate the preparation of ginger recipes at the farmer's market, and train students from VSU and UMES to develop consumer marketing materials related to ginger culinary use and health benefits and marketing strategies of ginger.3.3: To promote increased consumer use of locally grown ginger by developing easy-to-access online recipe cards and nutritional information for awareness of ginger's health benefits, culinary uses, and use as a value-added product.
Project Methods
Objective 1: Influence of deficit irrigation treatment and harvest time on ginger phytochemical quality and quantity(Drs. Ristvey and Volkis)1.1: To optimize cultivation of ginger under deficit irrigation treatment (Dr. Andrew Ristvey). Ginger (Zingiber officinale) will be cultivated under a high tunnel at the University of Maryland's Wye Research and Education Center (WyeREC) and undergo normal and deficit irrigation treatments to determine the effect of deficit irrigation on ginger phytochemical content.Deficit Irrigation Studies- The ginger will be grown in high tunnels using our optimized protocols developed at VSU from the current NIFA-CBG funding. Briefly, each year in January, mature, fresh, and disease-free seed-pieces (pieces of ginger rhizome) are planted in one-gallon containers and placed in a greenhouse facility. These seed-pieces sprout in five weeks. In May, one-gallon container-grown ginger plants will be transplanted in 20-gallon grow bags. The grow bags will be placed in a 48-foot-long by 30-foot-wide high tunnel. Plants will be irrigated under normal and water deficit conditions. For water deficit experiments, water irrigation will be reduced by 10, 25 and 50% of regular irrigation, and the quality and quantity of ginger samples, including total polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins, carotenoids, and profiling of essential oils and terpenes on GCMS, will be determined.1.2: To characterize the influence of harvest time on the phytochemical profile of ginger grown under deficit irrigation (Dr. Victoria Volkis).Determination of the phytochemical profile in ginger will be performed in Dr. Volkis' laboratory at UMES through a sub-contract (see Budget and Attachments). The ginger extract will be used to determine the phytochemicals profile using TLC, LCMS, and HPLS (quantification using standard and calibration curves) techniques. Terpene profiles will be created using GCMS and will be referred to the NIST Database of mass-spectra. Essential oils will be determined using GCMS. Total tannins will be determined using UV/Vis techniques.1.3: To conduct farmers' training/education outreach programs (Dr. Andrew Ristvey).Farmer training and education will be conducted through the University of Maryland-Eastern Shores and Virginia Cooperative Extension programs.1.4: To engage students at UMES in the production research on ginger (Dr. Victoria Volkis)We anticipate engaging at least one undergraduate and one graduate student from the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences at UMES for each year of the proposed studies. The students will be trained in procedures and techniques as outlined above.Objective 2: To characterize the anti-obesity properties of baby ginger in a high-fat diet-induced mice model (Dr. Siddiqui)2.1: To determine the effect of baby ginger on weight loss in a mice model (Dr. Rafat Siddiqui)-Male 5-week-old C57BL/6 mice will be purchased from the Jackson Laboratory (Bar Harbor, ME, USA). After acclimation for 5-7 days, the mice will be placed on either a standard chow diet (control groups AIN-93G-diet, Research Diets, inc., NJ, USA;) or 60% high-fat diet (HFD groups; D12451 HFD-diet, Research Diets, Inc., NJ, USA) for 12 weeks. On the 4th week, the animals will be treated via gavage for next 8 weeks as we described previously (a) using previously established ginger doses (b) as explained below:1: Control group:Std diet; Mice will be gavage with 50 µL ethanol2: Control + GE treated group:Std diet + GE; Mice will be gavage with 50 µL GE (500 mg/kg)3: HFD group:HFD diet: Mice will be gavage with 50 µL ethanol4: HFD+ GE treated group:HFD + GE; mice will be gavage with 50 µL GE (500 mg/kg).We will be using 10 animals/group. The group and sample size calculation are determined based on statistical inference, such as the significance level (α) at a 95% confidence level (p<0.05) using 15% weight loss as primary outcome. We have employed Sample Power (SPSS Inc., USA) to estimate the sample size.The body weight of each animal from the respective group and food intake will be monitored every day in the morning. At the end of the treatment period, about 0.2mL of blood will be collected from the tail vein. Afterward, all the animals will be euthanized under CO2, and the liver, intestine, fat pads, and heart will be harvested and weighed. The tissue will be divided into two parts: one will be snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen, and another part will be embedded in paraffin.2.2: To analyze plasma, liver, and adipose tissue for appropriate biochemical, histological, and molecular markers/changes induced by ginger treatment (Dr. Rafat Siddiqui).Bloodinsulin levels of overnight fasted (12 h) mice will be measured using a commercial ELISA kit The blood glucose of overnight fasted (12 h) mice will be determined with a glucose meter. The pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, includingTNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1b, and anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-4 and IL-10 in the serum will be determined using specific ELISA kits. Alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), total cholesterol (TC), and triglyceride (TG) levels will be determined using a commercial facility (Animal Clinical Laboratory Services, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC). Serum-free fatty acids (FFAs) profile will be measured using Gas chromatography as we previously performed.Adipose Tissuehistological analysis will be performed to determine the number and size of adipose cells. Liver tissues, frozen in OCT compounds, will be used to determine presence of lipid droplets and will be quantified using Element D software.2.3: To investigate the effect of ginger on gut microbiota profile (Dr. Rafat siddiqui).Stool samplesfrom mice will be collected before and at the end of the experiment and subject to DNA extraction. Metagenomic DNA extraction, 16S rRNA gene amplification, and sequencing will be executed for the microbiome analysis.2.4 To engage students at VSU/UMES in analytical, cellular, and molecular research in obesity (Dr. Rafat Siddiqui).We anticipate engaging Two undergraduate students during the summer for (VSU) and one graduate student for the last two years (UMES) of the proposed studies. The students will be recruited from Biology, Chemistry, or Dietetic departments. The students will be trained in procedures and techniques as outlined in objectives 2.1 - 2.3.Objective 3: To develop value-added ginger products and disseminate evidence-based health information about ginger (Drs. Nartea and Volkis).3.1: To develop ginger-based power aid drinks, healthy gummies, jam, cookies, etc., and characterize the bioactive contents in the products for consumer use (Dr. Theresa Nartea & Dr. Victoria Volkis).As an extension effort, Drs Nartea and Volkis will expand the culinary uses of ginger and develop products such as power drinks, healthy gummies, jams, cookies, etc.3.2: To promote the consumption of developed products, demonstrate the preparation of ginger recipes at the farmer's market, and train students from VSU and UMES to develop consumer marketing materials related to ginger culinary use and health benefits and marketing strategies of ginger.Dr. Nartea and Dr. Volkis will demonstrate the preparation of ginger recipes at the farmer's markets at their VSU and UMES campuses. The students will be trained in marketing strategies of ginger that will help them acquire important knowledge for making other healthy produce.3.3: To promote increased consumer use of locally grown ginger by developing easy-to-access online recipe cards and nutritional information for awareness of ginger's health benefits, culinary uses, and use as a value-added product.Utilizing recent evidence-based research on ginger health benefits, we will develop downloadable online recipes with step-by-step directions (static picture or YouTube video formats) and nutritional information.