An Overview of the Chemical Compositions and Biological Activities of Essential Oils from Selected <i>Zingiber</i> Species (Zingiberaceae)

Zingiber Mill. is the second-largest genus of the Zingiberaceae family. The members of this genus are known for their diverse applications in food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare fields due to their richness in bioactive components found in essential oils (EOs). This study aims to provide information about EOs’ chemical composition and biological activities from 23 Zingiber species. A literature survey was performed via scientific databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ethnobotanical textbooks. Clustering analysis was conducted using the Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) to construct phylogenetic trees. Various studies have revealed that β -pinene, α -pinene, β -caryophyllene, β -elemene, bicyclogermacrene, sabinene, camphene, linalool, ( E )-nerolidol, terpinen-4-ol, 1,8-cineole, humulane-1,6-dien-3-ol, β -phellandrene, and zerumbone are representative ingredients of 23 Zingiber EOs. Pharmacologically, the current results have recorded several Zingiber species related to antioxidant ( Z. plicatum ), antimicrobial ( Z. rubens , Z. castaneum , Z. nitens , Z. tamii , Z. magang , Z. densissimum , Z. cornubracteatum , Z. nudicarpum , Z. ottensii , Z. recurvatum , Z. vuquangense , Z. eberhardtii , and Z. skornickovae ), anti-larvicidal ( Z. castaneum , Z. mekongense , Z. nitens , Z. ottensii , Z. neotruncatum , Z. cornubracteatum , Z. nudicarpum , Z. collinsii , and Z. recurvatum ), antidiabetic ( Z. atroporphyreus ), anticancer ( Z. ottensii ), and cytotoxic ( Z. rubens and Z. ottensii ) properties. Cluster analysis showed that Z. densissimum and Z. plicatum had the highest phytochemical similarity, followed by Z. mekongense and Z. vuquangense , and Z. cornubracteatum and Z. nudicarpum . Additionally, the dendrogram offers crucial insights into the phytochemical relationships among Zingiber species, highlighting the chemical similarities between leaves, stems, rhizomes, roots, inflorescences, and fruits. This is the first report to highlight the recent bioactivity assessments and summarize the EO components of different parts from 23 Zingiber species and their promising applications in modern medicine.