Chemical Composition and Mineral Contents of Zingiber officinale and Alpinia allughas (Zingiberaceae) Rhizomes

Abstr Zingiber officinale and Alpinia allughas are used in Chinese, Ayurvedic and Tibb-Unani herbal medicines all over the world for a wide array of ailments. Presenet study was carried out to determine chemical composition and minerals contents of Zingiber officinale and Alpinia allughas rhizomes. Samples were collected from local retail market of Faisalabad, Pakistan. Moisture, ash, crude fiber, crude protein and crude fat percent contents of Zingiber officinale and Alpinia allughas rhizomes were 8.60 ± 0.23 and 9.87 ± 0.51, 1.74 ± 0.04 and 1.86 ± 0.05, 76.4 ± 1.30 and 76.53 ± 1.06, 7.88 ± 0.01 and 5.64 ± 0.06 and 5.03 ± 0.43 and 6.1 ± 0.23 respectively. While, ascorbic acid levels were 3.75 ± 0.58 and 1.25 ± 0.03 mg/100g in Zingiber officinale and Alpinia allughas respectively. Minerals contents (mg/100 g ± SD) were 12.50 ± 0.29 and 7.50 ± 0.87 Cu, 12.23 ± 0.16 and 12.00 ± 0.28 Zn, 80.00 ± 2.89 and 32.75 ± 0.43 Fe, 7.33 ±0.22 and 6.25 ± 0.14 Mn, 0.49± 1.9 and 0.37 ± 1.3 Ca, 1.2 ± 1.43 and 1.2 ±1.55 Mg in Zingiber officinale and Alpinia allughas species respectively.