Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) has been cultivated
f or t housands of year s as a spi ce and f or medi ci nal
purposes
. It is considered a safe herbal medicine with
only few and insignificant adverse side effects.
The distinct
yellow, pungent, aromatic rhizome is the plant’s organ that
confers its value to the spice and the source of oleoresin
and the essential oil.
The oleoresin contains the phenolic
pungent principles of ginger which represent
5
%
-8
%
of
the dry weight
[8]
. The essential oil produced by Zingiber
officinale rhizomes is pale yellow to light-amber and can
be extracted with yields ranging approximately from
1.5
%
to
[9]
50
=(110.14依8.44) mg/mL]. In terms of antimicrobial activity, ginger compounds
were more effective against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, and
less effective against Bacillus cereus. Aspergillus niger was least, whereas, Penicillium spp. was
higher sensitive to the ginger extracts; minimal inhibitory concentrations of the oleoresin and
essential oil were
2 mg/mL and 869.2 mg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the studied extracts showed
an important antifungal activity against Candida albicans.
Conclusions:
The study confirms the wide application of ginger oleoresin and essential oil in the
treatment of many bacterial and fungal diseases.
3.0
%
depending on the quality of the crop
. Both oil and
oleoresin are used in various foods, beverages, such as soft drinks, and many types of medicinal products.