The use of chemometrics in combination with molecular spectroscopy and chromatography methods for determining the levels of gingerol compounds in ginger (Zingiber officinale): a review

Abstract

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), a member of the Zingiberaceae family, is a herb with a global reputation in medicines, food seasonings, beverages and cosmetics. It is rich in antioxidants due to some active components, including gingerol, shogaol and zingerone. These components are reported to have more powerful antioxidants than vitamin E. The phytochemicals and their levels are significantly influenced by environmental factors such as harvesting time, soil condition, and the cultivating place. Therefore, this study highlighted the analytical method to determine the gingerol content in ginger using chemometrics. Several databases including Scopus, PubMed, and Science Direct, were explored to obtain relevant articles using specific keywords related to the reviewed topic. Several chemometrics methods are used for the characterization and profiling of fingerprints, such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Fourier-transform near infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), including pattern recognition and multivariate calibration combined with molecular spectroscopy and chromatography. The fingerprint profiling is processed and combined with chemometrics analysis or multivariate data for faster, sensitive and valid results.