Search Results (8)

Amomum villosum Lour., a perennial medicinal plant in the Zingiber genus, usually requires approximately 3–4 years of vegetative growth from seed germination to first fruiting, resulting in high initial investment costs and a prolonged revenue cycle, which pose significant challenges to the industry’s sustainable development. Our research team observed a distinct premature fruiting phenomenon in A. villosum. We investigated the regulatory mechanisms underlying premature fruiting in A. villosum by identifying the key differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and metabolic pathways governing the premature fruiting (Precocious) and typical plants (CK) of the ‘Yunsha No.8’ cultivar. Transcriptomic sequencing (RNA-seq) and bioinformatic analyses were performed using the DNBSEQ^TM platform. The sequencing generated 29.0 gigabases (Gb) of clean data, and 115,965 unigenes were identified, with an average length of 1368 bp. Based on the sequencing results, 1545 DEGs were identified. Gene ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were annotated for these DEGs. This study identifies phytohormone signaling, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, and polysaccharide degradation as critical pathways controlling premature fruiting in A. villosum. Six randomly selected DEGs were validated using real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and the results corroborated the transcriptome data, confirming their reliability. This study lays the foundation for the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms and metabolic pathways driving premature fruiting in A. villosum. Full article

As a perennial medicinal plant in the Zingiber genus, Amomum villosum Lour. faces agricultural challenges due to its prolonged vegetative and reproductive growth phases, which hinder efficient pollination and delay fruiting. To address this limitation, the present study aimed to identify the FD gene involved in regulating flowering in A. villosum to provide a basis for research on the molecular mechanisms of early fruiting cultivars. Based on the differentially expressed gene AvFD1 obtained from the transcriptome database of early fruiting plants and controls, specific primers were designed for PCR to clone the full-length sequence of AvFD1. The characteristics of the cloned AvFD1 gene were analyzed using online bioinformatics software. The expression profiles of AvFD1 in various tissues and in 1- and 2-year bearing A. villosum varieties were investigated by quantitative real-time PCR. This study successfully cloned the FD1 gene sequence of A. villosum, marking the first reported characterization of this gene in the species. Tissue-specific expression analysis revealed significantly elevated AvFD1 expression levels in stolon tips and flower buds compared to tender leaves, suggesting its potential role as a positive regulator of flowering initiation. The obtained sequence establishes essential molecular data for subsequent functional validation of AvFD1 in A. villosum. Full article

Background: Zingiber Mill., a morphologically diverse herbaceous perennial genus of Zingiberaceae, is distributed mainly in tropical to warm-temperate Asia. In China, species of Zingiber have crucial medicinal, edible, and horticultural values; however, their phylogenetic relationships remain unclear. Methods: To address this issue, the complete plastomes of the 29 Zingiber accessions were assembled and characterized. Comparative plastome analysis and phylogenetic analysis were conducted to develop genomic resources and elucidate the intraspecific phylogeny of Zingiber. Results: The newly reported plastomes ranged from 161,495 to 163,880 bp in length with highly conserved structure. Results of comparative analysis suggested that IR expansions/contractions and changes of repeats were the main reasons that influenced the genome size of the Zingiber plastome. A large number of SSRs and six highly variable regions (rpl20, clpP, ycf1, petA-psbJ, rbcL-accD, and rpl32-trnL) have been identified, which could serve as potential DNA markers for future population genetics or phylogeographic studies on this genus. The well-resolved plastome phylogeny suggested that Zingiber could be divided into three clades, corresponding to sect. Pleuranthesis (sect. Zingiber + sect. Dymczewiczia) and sect. Cryptanthium. Conclusions: Overall, this study provided a robust phylogeny of Zingiber plants in China, and the newly reported plastome data and plastome-derived markers will be of great significance for the accurate identification, protection, and agricultural management of Zingiber resources in the future. Full article

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is a popular culinary herb used in the Eastern culture. The essential cultivar of the Zingiber genus is rich in antioxidants and is crucial in the fight against oxidative stress-related diseases. The antioxidant properties of dried ginger were evaluated and compared for their efficacy from different drying processes (sun-, oven-, vacuum- and freeze-drying) and using three extraction solvents: hot water, aqueous ethanol (80%, v/v) and ethanol. The drying process demonstrated a positive effect on the antioxidant activities of ginger. A significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed in the extracting ability of each solvent. Sun-dried ginger extracted with ethanol performed better than the fresh ginger extract in the form of increased yield (3.04-fold), TFC values (12.25-fold), reducing power (FRAP) (15.35-fold), total antioxidant activity (TAA) (6.82-fold) and inhibition of ABTS^•+ radical cation (3.51-fold) and DPPH^• radical (95%). Meanwhile, freeze-dried aqueous ginger extracts demonstrated significantly higher TPC (1.66-fold), TFC (3.71-fold), FRAP (3.26-fold), TAA (2.97-fold), ABTS^•+ scavenging activity (1.48-fold) and DPPH^• radical inhibition (77%), compared to fresh ginger extracts. In addition, it was found that ethanol was significantly superior to aqueous ethanol in phenolic content recovery, despite the lower yield. Furthermore, ethanol ginger extracts exhibited higher antioxidant activity than aqueous ethanol extracts. On the other hand, hot water was the least potent solvent for extraction. In summary, there was an excellent correlation between TPC, TFC and antioxidant activity. Sun-drying is the most desirable method for preserving and enhancing ginger quality due to its cost effectiveness and bioactive compound efficacy. Full article

