Rhizome Oil Research Articles

Curcuma caesia Roxb. - Update of phytochemicals and pharmacological properties

Curcuma caesia Roxb. commonly known as ‘black turmeric’ is an erect rhizomatous herb characterized by bluish‑black rhizomes and leaves with a deep red-violet midrib. It is a native of northeast and central India and also found in Java and Myanmar. The plant is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of several metabolic disorders, leukoderma, leprosy, rheumatic complaints, bronchial disorders, menstrual disorders, gastrointestinal problems, neurological disorders, cancer and diabetes. The rhizomes contain 1.3-7.14% anthocyanins which determine its bluish black hue. 1,8-cineole, camphor, ar-turmerone, linalool, ocimene, ar-curcumene, zingiberol, curzerenone and tropolone were reported as the major components of rhizome oil from different geographical locations. The leaf oil is dominated by 1,8-cineole, camphor and borneol. Furanodienone and curzerenone were identified as the marker compounds for determining the quality of rhizomes. The present review is an update of its phytochemical constituents and pharmacological properties.

Comparative Antimicrobial Activity and Bioactive Constituents of Oils from Rhizomes of Zingiber Officinale Roscoe Obtained by Different Extraction Methods

Ginger, known for its rich array of bioactive compounds, holds significant therapeutic potential due to its diverse medicinal properties. This study investigated the antimicrobial activity and bioactive principles present in ginger rhizome oils obtained using three different extraction methods viz: liquid-liquid extraction, cold maceration, and soxhlet extraction. The oils’ bioactive principles were identified by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) while their antimicrobial activity was determined by agar well diffusion technique. The GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of thirty compounds in each of the oils from liquid-liquid extraction and cold maceration, and fifty four compounds in the soxhlet-extracted oil. The most predominant compound in both liquid-liquid (31.13%) and cold maceration (16.99%) oils was oleic acid whereas the Soxhlet-extracted oil contained predominantly linoleic acid methyl ester (9.27%). Some bioactive compounds identified in these oils include δ-elemene, isoborneol, α-Bisabolol oxide, stearic acid, undecanone, palmitic acid, α-copaene, zingiberene, aromadendrene, farnesol, 2-methylhexane and farnesene which possess antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, anti-cancer, hypolipidemic, mosquito repellant, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic activities. Additionally, the oils exhibited promising antimicrobial potential against the test organisms with Staphylococcus aureus showing the least susceptibility to all the samples. Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans were completely resistant to the oil obtained by Soxhlet extraction at all tested concentrations. Meanwhile, Klebsiella pneumoniae (20 mm), Proteus vulgaris (18 mm), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (17 mm), were most susceptible to the oil obtained by liquid-liquid extraction, cold maceration and soxhlet extraction, respectively. The study highlighted the significance of extraction methods on the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of ginger rhizome oils, underscoring the importance of choosing appropriate extraction techniques to optimize the oils' therapeutic properties for specific medicinal applications.

Effect of post-harvest drying period on the chemical composition of Zingiber zerumbet Sm. Rhizomes essential oil and its biological activities.

Zingiber zerumbet Sm. (Family: Zingiberaceae) is an important perennial medicinal oil-bearing herb that is native to the Southeast Asia. This study examines the impact of different durations of post-harvest shade drying (ranging from 1 to 12months) on essential oil yield and chemical composition of Z. zerumbet, in comparison to the freshly collected oil sample. This study explores how post-harvest shade drying impact the composition and longevity of Z. zerumbet rhizomes as well as its antimicrobial, antibiofilm activity. The oils were analyzed for their chemical composition analysis using a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The post-harvest periods of drying (1-12months) were discovered to enhance the concentration of marker constituents in the oil. The primary constituent, Zerumbone, was detected in concentrations ranging from 69.38 ± 5.63% to a maximum of 80.19 ± 1.53% as the drying duration of the rhizome was extended. The output of the essential oil was not significantly affected by drying times; however, it did have a noticeable impact on the proportions of monoterpenes. Both disc diffusion and broth microdilution assay were used in freshly collected Z. zerumbet oil for its antimicrobial potential against S. aureus, L. monocytogens, S. hominis, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, P. aeruginosa, S. intermedius, E. coli, and C. albicans. For the first time, the oil reported to exhibit antibiofilm activity against S. aureus which was validated using fluorescence microscopy, and effectively disrupts the biofilm by 47.38% revealing that essential oil was able to disintegrate the clusters of the pathogen. Z. zerumbet rhizome oil is effective to reduce food-borne microorganisms. Therefore, its essential oil, a natural source of bioactive zerumbone, may improve flavor, aroma, and preservation.

