Potential application of zerumbone in the prevention and therapy of chronic human diseases

[Display omitted] •Zerumbone can exhibit potent chemopreventive and therapeutic effects against various chronic diseases.•It can alter the expression of various signaling molecules involved in disease progression.•Zerumbone has been reported to be relatively non-toxic in analyzed disease models so far. Several active compounds from ‘Mother Nature’ have been found to be tailor-made therapeutics for the better management of numerous chronic ailments, with fewer adverse side effects. Zerumbone is one such molecule isolated from the rhizomes of Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Smith, a Zingiberaceae plant with significant medicinal values that has been used traditionally for treating stomach ache, ulcers, diabetes, leprosy, asthma, and skin diseases. Zerumbone has been found to be the most important active compound of Z. zerumbet, contributing to its anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-hypersensitivity, chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activities. It has been established as a multi-targeted agent with potential to treat chronic diseases such as osteoarthritis, obesity, diabetes, diabetic nephropathy, diabetic retinopathy, chronic gastritis, neuropathic pain, atherosclerosis, inflammation and cancer through modulation of various cellular signaling cascades and antigen presentation pathways. Therefore, the present study focuses on zerumbone, its sources and biological activities against various chronic diseases by summarizing the literature available.