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. 2021 Mar 8;10(3):501.
doi: 10.3390/plants10030501.

Comparative Study of Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oils and Crude Extracts of Four Characteristic Zingiberaceae Herbs

Affiliations

Comparative Study of Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oils and Crude Extracts of Four Characteristic Zingiberaceae Herbs

Milena Ivanović et al. Plants (Basel). .

Abstract

The ginger family (Zingiberaceae) includes plants that are known worldwide to have a distinctive smell and taste, which are often used as spices in the kitchen, but also in various industries (pharmaceutical, medical, and cosmetic) due to their proven biological activity. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the chemical composition and antioxidant activity (AA) of essential oils (EOs) of four characteristic ginger species: Elettaria cardamomum L. Maton (cardamom), Curcuma Longa L. (turmeric), Zingiber Officinale Roscoe (ginger), and Alpinia Officinarum Hance (galangal). Furthermore, the total phenolic content (TPC) and AA of crude extracts obtained after using ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and different extraction solvents (80% ethanol, 80% methanol and water) were evaluated. A total of 87 different chemical components were determined by GC-MS/MS in the EOs obtained after hydrodistillation, 14 of which were identified in varying amounts in all EOs. The major compounds found in cardamom, turmeric, ginger, and galangal were α-terpinyl acetate (40.70%), β-turmerone (25.77%), α-zingiberene (22.69%) and 1,8-cineol (42.71%), respectively. In general, 80% ethanol was found to be the most effective extracting solvent for the bioactivities of the investigated species from the Zingiberaceae family. Among the crude extracts, ethanolic extract of galangal showed the highest TPC value (63.01 ± 1.06 mg GA g-1 DW), while the lowest TPC content was found in cardamom water extract (1.04 ± 0.29 mg GA g-1 DW). The AA evaluated by two different assays (ferric-reducing antioxidant power-FRAP and the scavenging activity of the cationic ABTS radical) proved that galangal rhizome is the plant with the highest antioxidant potential. In addition, no statistical difference was found between the AA of turmeric and ginger extracts, while cardamom rhizome was again inferior. In contrast to the crude extracts, the EOs resulted in significantly lower ABTS and FRAP values, with turmeric EO showing the highest AA.

Keywords: GC-MS/MS; Zingiberaceae family; antioxidant activity; cardamom; essential oils; galangal; ginger; turmeric.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison of the content of the most common chemical constituents found in the EOs of four selected Zingiberaceae species.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Total phenolic content (TPC) for crude extracts of the selected Zingiberaceae species, expressed as mg of gallic acid equivalents per gram of dry weight (mg GA g−1 DW). All measurements were performed in duplicate. For comparison of the mean values, one-way ANOVA followed by S-N-K post hoc was used. Different superscript letters indicate statistical differences in the extraction efficiency of the tested solvents (p < 0.05), while asterisks indicate statistical differences in TPC content between different plants (p < 0.05).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Antioxidant activity of selected Zingiberaceae species expressed as mg Fe2+ ion equivalents per gram of dry weight (mg Fe2+ g−1 DW). All measurements were performed in duplicate. For comparison of the mean values, one-way ANOVA followed by S-N-K post hoc were applied. A different superscript letters (a, b) indicate a statistical difference in the extraction efficiencies of the solvents tested (p < 0.05), while asterisks indicate statistical differences in antioxidant activity between different plants (p < 0.05).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Antioxidant activity of EOs expressed as mg Fe2+ ion equivalents per milliliter of essential oil (mg Fe2+ mL−1 EO). All measurements were performed in duplicate. For comparison of the mean values, one-way ANOVA followed by S-N-K post hoc were applied. A different superscript letters (a, b, c, d) indicate a statistical difference in AA of evaluated EOs (p < 0.05).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Antioxidant activity of selected Zingiberaceae species expressed as mg trolox equivalents per gram of dry weight (mg TE g−1 DW). All measurements were performed in duplicate. For comparison of the mean values, one-way ANOVA followed by S-N-K post hoc were applied. A different superscript letters (a, b) indicate a statistical difference in the extraction efficiencies of the solvents tested (p < 0.05), while asterisks indicate statistical differences in antioxidant activity between different plants (p < 0.05).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Antioxidant activity of EOs expressed as mg trolox equivalents per milliliter of essential oil (mg TE mL−1 EO). All measurements were performed in duplicate. For comparison of the mean values, one-way ANOVA followed by S-N-K post hoc were applied. Different superscript letters (a, b, c, d) indicate a statistical difference in AA of evaluated EOs (p < 0.05).

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