Shell ginger (Alpinia zerumbet) is an evergreen tropical perennial plant endemic to southeastern Asia. It is used as a culinary spice, a refreshing beverage, and as a medicinal plant. Traditionally, shell ginger was used to treat gastrointestinal disorders. Both the leaves and rhizomes are fragrant and are used to make tea and to flavor a wide variety of culinary dishes. The aroma of the leaves is described as floral, spicy, cinnamon, and clove. While the volatiles present in shell ginger leaves have been previously investigated, the odorants responsible for its pleasant aroma have not been comprehensively identified. In the present work, dried shell ginger leaves were subjected to solvent-assisted flavor evaporation (SAFE) distillation and aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) was performed. In total, thirty-four odorants were identified, with 12 having flavor dilution (FD) factors ≥ 64. Odorants with high flavor dilution (FD) factors of 1024 included 1,8-cineole (eucalyptus) and 2-phenylethanol (floral, rose). Odorants with FD factors of 256 included α-pinene (piney), linalool (floral, citrus), eugenol (clove), and vanillin (vanilla). Odorants with FD factors of 64 included 2-phenylacetaldehyde (floral, honey), (2E,4E)-nona-2,4-dienal (fatty), methyl (E)-3-phenylprop-2-enoate (cinnamon), (E)-isoeugenol (clove), phenylacetic acid (honey), and 3-phenylpropanoic acid (floral). As a result of this study, a collection of odorants was identified that contribute to the pleasant aroma profile of dried shell ginger leaves. This study provided a foundation for future quantitative and sensory evaluations on the leaves of shell ginger and other plant organs such as roots and rhizomes.

Odorants from shell ginger leaves (Alpinia zerumbet)

ACS Fall 2021

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