COMPARATIVE PHARMACOGNOSTICAL STUDY OF ZINGIBER OFFICINALE ROSCOE HARVESTED IN DIFFERENT SEASONS

Swapnil S. Tirmanwar*, Shiwani P. Wadichar, Gopal Pondhe, Saurabh D. Kolaskar, Kajal Prasad and Hitesh Bisen

ABSTRACT

Zingiber officinale Roscoe, commonly known as ginger, is an important medicinal plant belonging to the Zingiberaceae family. The rhizome of this plant is utilized in traditional Indian medicine to address various health issues, including fertility problems, hypertension, cancer, and urinary tract disorders. Given its significant role in traditional medicine, standardizing the rhizome is crucial. Analyzing the variations among plants across different seasons can yield valuable insights related to optimal cultivation periods and geographic conditions. Various quality control parameters were assessed, including extractive values with ethanol, ash values, foreign organic matter, loss on drying, pH of the aqueous solution, and total content of phenolics and tannins. The results from the preliminary pharmacognostic standardization of Zingiber officinale rhizome are instrumental in determining the quality and purity of this crude drug. They also provide an understanding of the efficacy and comparative qualities of wild and cultivated plants.

Keywords: Medicinal plant, comparative, quality control, standardization.