Abstract:
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) has been widely used in Ayurveda and Chi-
nese medicine and has been commonly used as a spice from ancient times. In Sri
Lanka, ginger is cultivated as a commercial crop hence there is an abundant harvest.
The water-soluble powder form of Ginger rhizome (Ardraka Satva in Ayurveda) is an
effective preparation for many disease conditions. In this study an approach was made
to produce a water-soluble powder form of fresh ginger rhizome as an easy-to-use
dosage form, considering the availability. Local ginger variety was selected as a re-
search drug and three samples were prepared per standard procedures. Cleaned fresh
ginger rhizomes were cut into pieces and crushed. Then, crushed rhizomes were kept
for one night to obtain the sediment by adding four parts of water. Next day white
color powder extract was obtained after removing the supernatant water and drying
the powder in shade. This preparation in an easy-to-use dosage form was evaluated
for organoleptic, physicochemical, phytochemical, and chromatographic parameters
and also detected the shelf life of the finished product for six months at room temper-
ature. Results revealed that the moisture content of the ginger extract was 9.01% and
the ash value was 0.43%. The water-soluble ash value was 0.37%. Phytochemical
analysis of hot water extract of ginger extract revealed the presence of starch and
alkaloids only. TLC studies were done by using the solvent system of toluene: ethyl
acetate: formic acid-9:1:2 ratio. In the chromatographic study, it showed a prominent
area with a 0.4 Rf value. After six months the shelf life study showed similar organ-
oleptic features of the dried powder. Results of these physicochemical, phytochemi-
cal, pharmacognostic and TLC analysis can be used as standards of Ginger extract
and this research also seek to enhance the value of ginger crops in Sri Lanka by trans-
forming excess harvests into innovative and easy-to-use dosage forms. The project
not only has the potential to bolster the agricultural sector but also provides consumers
with user-friendly, ginger-infused products, thereby fostering a positive impact on
public health and the economy while promoting sustainable resource utilization.
