Impact of Thermal Processing on the Selected Biological Activities of Ginger Rhizome—A Review

Abstract

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) is a spice, medicinal and cosmetic plant that has been known for centuries. It can be used in dried, fresh, marinated or candied form, and is also an essential ingredient in well-known curry blends. Ginger rhizomes are often freeze-dried as the first step in the preparation of the raw material. Many studies have proved that the composition and biological activity of ginger changes due to thermal processing. Therefore, the aim of the review was to summarize the scientific results on the impact of traditional and unconventional methods of the heat treatment of ginger rhizomes and their influence on the antioxidant and other selected biological activities of the plant. The review of the available scientific data is inconclusive, and it is hard to state unequivocally whether the thermal treatment of the raw material increases or decreases biological activity. Based on the presented literature review, it can be concluded that traditional cooking and microwave processing in general decrease the antioxidant activity of the ginger rhizome, whereas frying, autoclaving, blanching or traditional drying in the sun mostly lead to a significant increase in ginger activity. Interesting data were presented in the works describing the freeze-drying process during which the antioxidant potential of ginger increased.

Developing the procedure-enhanced model of ginger-infused sesame oil based on its flavor and functional properties

“…In this study, the ginger-infused sesame oil contained 0.58–3.22 µg/g of 6-gingerol, 0.21–0.88 µg/g of 6-shogaol, 0.06–0.27 µg/g of 8-gingerol, 0.0.5–0.11 µg/g of 10-gingerol, and 0.11–1.02 µg/g of curcumin ( Table 2 ). The presence of heat or storage for long time, gingerols may transformed into shogaols ( Zagórska, Czernicka-Boś, Kukula-Koch, Iłowiecka, & Koch, 2023 ). Bacterial metabolism also played a vital role, converting 6-Shogaol into 6-paradol, while both showed similar anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.…”

“…The reducing power of a compound is an indicator of its potential antioxidant activity. Ginger exhibits excellent antioxidant activity and is a source of natural antioxidants that regulate lipid peroxidation and reduce the production of reactive oxygen species ( Abdel-Azeem et al, 2013 , Nayak et al, 2016 , Zagórska et al, 2023 ).…”

Impact of Thermal Processing on the Composition of Curcuma longa Rhizome

“…Plants from the Zingiberaceae family are highly valued for their properties and taste, and they are commonly used as spices and other food additives; therefore, many studies on the influence of thermal processing on the composition and activity of these products have been performed so far. However, the obtained results are very often inconclusive, both in terms of the observed changes in composition and activity [ 45 , 46 ]. Prathapan et al [ 37 ] investigated the effect of time (10–60 min) and temperature (60–100 °C) in the thermal treatment of a fresh turmeric rhizome on the content of curcuminoids, phenols (TPC) and the activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), i.e., an oxidizing enzyme responsible for the browning of plant tissues.…”

Extraction, Purification, Structural Characteristics, Biological Activities, and Applications of the Polysaccharides from Zingiber officinale Roscoe. (Ginger): A Review

“…Ginger polysaccharides are considered safe and non-toxic. At the same time, they have a variety of beneficial functions for the body, and have a good development prospect in food, cosmetics, medicine, and other industries [30,31].…”