Inhibition of human neutrophil 5-lipoxygenase activity by gingerdione, shogaol, capsaicin and related pungent compounds.

A series of structurally related pungent natural products including capsaicin, gingerol, and gingerdione among others were evaluated and found to be potent inhibitors of 5-HETE biosynthesis in intact human leukocytes, with IC50 values of 100 and 15 microM for capsaicin and gingerdione, respectively. Several compounds within this series were also found to inhibit PGE2 formation, with the most potent being gingerdione (IC50 = 18 microM). These and other data indicate that members of the capsaicin/gingerol family of pungent compounds can act as dual inhibitors of arachidonic acid metabolism, which could account in part for the antiinflammatory and analgesic properties of compounds within this group.