Bioactive Properties of Essential Oils from Zingiberaceae Plants
Summary
Essential oils extracted from various organs of Zingiberaceae species—including rhizomes, leaves and fruits—exhibit a rich chemical diversity dominated by monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and phenolic derivatives. These volatile profiles underpin a spectrum of bioactivities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects, alongside modulation of key enzymes involved in human health and disease. Mechanistic studies attribute free radical scavenging to phenolic constituents, microbial membrane disruption to oxygenated terpenes and enzyme inhibition (for example cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase and tyrosinase) to specific terpenoid compounds. Such properties support applications in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and food preservation. Recent advances employ high-resolution analytical methods to correlate chemical composition with function and explore molecular docking to predict target interactions. However, challenges remain in standardisation of oil composition, safety evaluation and clinical validation to ensure reproducible efficacy and tolerability.
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Bioactive Properties of Essential Oils from Zingiberaceae Plants publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in bioactive properties of essential oils from zingiberaceae plants across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Monoterpene: A volatile hydrocarbon composed of two isoprene units, often contributing to aroma and bioactivity.
Sesquiterpene: A class of terpenes consisting of three isoprene units, frequently found in essential oils and associated with diverse biological effects.
Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC): The lowest concentration of a substance required to prevent visible growth of a microorganism.
Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS): An analytical technique for separating, identifying and quantifying compounds in complex mixtures.
Free radical scavenging: The process by which antioxidants neutralise reactive free radicals to prevent oxidative damage to cells and biomolecules.
References
- Mode of Antifungal Action of Daito-Gettou (Alpinia zerumbet var. exelsa) Essential Oil against Aspergillus brasiliensis. Foods (2023).
- Phytochemical analysis, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-enzymatic properties of Alpinia coriandriodora (sweet ginger) rhizome. Frontiers in Plant Science (2023).
- Diversity of Volatile Compounds in Ten Varieties of Zingiberaceae. Molecules (2022).
- Molecular Docking Simulation of Phenolics towards Tyrosinase, Phenolic Content, and Radical Scavenging Activity of Some Zingiberaceae Plant Extracts. Cosmetics (2023).
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