Phytochemical Properties, Processing, and Applications of Juvenile Zingiber Officinale

Zingiber Officinale, commonly known as ginger, has a long-standing history as a natural remedy for ailments and disease. Adult rhizomes are used in medicine, food, and beverages. It has been shown that juvenile ginger harvested between nine and eleven weeks has strong anti-obesity properties, while mature ginger typically found on the shelves of food markets does not possess the same qualities. This project aims to explore the capabilities of young ginger rhizomes, with the intent of determining whether young ginger is more phytochemically potent than its adult form. Young ginger has the advantage of being easier to grow in a variety of conditions and easier to use in culinary applications. The ripening process of ginger has been studied with the support of phytochemical analysis, and it has been found that behind its tender flesh, young ginger is a host to many bioactive compounds such as gingerol, shogaol, and zingerone essential oils. Moreover, we have found that phenolics and flavonoids have much higher concentrations in young ginger as compared to mature rhizomes. Quantitative analysis of ginger extracts created from high-tunnel cultivars reported an increase of up to 60% (mg GAE/g) in total phenolics, 87% (mg QE/g) in flavonoid content, and 67% (mg TAE/g) in tannin content difference between ginger grown within the first nine weeks of maturity and ginger older than eleven weeks. A comparison of fresh-frozen and lyophilized ginger, the influence of breed on the phytochemical process, and the influence of thermal processing on antioxidant capacity will also be explored.