Research article
Wild Gingers of Malaysia (Zingiberaceae Martinov): A Source of Bioactive Phytocompounds with Promising Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Potentials
https://doi.org/10.47836/pjtas.49.4.08Keywords⍺-glucosidase inhibition, antioxidant activity, phytochemical profiling, wild ginger Malaysia, wild Zingiberaceae
Article content
Abstract
Oxidative stress contributes to chronic diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and neurodegeneration. Although Zingiberaceae species are valued in ethnomedicine, wild Malaysian gingers remain underexplored for their therapeutic properties, particularly from leaves and stems. This study investigated the phytochemical composition, antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of leaves, stems and rhizomes from seven wild Zingiberaceae species that were collected from Panti Forest Reserve and Endau-Rompin National Park, Johor, Malaysia. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and total terpenoid content (TTC) were quantified using colourimetric assays. Antioxidant activities were assessed via DPPH, ABTS, FRAP and nitric oxide (NO) scavenging assays. The ⍺-glucosidase inhibition was evaluated using enzyme-based colourimetric assays. Leaves consistently exhibited the highest TPC (up to 57.88 mg GAE/g DW), TFC (72.83 mg RE/g DW) and TTC (0.08 mg LE/g DW), followed by rhizomes and stems. Antioxidant assays showed leaves had superior radical scavenging in ABTS and FRAP assays, rhizomes showed stronger DPPH activity, while stems showed the least activity. Correlation analysis indicated that phenolic compounds were the primary contributors to antioxidant activity. α-Glucosidase inhibition was only detected in rhizomes of Boesenbergia plicata (IC50 = 16.77 μg/mL) and Sundamomum hastilabium (IC50 = 20.26 μg/mL), comparable to cultivated Zingiberaceae species. Wild Malaysian ginger leaves were rich sources of antioxidant phytochemicals, while rhizomes of selected species showed promising antidiabetic activity. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of underexplored Zingiberaceae species and support sustainable utilisation beyond rhizomes.
