Etlingera elatior

Etlingera elatior
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Etlingera
Species: E. elatior
Binomial name
Etlingera elatior
(Jack) R.M. Sm.

Etlingera elatior (also known as Torch Ginger, Ginger Flower, Red Ginger Lily, Torch Lily, Wild Ginger, Combrang, Bunga Siantan, Philippine Wax Flower, Xiang Bao Jiaing, Indonesian Tall Ginger, Boca de Dragón, Rose de Porcelaine, Porcelain Rose) is a species of herbaceous perennial plant . Botanical synonyms include Nicolaia elatior,[1] Phaeomeria magnifica,[1] Nicolaia speciosa, Phaeomeria speciosa, Alpinia elatior, Alpinia magnifica.

The showy pink flowers are used in decorative arrangements while the flower buds are an important ingredient in the Nonya dish laksa. In North Sumatra, the flower buds are used for a dish called arsik ikan mas (Andaliman/Szechuan pepper Spiced Carp)

It is known in Indonesian as bunga kecombrang or honje, Malay as bunga kantan and Thai as ดาหลา daalaa.

In Karo, it is known as asam cekala (asam meaning 'sour'), and the flower buds, but more importantly the ripe seed pods, which are packed with small black seeds, are an essential ingredient of the Karo version of sayur asam, and are particularly suited to cooking fresh fish.

Contents

Chemistry

From the leaves of E. elatior, three caffeoylquinic acids including chlorogenic acid (CGA), and three flavonoids quercitrin, isoquecitrin and catechin have been isolated.[2] Content of CGA was significantly higher than flowers of Lonicera japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle), the commercial source.[3] A protocol for producing a standardized herbal extract of CGA from leaves of E. elatior (40%) has been developed, compared to commercial CGA extracts from honeysuckle flowers (25%).[2]

Leaves of E. elatior have the highest antioxidant, antibacterial and tyrosinase inhibition activities among five Etlingera species studied.[4] Antioxidant properties (AOP) of leaves were significantly stronger than flowers and rhizomes. Leaves of highland populations had higher AOP values than lowland counterparts. Thermal drying of leaves led to drastic declines in AOP while freeze-dried leaves showed significant higher AOP values.[2] Ethanolic extracts of inflorescences have antimicrobial activity and are cytotoxic to HeLa cells.[5] Antioxidant activity of diarylheptanoids isolated from rhizomes is greater than α-tocopherol.[6] E. elatior has an antioxidant effect against lead-induced hepatotoxicity in rats.[7]

Gallery

Etlingera elatior
 
 
 
 

Similar species

Notes

  1. ^ a b Riffle, Robert Lee (1998). The tropical look: an encyclopedia of dramatic landscape plants, Timber Press, ISBN 9780881924220, p. 167
  2. ^ a b c Chan, E.W.C. (2009). “Bioactivities and chemical constituents of leaves of some Etlingera species (Zingiberaceae) in Peninsular Malaysia”. Ph.D. thesis, Monash University, 305 p., http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/149589.
  3. ^ Chan, E.W.C., et al.; Lim, Y.Y.; Ling, S.K.; Tan, S.P.; Lim, K.K.; Khoo, M.G.H. (2009). "Caffeoylquinic acids from leaves of Etlingera species (Zingiberaceae)". LWT - Food Science and Technology 42 (5): 1026–1030. doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2009.01.003. 
  4. ^ Chan, E.W.C., et al.; Lim, Y; Omar, M (2007). "Antioxidant and antibacterial activity of leaves of Etlingera species (Zingiberaceae) in Peninsular Malaysia". Food Chemistry 104 (4): 1586–1593. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.03.023. 
  5. ^ Mackeen, M.M., et al.; Ali, A.M.; El-Sharkawy, S.H.; Manap, M.Y.; Salleh, K.M.; Lajis, N.H.; Kawazu, K. (1997). "Antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties of some Malaysian traditional vegetables (ulam)". Pharmaceutical Biology 35 (3): 174–178. doi:10.1076/phbi.35.3.174.13294. 
  6. ^ Habsah, M., et al.; Lajis, NH; Abas, F; Ali, AM; Sukari, MA; Kikuzaki, H; Nakatani, N (2005). "Antioxidative constituents of Etlingera elatior". Journal of Natural Products 68 (2): 285–288. doi:10.1021/np040098l. PMID 15730265. 
  7. ^ Haleagrahara N, Jackie T, Chakravarthi S, Rao M, Kulur A"Protective effect of Etlingera elatior (torch ginger) extract on lead acetate--induced hepatotoxicity in rats." J Toxicol Sci. 2010;35(5):663-71
  8. ^ a b c d Chan, E.W.C. et al.; Lim, Y.Y.; Wong, L.F.; Lianto, F.S.; Wong, S.K.; Lim, K.K.; Joe, C.E.; Lim, T.Y. (2008). "Antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibition properties of leaves and rhizomes of ginger species". Food Chemistry 109 (3): 477–483. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.02.016. 
  9. ^ a b Chan, E.W.C. et al.; Lim, Y; Wong, S; Lim, K; Tan, S; Lianto, F; Yong, M (2009). "Effects of different drying methods on the antioxidant properties of leaves and tea of ginger species". Food Chemistry 113 (1): 166–172. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.07.090.