Background Gingerol is the generic term for pungent constituents in ginger, which has been reported to be effective for inhibiting vomiting. We attempted to investigate the antiemetic effect of gingerol and its effective mechanism on substance P and NK_1 receptors in minks.Methods The antiemetic effect of gingerol was investigated during a 6-hour observation on a vomiting model in minks induced by cisplatin, (7.5mg/kg, intraperitoneal). The distribution of substance P and NK_1 receptors in the area postrema and ileum were measured by immunohistochemistry, and the expression of NK_1 receptor in the area postrema and ileum were measured by Western blotting.Results The frequency of cisplatin induced retching and vomiting was significantly reduced by pretreatment with gingerol in a dose-dependent manner (P