An investigation into the chemical constituents of Queensland-grown ginger

Abstract

The effects of time of harvest and solvent on the yield and quality of oleoresin and volatile oil were examined. The harvest times studied extended from May to October in 1962, and from March to August in 1963. The solvents used to
extract the oleoresin were 95 per cent. ethyl alcohol (1962) and 100 per cent. acetone (1963). The yield of oleoresin extracted from dried ginger varied with both time of harvest and type of solvent used. Time of harvest also had an influence on the yield of volatile oil. When acetone was used as a solvent, there were only small differences in yield of oleoresin on a green-weight basis over the period March to August. There was little variation in volatile oil content during the period April to October. Extraction with alcohol gave more than three times the amount of oleoresin as extraction with acetone, but the acetone extract was more acceptable to the trade. The volatile oil recovery by steam distillation was not of sufficiently good quality to be of commercial value.