Effect of drying and processing on diterpenes and other chemical constituents of ginger

AbstractGinger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is a perennial plant widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, and its rhizomes are sometimes processed for use in traditional medicine. In Japan, “ginger” (Shokyo in Japanese) and “processed ginger” (Kankyo in Japanese) are defined as crude drugs derived from ginger rhizomes, which have different medicinal properties due to complex changes in their chemical composition during processing. The effects of processing on gingerols and shog aols are well known, but for other phytochemicals remain unclear. Therefore, the present study prepared dried ginger and processed ginger derived from three ginger cultivars (Kintoki, Kogane, and Tosa ginger) and examined the effects of drying and processing on multiple secondary metabolites. Drying showed only a limited effect on ginger chemical constituents and significantly reduced [6]-gingerol content in Tosa ginger. In contrast, processing altered content of numerous metabolites, such as terpenes and gingerol-related compounds, in addition to those gingerols and shogaols. Notably, process ing reduced labdane diterpene content, including labdadienedial, aframodial, and galanolactone in all ginger cultivars. Our results show galanolactone with anti-emetic activity was abundant in dried ginger and decreased following processing, highlighting different uses between “ginger” and “pr ocessed ginger” in traditional medicine. Overall, we comprehensively clarified the impact ...
Source: Journal of Natural Medicines - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: research