The Kerala Agricultural University has been granted an Indian patent along with Arjuna Natural Private Ltd., Aluva, for developing a stable gingerol product from the ginger variety Karthika released by the KAU.
Ginger finds a wide range of applications in traditional medicine and also in the nutraceutical and health food industries. Of the various bioactive compounds present in ginger, gingerol is the most potent and pharmacologically active compound and possesses anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, gastroprotective, cardiotonic and antihepatotoxic activities, says M.R. Shylaja, Professor and Head (Rtd.), Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, a leading scientist involved in the project. “But the industry involved in product development with gingerol faces problems of low recovery of gingerol from raw materials and non-stability of gingerol in the final product,” she says.
