INVESTIGATING ZINGIBER OFFICINALE RHIZOME’S PHYTOCHEMICAL MAKE-UP AND BIOACTIVITY: A COMPARISON OF AQUEOUS AND ETHANOL EXTRACTS FOR ANTIFUNGAL, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, AND ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTIES
A. Ahmad , K. Ashiq, S. A. Shah, I. Ashfaq and Shafiullah
1Faculty of Pharmacy, Superior University Lahore, Pakistan.
*Corresponding author’s email: : shafiq.ali@superior.edu.pk
ABSTRACT
Zingiber officinale or ginger is used to treat many ailments, including cancer, heartburn, inflammation, nausea, and vomiting, as it is enriched in polyphenols, terpenes, flavonoids and essential oils. The study uses ethanol and water extracts of Zingiber officinale rhizome to analyze the phytochemical composition and antibacterial, anti-dandruff, and anti-inflammatory properties. The extracts were prepared by maceration. Using reference techniques, proximate analysis and phytochemical evaluation were conducted. Malassezia furfur was used for anti-dandruff testing, while antibacterial sensitivity was assessed against Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. For anti-inflammatory activity, the protein denaturation method was employed. The extract with the highest activity underwent GC/Mass analysis to understand its phytochemical profiling. The study demonstrated the presence of valuable phytochemicals such as polyphenols, glycosides, flavonoids, and tannins. The ethanol extract exhibited larger inhibition zones (mm) than the water extract at all concentrations, the most significant differences (p < 0.05) occurring at 200 mg/mL: antifungal activity was 19.4±0.77 vs 12.8±0.65, and antibacterial activity was 19.4±0.49 vs 17.2±0.58 for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 20.1±0.75 vs 18.3±0.89 for Streptococcus pneumoniae. The ethanol extract (86.8%±0.038) and the water extract (80.2%±0.029) substantially reduced inflammation (p < 0.05). The findings of these assays were comparable to relative standard drugs, including fluconazole (20.7±0.81 mm), ciprofloxacin (21.5±0.67 mm), and diclofenac (90.1%±0.003). The GC/Mass analysis of the ethanol extract revealed significant amounts of gingerol, gingerdione, sitosterol, and zingerone. This study highlights Zingiber officinale’s potential therapeutic effects, advocating its use as a beneficial alternative to synthetic drugs.
Keywords: Zingiber officinale, Traditional medicine, Antibacterial, Antifungal, Anti-inflammatory. |
