Antimicrobial Agents: from Tradition to Pharmacy

Plants of the genus Zingiber (Family Zingiberaceae) are widely used throughout the world 51 as food and medicinal plants. They represent very popular herbal remedies in various traditional 52 healing systems; in particular, rhizome of Zingiber spp. plants has a long history of ethnobotanical 53 uses because of a plethora of curative properties. Antimicrobial activity of rhizome essential oil has 54 been extensively confirmed in vitro and attributed to its chemical components, mainly consisting in 55 monoterpene and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons such as α-zingiberene, ar-curcumene, β-bisabolene 56 and β-sesquiphellandrene. In addition, gingerols have been identified as the major active 57 components in the fresh rhizome, whereas shogaols, dehydrated gingerol derivatives, are the 58 predominant pungent constituents in dried rhizome. Zingiber spp. may thus represent a promising 59 and innovative source of natural alternatives to chemical food preservatives. This approach would 60 meet the increasing concern of consumers aware of the potential health risks associated with the 61 conventional antimicrobial agents in food. This narrative review aims providing a literature 62 overview on Zingiber spp. plants, their cultivation, traditional uses, phytochemical constituents and 63 biological activities. 64