Gc-ms analysis of leaf and rhizome essential oil of zingiber purpureum roxb. From bangladesh

Essential oils (EOs) are among the most important plant secondary metabolites. Zingiber purpureum Roxb. is a tropical ginger from Bangladesh, but its chemical constituents of leaves and rhizomes, both EOs, may have pharmacological effects. The aim of this study was carried out to analyze the qualitative composition of both Essential oils (EOs) of both leaf and rhizomes of Z. purpureum. The EOs from the leaves and rhizomes were extracted by hydrodistillation. Chemical constituents of the EOs were separated and identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and the relative percentage of each constituent was determined by area normalization. In total, 81 compounds were identified from leaf EOs, whereas 44 were from rhizome EOs. The common compounds identified from both rhizome and leaf EOs were triquinacene, 1,4, bis (methoxy), b-phellandrene and b-sesquiphellandrene, respectively. Besides, the major constituents of leaf EOs were sabinine (14.99%), b-pinene (14.32%), caryophyllene oxide (13.85%), and caryophyllene (9.47%), whereas the rhizome EOs confirmed (Z)-ocimene (21.97%), 4-terpineol (18.45%), γ-terpinene (3.86%) and cis-sabinenehydrate (3%). These EOs could be a promising source for the development of nutraceuticals, functional foods, and pharmaceutical products due to their potent activities and exploitation. Bangladesh J. Bot. 53(1): 153-158, 2024 (March)

In vivo anti-inflammatory activity of the essential oil of zingiber officinale rhizomes on Wistar rats

Background: Zingiber officinale is a spice consumed in Chad and traditionally used against osteoarthritis, migraine and rheumatic pain, but few pharmacological studies of this plant have been carried out. The aim of this study was to assess the in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of Z. officinale rhizomes essential oil (EO). Methods: A preliminary phytochemical screening was carried out on the EO of Z. officinale rhizomes; the anti-inflammatory activity of the given plant extract was then assessed at the concentrations of 0.20%, 1% and 5% on three experimental models: egg yolk-induced oedema, cotton pellet-induced granuloma and formalin. In addition, the essential oil was tested for its in vitro antioxidant capacity using the 2,2-Diphényl-2-picryl-hydrazyle Free Radical Scavenging Test, acide 2,2'-azino-bis 3éthylbenz- thiazoline-6-sulfonique Radical Test and the Ferric reducing antioxidant power Test. The study was extended to the acute toxicity of the EO of the rhizomes of Z. officinale using the sequential method. Results: Qualitative phytochemical screening of the EO of Z. officinale rhizome revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, triterpenes, terpenoids and free quinones. In the egg yolk-induced edema model, the EO of Z .officinale rhizomes significantly inhibited (p < 0.01) oedema by 25.28%, 31.12% and 68.27% at the concentrations of 0.20%, 1% and 5%, respectively, when compared to controls. In the formalin-induced paw edema model, EO of Z. officinale rhizomes inhibited oedema by 24.27%, 30.14% and 43.14% at the concentrations of 0.20%, 1% and 5%, respectively, when compared to the controls. In the cotton pellet-induced granuloma model, EO of Z. officinale rhizomes induced an anti-granulomatous effect of 32.68%, 38.27% and 41.51% at the concentrations of 0.20%, 1% and 5%, respectively, as compared to controls. Additionally, the EO of the rhizomes of Z. officinale also induced in vitro antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity and iron reduction. Definitely, the LD50 of the EO of Z. officinale rhizomes was estimated as more than 2000 mg/kg b.w. Conclusion: The EO of Z. officinale rhizomes exhibited anti-inflammatory activity. This effect can be explained, at least partly to its chemical content and its antioxidant potential.

