Zingiber zerumbet(L.) Smith: A Review of Its Ethnomedicinal, Chemical, and Pharmacological Uses

Abstract

Zingiber zerumbetSm., locally known to the Malay as “Lempoyang,” is a perennial herb found in many tropical countries, including Malaysia. The rhizomes ofZ. zerumbet, particularly, have been regularly used as food flavouring and appetizer in various Malays' cuisines while the rhizomes extracts have been used in Malay traditional medicine to treat various types of ailments (e.g., inflammatory- and pain-mediated diseases, worm infestation and diarrhea). Research carried out using differentin vitroandin vivoassays of biological evaluation support most of these claims. The active pharmacological component ofZ. zerumbetrhizomes most widely studied is zerumbone. This paper presents the botany, traditional uses, chemistry, and pharmacology of this medicinal plant.