A Review on Pharmacognostical and Pharmacological Activites of Zingiber Officinale

Abstract

Ginger is one of the important medicinal plants which naturally occur in various countries. Ginger; Zingiber officinale belongs to family Zingiberaceae. Young ginger rhizomes are juicy and fleshy with a very mild taste. They are often pickled in vinegar or just cooked as an ingredient in many dishes. They can also be steeped in boiling water to make ginger tea, to which honey is often added; sliced orange or lemon fruit may also be added. Ginger can also be made into candy or ginger wine which has been made commercially since 1740. Mature ginger rhizomes are fibrous and nearly dry. The juice from old ginger roots is extremely potent and is often used as a spice in Indian recipes, and is a quint essential ingredient of Chinese, Korean, Japanese and many South Asian cuisines for flavoring dishes such as seafood or goat meat and vegetarian cuisine. Ginger acts as a useful food preservative. Fresh ginger can be substituted for ground ginger at a ratio of 6 to 1, although the flavors of fresh and dried ginger are somewhat different. Powdered dry ginger root is typically used as a flavoring for recipes such as gingerbread, cookies, crackers, cakes, and ginger beer. Ginger produces a hot, fragrant kitchen spice.