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oil of Alpinia menghaiensis S.Q. Tong & Y.M. Xia in S.Q. Tong from Vietnam

The chemical constituents and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil isolated from the rhizomes of Alpinia menghaiensis S.Q. Tong & Y.M. Xia in S.Q. Tong from Vietnam was studied and reported. The techniques of gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) were used to characterize the chemical constituents of the essential oil while the microdilution assay was used to evaluate the antimicrobial activity. The main compounds identified in the rhizome essential oil consist of β-pinene (46.5%), β-phellandrene (25.7%) and α-pinene (8.5%). The studied essential oil inhibited the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC27853 with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) value of 15.32 μg/mL ±0.01, and median inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 32.0 ±0.01 μg/mL. The essential oil also displayed activity against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923 (MIC 31.57 ±0.01 μg/mL) and Bacillus cereus ATCC14579 (MIC, 34.21 μg/mL ±0.01 μg/mL), and IC50 value of 64.0 ±0.01 μg/mL. This is the first report on the rhizome oil composition, as well as the antimicrobial of essential oils from A. menghaiensis. The paper discusses further the comparative analysis of essential oils from A. menghaiensis.

Effectiveness of Ethanol Gel and Essential Oil of Kencur Rhizome (Kaempferia galanga L.) base Karbopol against Propionibacterium acnes

Kencur rhizome (Kaempferia galanga L.) is an aromatic herbal plant as antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. This study aims to determine the physical quality and effectiveness of gel preparations of ethanol extract and essential oil of kencur rhizome based on carbopol inhibiting Propionibacterium acnes bacteria. This study used a Randomized Block Design (RAL) with 2 different treatments of 5 levels each, namely ethanol extract gel treatment and essential oil extract gel with concentrations of 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50%. The results of the gel formulation of extracts and essential oils based on carbopol showed pH, texture, spreadability and adhesiveness according to the quality standards of topical preparations. The antibacterial inhibition of the gel was moderate at 50% extract concentration (11.41 mm); and 50% essential oil (9.04 mm). Positive control treatment inhibited growth by 15.84 mm while negative control showed no response. The extract gel and essential oil of galangal rhizome had a significant effect but were less effective in inhibiting P. acnes bacteria. Adding the maximum concentration of extract and essential oil can optimize acne healing.

An effect-based approach to identify α-amylase inhibitors from the essential oil of Zingiber officinale rhizome: Experimental and computational studies

Numerous studies showed that ginger extracts have antidiabetic effects, but there hasn't been any research on the effect of ginger oil on α-amylase, a possible target for the management of diabetes. This work was designed to characterize the volatile compounds in ginger oil, to estimate the inhibitory potency of oil on α-amylase activity, to detect and identify the bioactive constituents in the oil, and study how the active compounds interact with the enzyme. Ginger oil was extracted by water distillation, and analyzed using GC techniques. The inhibition potency of oil against α-amylase was evaluated based on the colored starch-iodine reaction. A TLC-bioautography method was used to find and separate α-amylase inhibitors from the oil, and then GC methods were used to identify the separated bioactive constituents. Molecular docking was performed to study the binding mode among active constituents, and enzyme. The GC analyses of ginger oil showed the presence of fifty-one compounds with α-zingiberene (13.0%), geranial (12.5%), neral (9.4%), camphene (7.0%), and β-phellandrene (6.0%) as the primary components. The half-maximum inhibitory concentration value for α-amylase inhibition potency of the oil was 684.00 (648.50–721.40) μg/mL. α-Amylase inhibition-directed analysis of the oil led to the identification of α-terpineol as one of the active constituents. In addition to other interactions, α-terpineol forms a hydrogen bond with the catalytic residue Asp197 of α-amylase, according to in silico investigations. These findings show that ginger oil could be considered a potential source of α-amylase inhibitors with antidiabetic activity.

Evaluation of Immunomodulatory activity of phytochemicals from Alpinia galanga and Alpinia nigra for potent immunostimulatory agent in chemotherapy

Essential oils are capable of retaining vital medicinal benefits, however, there is a void in the research of biological activities of these oils in complex human disease models which is yet to be validated. For more explorations, we evaluated the medicinal activities of essential oil of A.galanga and A.nigra in order to find potent source of bioactive molecules, cytotoxicity and immuno stimulating activities of the essential oils from the rhizomes. We report immuno stimulating potential of these essential oils. Cytotoxicity of essential oil was evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethythiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay to evaluate the toxicity against normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The immunostimulatory activity on human lymphocytes was evaluated by using Th1 and Th2 cytokine estimations. Analysis of these essential oils through GC-MS revealed high content of 1, 8-cineole in both the oils (28.12% in A.galanga and 24% in A.nigra ). Both the rhizome oils showed significant increase in the number of lymphocytes than that of the control. The oils of A.galanga and A.nigra showed proliferative action on human PBMCs and an increase in both IL-5 and IFN-γ cytokine. As a result, no toxicity was recorded on human PBMCs. Major concentrations of 1,8-cineole and collaborative effects of the total composition of the rhizome oils were possibly accountable for the efficacy of these oils against human PBMCs. These essential oils can be considered as potential source of natural immunostimulatory agent in chemotherapy and also play important role in other immune suppressed diseases.

