Antimicrobial activity of species Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Alpinia purpurata (Vieill.) K. Schum. (Zingiberaceae) - Review

The functionality of nutraceutical foods is attributed to their bioactive compounds. These compounds are widely produced by plants, such as phenolic compounds, which have antioxidant activity and/or antimicrobial activity, acting against damage to macromolecules such as lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Secondary plant metabolites, including classes such as phenolic compounds, alkaloids, and terpenoids, have a wide variety of biological activities with medicinal potential. These secondary metabolites are considered bioactive compounds. The Zingiberaceae family received special attention for their large bioactive compound production. Such compounds are useful in foods as herbs, spices, flavorings, and seasonings and in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries as antioxidants and antimicrobials. Gingers are recognized as safe by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA), resulting in no side effects when consumed in moderate amounts. Recent studies show that, in addition to rhizomes, the leaves and flowers of some ginger species have antioxidant activity and consequent medicinal potential. Studies have demonstrated that in vitro and in vivo research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of ginger extracts and understand their role in the modulation of biological and molecular pathways, thus enabling the development of new therapeutic strategies. Thereby, the present work aims to provide a bibliographic review on the antimicrobial activity of Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Alpinia purpurata (Vieill.) K. Schum. (Zingiberaceae), popularly known as ginger and red ginger respectively, and their potential use in the One Health initiative.