Health-promoting and medicinal properties of Zingiberaceae family plants: A minireview with a special focus on galangal, turmeric, cardamom, and ginger
The Zingiberaceae family, including among others, galangal (Alpinia galanga), turmeric (Curcuma longa), cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), and ginger (Zingiber officinale), has been widely used in traditional medicine and culinary practices worldwide due to its diverse health-promoting properties. This mini-review aims to provide a concise overview of Zingiberaceae species’ medicinal potential and identify key areas for further research to facilitate their integration into modern medicine. Herein we summarize the existing research on the pharmacological activities of these species, with a focus on their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, cardiovascular, digestive, and metabolic effects. Aside from the reported biological effects of traditional formulations and phytopharmaceutical preparations, emphasis is given to the primary bioactive compounds identified in these plants including diverse phenolics, terpenes, and various other secondary metabolites. Mechanisms contributing to therapeutic benefits. Moreover, highlighted is the promise of these plants for future development of drugs and nutraceuticals despite current challenges, particularly bioavailability issues and the need for more clinical studies.
Authors
- Shi-Hui Cheng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3519-0951)
- Ruchika Kabra
- Emad M. Abdallah (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0549-249X)
- Kavitha Raj Varadaraju (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9579-6141)
- Manik Chandra Shill (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0946-3816)
- Ahmed Fatimi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8749-2009)
- Akinleye Stephen Akinrinde (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6883-4595)
- Luciana Rossi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1178-4683)
- JOEL OJOGBANE ONOJA
- Vimal Arora (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9520-138X)
- Siva Sai Chandragiri
- Krzysztof Niemczuk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1611-9770)
- Fabien Schultz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1904-2430)
- Abeer Essam Noman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8662-2588)
- Anupam Bishayee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9159-960X)
- S. Thangapandiyan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3958-9169)
- Sreejith Pongillyathundiyil Sasidharan
- Farhan Bin Matin
- Leila Rezig (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6243-5742)
- Mathew Dan
- Visitación López‐Miranda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1378-0387)
- Jean Noël Nyemb (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5069-6737)
- Günther K. Bonn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2131-4151)
- Prasanna Srinivasan Ramalingam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8281-2779)
- Maima Matin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5388-6285)
- Priti Talwar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6826-581X)
- Ivana Carev (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3032-3156)
- Shaikh Jamal Uddin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3163-2118)
- D. S. Preethidan
- Ronan Lordan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9668-3368)
- Sara Frazzini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8810-0003)
- Shah Alam Khan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0729-3403)
- Oleh Lushchak
- Smith B. Babiaka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4476-5860)
- Indra Lasmana Tarigan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7238-7780)
- Imen Ghzaiel
- Sharad Vats (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4951-4948)
- Amira Zarrouk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9190-5328)
- Antonello Santini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5505-3327)
- Rajeev K. Singla (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3353-7897)
- Andy Wai Kan Yeung (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3672-357X)
- Artur Stolarczyk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5633-8153)
- Michał Ławiński
- Kennedy Omondi Abuga (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5395-7522)
- Thadiyan Parambil Ijinu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0228-8904)
- Bikash Baral (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2085-9528)
- Ricardo Lagoa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2375-6612)
- Gaétan Bayiha Ba Njock (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6882-9091)
- Anne Véjux (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4063-9680)
- Constant Anatole Pieme (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1602-6494)
- John O. Igoli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8013-2702)
- Olga Adamska (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1875-2510)
- Seetha Harilal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8141-8649)
- Abhishek Joshi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5558-3421)
- Esra Çapanoğlu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0335-9433)
- Kenneth Anchang Yongabi
- Conrad V. Simoben (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5958-6961)
- Ren‐You Gan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4162-1511)
- Isabel Ureña-Vacas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0313-9465)
- Atanas G. Atanasov (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2545-0967)
- Hari Prasad Devkota (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0509-1621)
- Fatiha Brahmi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9332-4976)
- Farid Khallouki
- Elena González‐Burgos
- Reda El Boukhari (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4833-8540)
- Jaya Arora (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0187-5311)
- Jarosław Olav Horbańczuk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7561-0941)
- Monika Szymańska-Czerwińska (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8974-0870)
- Rajat Goyal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5702-0932)
- Syed Abidullah (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5567-2486)
- Carmela Fimognari (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2461-8214)
- Rupesh K. Gautam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5580-5410)
- Atul Kabra (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2890-1575)
- Ifeoma Ezenyi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4530-971X)
- Neeraj Rani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6012-4070)
- Thomas A. E. Jakschitz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3699-3780)
- Fabio Fusi
- Esperanza Herradón (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7210-6283)
- Suraj Kadunganattil (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4172-5011)
- Bairong Shen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2899-1531)
- Ibrahim M. Abu‐Reidah (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7477-7854)
- Artur Jóźwik (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5546-9891)
- Agnieszka Wierzbicka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5770-4573)
- Deniz Günal‐Köroğlu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8642-9160)
- Hefa Mangzira Kemung (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3325-5926)
- Michel‐Edwar Mickael (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4186-4900)
- Omar M. Atrooz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0610-5201)
- Dongdong Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6195-4428)
- Rajan Logesh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6853-3565)
- Adil El Midaoui
- Ahmad Ali
- Iwona Wojtasik‐Kalinowska (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9056-7777)
- Edlira Aruci
- Ali Zarrabi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0391-1769)
- Kamil Wysocki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9479-3985)
- Kiran Kharat (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6231-9728)
- Natalia Ksepka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2324-7911)
- Aswathy Chankaramkandath Vasu
- Hemanth Kumar Boyina (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0803-4400)
- Mengyao Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7054-448X)
- Sivakumar Arumugam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8834-8834)
- Sourav S. Patnaik (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7457-8604)
- Tanveer Alam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8734-1160)
- Sujatha Elangovan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3400-9874)
- Md. Mohaiminul Islam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3337-0000)
- Eliana B. Souto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9737-6017)
- Tomasz M. Karpiński
- Nikolay T. Tzvetkov
- Luay M. Alsubhi
- Gérard Lizard
- P.K. Surendran
- Palaniyandi Ravanan
- Shafaat Yar Khan
- Neenthamadathil Mohandas Krishnakumar
- Rajesh Kumar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2149-0486)
- Sohini Chakraborty
- Doris E. Enow
- Goh Bey Hing
- Luther Bob Mbeku
Publication Details
- Journal
- Current Research in Biotechnology
- Published
- 2025-01-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crbiot.2025.100329
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Ginger and Zingiberaceae research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.67
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Narodowe Centrum Nauki
- Sichuan Province Science and Technology Support Program