Antioxidant, Diabetic and Inflammatory Activities of Alpinia calcarata Roscoe Extract.

Alpinia calcarata (AC) Roscoe of Zingiberaceae popularly known as lesser galangal has a widespread occurrence in China, India, Sri-Lanka, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Essential oil (Eoil) was obtained from leaves/rhizomes of AC via hydro-distillation process. To identify chemical ingredients in oil from leaves/rhizomes of AC through GC/MS technique for volatile components and their anti-oxidant, inflammatory/diabetic activities. The 38 and 65 components were found to make up 99.9 and 99.6 %, respectively in total of Eoil composition of AC leaves/rhizomes. Key chemical constituents were eucalyptol (28.7 % in leaves; 25.4 % in rhizomes), camphor (12.8 % in leaves; 4.2 % in rhizomes), and carotol (9.8 % in leaves; 5.6 % in rhizomes) found in oil of AC leaves/rhizomes. Colorimetric assay showed anti-oxidant activities in leaves and rhizomes are IC50=71.01±0.71 μg/mL and IC50=73.83±0.49 μg/mL, respectively in the Eoils. Eoils had high anti-oxidant capabilities in IC50-values of AC-L-Eoil=43.09±0.82&AC-Rh-Eoil=68.11±0.87 in reducing power in μg/mL was found. Albumin test of rhizome oil had IC50-values of 15.19±0.25 μg/mL. Concentrations range of 7.81 μg/mL and 250 μg/mL in the Eoils of AC leaves and rhizome, respectively by α-glucosidase inhibition assay. Our findings demonstrated that leaf oil was slightly more promising results than rhizome oil of AC extract, which was ultimately showed medicinal potential of secondary metabolites with anti-oxidant, diabetic/inflammatory activities. Further, Eoils of AC have a wide range of pharmacological potential and promising anti-diabetic effects.

Essential Oils of Alpinia vietnamica Rhizomes and Leaves: Chemical Composition, Cytotoxicity, α-Glucosidase Inhibition, and Molecular Docking Approach

Objective: Alpinia is a big genus of flowering plants in the family Zingiberaceae. The plants of this genus are generally aromatic due to their essential oils. The current study aims to identify chemical compositions in the rhizome and leaf oils of Alpinia vietnamica H.Đ. Trần, Luu & Škorničk. Methods: Essential oils of A vietnamica rhizomes and leaves obtained by hydrodistillation were investigated by the gas chromatography–flame ionization detection/mass spectrometry (GC–FID/MS) analysis. A vietnamica essential oils have been subjected to cytotoxic and α-glucosidase inhibitory assays. The protein interactions of the major compounds were viewed by molecular docking study. Results: In general, monoterpene hydrocarbons (60.4%-62.5%) and their oxygenated derivatives (18.1%-29.0%) were the main chemical classes of the rhizome and leaf oils. In the meantime, 1,8-cineole (25.7%-29.0%), β-pinene (12.8%-21.3%), geraniol (9.0%-15.2%), and α-pinene (6.1%-7.5%) can be seen as the main compounds. A vietnamica essential oils showed cytotoxicity toward four cancer cell lines KB, Hep-G2, Lu-1, and MCF-7 with IC50 values of 82.39 to 254.1 µg/mL. Significantly, the leaf oil (IC50 115.18 µg/mL) was better than the standard compound acarbose (IC50 156.68 µg/mL) in the α-glucosidase inhibitory assay. The results of molecular docking simulation suggested that 1,8-cineole, geraniol, α-pinene, and β-pinene could generate a similar inhibition (binding affinities) with acarbose, and the hydrogen and hydrophobic interactions played contributory roles in the binding to α-glucosidase enzyme. Conclusion: Further phytochemical investigations on this species, especially chromatographic separations to isolate bioactive metabolites, are needed. As well, pharmacological experiments are welcome since the current study is the first result.