Zingiber officinale Roscoe is an herbal plant native to Asia that can be found in all tropical countries. It is used in folk medicine, food, and cosmetics. A chemical characterization and some agronomic experiments have been carried out on Z. officinale essential oil, showing promising findings for the biological control of fungal pathogens belonging to the genus Fusarium. The aim of this review is to collect and update the literature covering its phytochemistry and biological activities as a Fusarium spp. plant-based biocide. The present research was conducted using the following bibliographic databases: Scifinder, Pubmed, and Science Direct. Thirteen papers were selected based on the adopted criteria. Data were independently extracted by the three authors of this work, and the final article selections were completed in a manner that avoided the duplication of data. The main chemical compounds were α-zingiberene, geranial, and aryl-curcumene, but a remarkable difference was found concerning the chemical compositions. Z. officinale essential oil was shown to possess promising biological functions against Fusarium spp. These findings offer new research approaches and potential applications as a biocontrol ingredient for Z. officinale essential oil. Full article

Plant of the genus Zingiber (Zingiberaceae) have primarily distributed in subtropical and tropical Asia, South America and Africa. The species of this genus have been widely used as food and in folk with a long history for treating various diseases. Reports related to the phytochemistry and phytochemistry of Zingiber species are numerous, but articles on the summary of the genus Zingiber remain scarce. This review aims at presenting comprehensive information about the genus Zingiber and providing a reference for the future application by systematically reviewing the literature from 1981 to 2020. Currently, a total of 447 phytochemical constituents have been isolated and identified from this genus, in which volatile oils, diarylheptanoids, gingerols, flavonoids and terpenoids are the major components. Gingerols, which are the main functional components, are the spicy and aromatic ingredients in the Zingiber species. Extracts and single compounds from Zingiber plants have been discovered to possess numerous biological functions, such as anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial, larvicidal, antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities. This review provides new insights into the ethnomedicine, phytochemistry and pharmacology of the genus Zingiber and brings to the forefront key findings on the functional components of this genus in food and pharmaceutical industries. Full article

The genus Zingiber consists of about 85 species and many of these species are used as food, spices, and medicines. One of the species, Zingiber montanum (J. Koenig) Link ex A. Dietr. is native to Southeast Asia and has been extensively used as traditional medicines and food. The aim of this review was to collect and critically analyze the scientific information about the bioactive compounds and pharmacological activities of Z. montanum with focus on one of the main components, zerumbone (ZER). Various studies have reported the analysis of volatile constituents of the essential oils from Z. montanum. Similarly, many phenylbutanoids, flavonoids and terpenes were also isolated from rhizomes. These essential oils, extracts and compounds showed potent antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities among others. Zerumbone has been studied widely for its anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and other pharmacological activities. Future studies should focus on the exploration of various pharmacological activities of other compounds including phenylbutanoids and flavonoids. Bioassay guided isolation may result in the separation of other active components from the extracts. Z. montanum could be a promising source for the development of pharmaceutical products and functional foods. Full article

Plants of the genus Zingiber (Family Zingiberaceae) are widely used throughout the world as food and medicinal plants. They represent very popular herbal remedies in various traditional healing systems; in particular, rhizome of Zingiber spp. plants has a long history of ethnobotanical uses because of a plethora of curative properties. Antimicrobial activity of rhizome essential oil has been extensively confirmed in vitro and attributed to its chemical components, mainly consisting of monoterpene and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons such as α-zingiberene, ar-curcumene, β-bisabolene and β-sesquiphellandrene. In addition, gingerols have been identified as the major active components in the fresh rhizome, whereas shogaols, dehydrated gingerol derivatives, are the predominant pungent constituents in dried rhizome. Zingiber spp. may thus represent a promising and innovative source of natural alternatives to chemical food preservatives. This approach would meet the increasing concern of consumers aware of the potential health risks associated with the conventional antimicrobial agents in food. This narrative review aims at providing a literature overview on Zingiber spp. plants, their cultivation, traditional uses, phytochemical constituents and biological activities. Full article