Bioactive potential enhancement of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) through ball-mill assisted micronization

This study investigates the enhanced bioactivity of Indian spice, ginger (Zingiber officinale), through ball mill-assisted micronization, drawing parallels to traditional grinding methods. The micronization process significantly increased the surface area and surface irregularities of the ginger powder, resulting in enhanced molecular bioavailability. The resultant micronized ginger powder demonstrated markedly improved antimicrobial, anticancer, and antioxidant activities. Notably, the IC50 value in the MTT assay was reduced from 51± 0.05 µL to 36 ± 0.05 µL, indicating increased anticancer potency against the AGS cell line. The micronized powder also exhibited enhanced antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus and introduced novel bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli. Furthermore, the antifungal activity emerged as a significant bioactivity due to micronization. These findings suggest that ball mill-assisted micronization can potentiate new pharmacological properties of spices, reaffirming their therapeutic efficacy in traditional medicine systems and improved bioavailability through culinary practices.