Assessment of selection criteria using multi-year study for effective breeding program of Zingiber officinale L.

Ginger has been an important cash crop with numerous applications since ancient times. As the demand for ginger is ever-growing and being a seasonal crop, a high-yielding variety of ginger would be economically profitable. In this study, 150 germplasm were collected from different regions of NE India and evaluated for three years in CRBD design with three replications. The present study thus focused on the variability, association, and diversity studies for the first time on 150 ginger germplasm from across North East India. The genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation, heritability, correlation, and path analysis were evaluated for the germplasm. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed considerable differences among the studied germplasm for studied characters, revealing sufficient variability in the materials. The Mahalanobis D2 and Tocher methods grouped the 150 ginger germplasm into ten clusters. Based on the results of the path coefficient analysis determined for essential oil yield and rhizome yield per plant, it can be concluded that the characters' initial rhizome weight, the weight of mother rhizome, and weight of secondary rhizome were the most important and appeared promising in improving the overall yield potential of ginger rhizome and essential oil yield. Thus, selection based on the identified traits would lead to an effective ginger breeding program for higher rhizome and essential oil yield.

Variation in the Chemical Composition of Endemic Specimens of Hedychium coronarium J. Koenig from the Amazon and In Silico Investigation of the ADME/Tox Properties of the Major Compounds.

Four species of the genus Hedychium can be found in Brazil. Hedychium coronarium is a species endemic to India and Brazil. In this paper, we collected six specimens of H. coronarium for evaluation of their volatile chemical profiles. For this, the essential oils of these specimens were extracted using hydrodistillation from plant samples collected in the state of Pará, Brazil, belonging to the Amazon region in the north of the country. Substance compounds were identified with GC/MS. The most abundant constituent identified in the rhizome and root oils was 1,8-cineole (rhizome: 35.0-66.1%; root: 19.6-20.8%). Leaf blade oil was rich in β-pinene (31.6%) and (E)-caryophyllene (31.6%). The results from this paper allow for greater knowledge about the volatile chemical profile of H. coronarium specimens, in addition to disseminating knowledge about the volatile compounds present in plant species in the Amazon region.

Preliminary Screening of in vitro Kaempferia galanga Oil for Anti-Proliferative Activities Against HeLa and MCF-7 Cell

Background Kaempferia galanga, commonly known as aromatic ginger, is a potential herb with high medicinal value and is used to treat many diseases like diabetes and asthma. Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by abnormal cells that divide uncontrollably and spread throughout the body. Nowadays, medicinal plants are used for their essential oil activities, including anti-cancerous effects. Objectives The aim of this study is to establish a method for screening in vitro oil cytotoxic effects. Materials and Methods Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with growth regulators like benzyladenine, kinetin, indole-3-acetic acid, adenine sulfate, and naphthalene acetic acid was used for plantlet production. The in vitro regenerated plants were studied for rhizome oil extraction using Clevenger’s apparatus and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, followed by their cytotoxicity study against human cervical cancer cells (HeLa) and human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) by (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) tetrazolium reduction (MTT) assay. Results Upon analysis, it has been found that this medicinal plant contains ethyl-p-methoxycinnamate (EPMC) (56.41 ± 0.34%) as a vital compound in its rhizome oil. The validation of cytotoxicity in both cell lines was done by treatment with rhizome oil concentrations ranging from 6.25 to 100 µL, respectively. The IC50 value was found to be 44.18 ± 0.65 µL/mL in HeLa and 72.94 ± 0.26 µL/mL in MCF-7 cells after 24 h of incubation. Conclusion The results of this study would be helpful for this important medicinal plant to be used by pharmaceuticals in the treatment of cancer.

Essential oils of two Zingiber plants Zingiber eberhardtii Gagnep. and Zingiber skornickovae N.S. Lý: Chemical profiles and antimicrobial effects

Zingiber is a genus of medicinal plants containing a rich resource of essential oils. The current study aims to describe chemical analysis and antimicrobial assay for two Zingiber species Zingiber eberhardtii Gagnep. and Z. skornickovae N.S. Lý. The rhizome oils, which were obtained by hydro-distillation using a Clevenger apparatus, were analyzed by GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry). Extraction of Z. eberhardtii rhizome gave a yellow oil with 41 identified compounds (96.3%), in which linalool (34.9%) and 1,8-cineole (12.7%) were the principal compounds. The yellow oil of Z. skornickovae rhizome included 53 identified compounds (97.8%), with β-pinene (25.0%), (E)-caryophyllene (8.8%), and α-pinene (7.9%) as the major agents. By broth dilution method, both oils moderately controlled the growth of Gram (+) bacteria Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 with the same MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) value of 128 μg/mL. In particular, Z. skornickovae rhizome oil showed the best antimicrobial activity against yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 4098 with a MIC value of 64 μg/mL. The obtained results are promising information for future research.

Effect of postharvest drying on physicochemical properties, volatile yield, composition, and sensory attributes of Alpinia zerumbet (shell ginger) rhizome

Alpinia zerumbet or shell ginger, an essential oil-bearing rhizomatous native herb of Southeast Asia belongs to the family Zingiberaceae. The rhizome has high culinary value and is profusely used as a spice, food additive, in cosmetics and others. The current study was conducted to investigate the effect of six postharvest drying treatments (shade, sun, freeze, microwave, and oven drying at a temperature of 40 °C and 60 °C) on physicochemical properties, volatile yield and compositions, and sensory attributes of shell ginger. In contrast to other drying methods, freeze drying showed better water activity, rehydration capacity and retained the usual color and micro-structure of sliced rhizomes. FTIR analysis of dried rhizome powders revealed the corresponding banding for C-O-C stretching, CC stretching, CH2 asymmetric stretching and free phenolic OH stretching respectively. The maximum yield of essential oil was obtained in freeze drying (0.028%), followed by fresh rhizomes (0.02%), and the minimum yield was recorded in microwave drying (0.003%). The GC-MS analysis of rhizome oil reported 4-terpineol (31.89–46.85%), eucalyptol (14.28–23.74%), γ-terpinene (2.19–6.67%), fenchyl acetate (5.01–11.21%), o-cymene (2.99–14.92%), and β-pinene (2.18–5.05%) as the principal volatile constituents which were significantly affected by the six drying methods. Spicy and camphoraceous aroma were dominant in fresh and dried rhizome essential oil accessions with traces of pine and lemon odor. The fresh rhizome oil negatively affected the germination rate and inhibited the shoot and root length of wheatgrass seeds with IC50 values of 882.55, 87.79 and 72.2 µg/mL respectively showing its mild phytotoxic potential. These findings demonstrated the freeze drying as the most efficient postharvest technique to preserve the natural qualities of shell ginger and laid down a basic experimental framework for further value addition and industrial feasibility.

Chemical Composition and Antiproliferative Activity of Rhizome and Frond Essential Oils of Anemia schimperiana subsp. wightiana, a Rare Fern Endemic to South India

Anemia schimperiana C.Presl subsp. wightiana (Gardener) Fraser-Jenkins is a rhizomatous fern endemic to south India. Its rhizome and frond (leaf) essential oils (EOs) were isolated and characterized by gas chromatographic techniques. Thirty compounds (99.1%) of the rhizome EO were characterized, with myrtenyl acetate (50.6%), α-pinene (26.0%), myrtenol (7.3%) and trans-pinocarveol (5.6%) as its major constituents. Twenty-four compounds (97.8%), with trans-pinocarveol (43.0%), pinocarvone (17.3%) and myrtenyl acetate (15.8%), were identified in the frond EO. In MTT assay, rhizome EO showed prominent cytotoxicity against C6 (CD50 86.0 µg/mL) and DLA (CD50 6.1 µg/mL) cells. Fluorescent microscopic and caspase-3 activity assays demonstrated apoptotic cell death induced by the rhizome EO in DLA cells. MTT assay of myrtenyl acetate, α-pinene and myrtenol against DLA cells displayed CD50s of 7.4, 0.9 and 20.5 µg/mL, respectively, revealing α-pinene as the prominent constituent causing antiproliferative activity of the rhizome EO. This is the first report on the chemistry and antiproliferative activity of this rare aromatic fern endemic to south India.

Chemical Compositions and Antibacterial Activity of Essential Oils from the Leaves and Rhizomes of Amomum unifolium Gagnep. from Vietnam

Plant essential oils have been used for hundreds of years as natural medicines to combat a multitude of pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses. The paper reports the chemical compositions of essential oil hydrodistilled from the leaves and rhizomes of Amomum unifolium Gagnep. from Vietnam. The main classes of compounds present in the essential oils were monoterpene hydrocarbons (10.1% and 23.9%, respectively), oxygenated monoterpenes (14.5% and 4.9%, respectively), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (40.9% and 21.9%, respectively), and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (20.1% and 26.8%, respectively). Diterpenes (16.1%) were identified in sizeable proportion in the rhizome essential oil. The constituents occurring in higher amounts in the leaf essential oil were aromadendrene (6.9%), occidenol (6.8%), β-phellandrene (6.2%), β-elemene (5.7%), and δ-elemene (5.0%). However, the main compounds of the rhizome essential oil were β-phellandrene (18.5%), torulosol (16.1%), germacrene D (5.7%), α-cadinol (5.5%) and (6S, 7R)-bisabolene (5.1%). The leaf essential oil of A. unifolium displayed higher antibacterial activity than the rhizome oil. The leaf oil showed activity towards S. aureus ATCC 6538, and B. pumilus ATCC 14884, with MIC values of 75.0 μg/mL and 37.5 μg/mL, respectively. On the other hand, the rhizome essential oil displayed activity against the organisms at MIC value of 150.0 μg/mL. Both essential oils exhibited antibacterial activity to E. coli ATCC 8739, with MIC value of 150.0 μg/mL. The antimicrobial activity of A. unifolium essential oils are being reported for the first time as a confirmation of the ethnomedical uses of A. unifolium in the treatment of diseases especially antimicrobial infections. Furthermore, the paper discusses the chemotaxonomy of Amomum oil samples.

Chemical Composition of Essential Oils Extracted from the Leaves and Rhizomes of Alpinia hongiaoensis Tagane. (Zingiberaceae) growing Wild in Vietnam

Alpinia hongiaoensis is one of the newly discovered species that belong to the Zingiberaceae family. This study’s purpose is to identify the chemical constituents of the essential oils extracted from the leaves and rhizomes of A. hongiaoensis using the Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) technique. A total of sixty-nine compounds were identified in both oils. There are forty-nine components were determined in the leaf oil. Among them, β-pinene (21.2%), aristolochene (11.32%), methyl trans-cinnamate (10.83%), β-selinene (9.44%), and valencene (5.48%) were the main compounds. Meanwhile, fifty compounds were identified in the rhizome oil. The major constituents of the rhizome oil of A. hongiaoensis were β-pinene (28.4%), followed by limonene (10.85%), α-pinene (9.76%), camphene (6.59%), and methyl trans-cinnamate (5.78%). To the best of our knowledge, there is no information on the study of the phytochemistry and pharmacological activity of A. hongiaoensis in the literature. Therefore, this study provided the first glance at the chemical compositions of essential oils prepared from A. hongiaoensis leaves and rhizomes.

Phytochemicals and Antibacterial Activity of Zingiber zerumbet Growing in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

The present study is aimed at analysing the chemical composition of essential oil and screening the phytochemicals in crude extracts from the rhizomes of Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Roscoe ex Sm. (Zingiberaceae) as well as determining their antibacterial activity. The essential oil was extracted from the fresh rhizomes using the hydrodistillation method and analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The phytochemicals from the dried rhizomes were extracted by sequential maceration technique using n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol, while phytochemical screening was carried out using standard chemical tests. Antibacterial activity was screened using the disc diffusion method. A total of 31 components (94.5%) were detected in the rhizome oil with zerumbone (28.4%), terpinen-4-ol (16.5%) and α-humulene (11.1%) as the main components. Phytochemical screening of the extracts obtained from the dried rhizomes disclosed the existence of steroids, terpenes, quinones, flavonoids, phenols, alkaloids, tannins, coumarins and glycosides. The rhizome oil showed potent antibacterial activity towards Salmonella typhi and Escherichia coli with inhibition zone diameters of 20.66 and 16.66 mm, respectively. Among the extracts, the methanol extract demonstrated high inhibitory activity against Bacillus cereus (14.00 mm), Staphylococcus aureus (9.00 mm), and Salmonella typhi (10.66 mm), while the ethyl acetate extract gave the biggest inhibition zone on E. coli (10.33 mm). The findings from this study indicate that Z. zerumbet might be one of a promising source of natural chemicals that can act as antibacterial agents.