Physicochemical and Biological Activities of Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd. Essential Oil Extracted by Pulsed Electric Field and Ultrasonication Pretreatments of Hydrodistillation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48048/tis.2025.11087Keywords:
Galangal essential oil, Pulsed electric field, Ultrasonication, Hydrodistillation, Antimicrobial, AntioxidantAbstract
The Alpinia genus has long been used in many countries as a traditional medicine and is known for its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Galangal essential oils (GEO) increase the therapeutic potential of various Alpinia species. However, the extraction of high-quality GEO is challenging because of its low yield and inconsistent quality. This study investigated alternative pre-treatment methods before hydrodistillation of Alpinia galanga (L.): Pulsed electric field (PEF) with parameters 3000 V, 5000 Hz for 30 min and ultrasonication with parameters 50 W/m, A = 40%, for 30 min with the addition of distilled water 1:1 (v/m) Willd. PEF pre-treatment resulted in the highest GEO yield (0.88% ± 0.11%) and a greater proportion of 1,8-cineole (25.01%) compared to the control and ultrasonication pre-treatment. Furthermore, PEF significantly enhanced antioxidant activity, as shown by DPPH (41.88 ± 0.07 µg/mL) and ABTS (46.43 ± 0.02 µg/mL) assays. Both PEF and ultrasonication improved antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli than Staphylococcus aureus, with PEF demonstrated the highest inhibitory activity against Aspergillus niger compared to Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These results suggest that PEF is an effective green pre-treatment method fpr enhancing both yield and bioactivity of GEO form A. galanga (L.) Willd., highlighting its potential for application in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
HIGHLIGHTS
- This article is investigation of PEF and ultrasonication, as a pre-treatment distillation of galangal essential oil (GEO) from A. galanga (L.) Willd.
- This article described oil yield, essential oil composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities from GEO.
- PEF and ultrasonication are new preference for the pre-treatment method of distillation for A. galanga (L.) Willd.
- The GEO from PEF pre-treatment of A. galanga (L.) Willd. as potential antioxidant and antimicrobial agents in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Downloads
References
K Saeio, W Chaiyana and S Okonogi. Antityrosinase and antioxidant activities of essential oils of edible Thai plants. Drug Discoveries and Therapeutics 2011; 5(3), 144-149.
K Kheawfu, S Pikulkaew, W Chaisri and S Okonogi. Nanoemulsion: A suitable nanodelivery system of clove oil for anesthetizing Nile tilapia. Drug Discoveries and Therapeutics 2017; 11(4), 181-185.
N Khumpirapang, K Suknuntha, P Wongrattanakamon, S Jiranusornkul, S Anuchapreeda, P Wellendorph, A Müllertz, T Rades and S Okonogi. The binding of Alpinia galanga oil and its nanoemulsion to mammal GABAA receptors using rat cortical membranes and an in silico modeling platform. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14(3), 650.
TKT Do, F Hadji-Minaglou, S Antoniotti and X Fernandez. Authenticity of essential oils. Trends in Analytical Chemistry 2015; 66, 146-157.
S Jugreet, S Suroowan, RRK Rengasamy and MF Mahomoodally. Chemistry, bioactivities, mode of action and industrial applications of essential oils. Trends in Food Science and Technology 2020; 101(9), 89-105.
A Kumar. Phytochemistry, pharmacological activities and uses of traditional medicinal plant Kaempferia galanga L. - An overview. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2020; 253, 112667.
S Ghosh and L Rangan. Alpinia: The gold mine of future therapeutics. 3 Biotech 2013; 3(3), 173-185.
A Hamad, A Alifah, A Permadi and D Hartanti. Chemical constituents and antibacterial activities of crude extract and essential oils of Alpinia galanga and Zingiber officinale. International Food Research Journal 2016; 23(2), 837-841.
AS Upadhye, A Rajopadhye and L Dias. Development and validation of HPTLC fingerprints of three species of Alpinia with biomarker Galangin. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2018; 18(1), 16.
N Khumpirapang, S Pikulkaew, S Anuchapreeda and S Okonogi. Alpinia galanga oil - A new natural source of fish anaesthetic. Aquaculture Research 2018; 49(4), 1546-1556.
N Mahae and S Chaiseri. Antioxidant activities and antioxidative components in extracts of Alpinia galanga (L.) Sw. Agriculture and Natural Resources 2009; 43(2), 358-369.
ARY Eff and ST Rahayu. The antibacterial effects of essential oil from Galangal rhizome Alpinia galanga (Linn.) pierreon rat (Rattus norvegicus L.) were infected by Salmonella typhi. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research 2016; 9, 189-193.
T Budiati, W Suryaningsih, S Umaroh, B Poerwanto, A Bakri and E Kurniawati. Antimicrobial activity of essential oil from Indonesian medicinal plants against food-borne pathogens. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 2018; 207, 12036.
S Singh, S Sahoo, BC Sahoo, B Naik, M Dash, S Nayak and B Kar. Enhancement of bioactivities of rhizome essential oil of Alpinia galanga (Greater galangal) through nanoemulsification. Journal of Essential Oil Bearing Plants 2021; 24(3), 648-657.
D Mandal, T Sarkar and R Chakraborty. Critical review on nutritional, bioactive, and medicinal potential of spices and herbs and their application in food fortification and nanotechnology. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology 2023; 195(2), 1319-1513.
W Liang, X Ge, Q Lin, L Niu, W Zhao, M Muratkhan and W Li. Ternary composite degradable plastics based on Alpinia galanga essential oil Pickering emulsion templates: A potential multifunctional active packaging. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 2024; 257, 128580.
C Zhou, C Li, S Siva, H Cui and L Lin. Chemical composition, antibacterial activity and study of the interaction mechanisms of the main compounds present in the Alpinia galanga rhizomes essential oil. Industrial Crops and Products 2021; 165, 113441.
N Khumpirapang, S Pikulkaew, A Müllertz, T Rades and S Okonogi. Self-microemulsifying drug delivery system and nanoemulsion for enhancing aqueous miscibility of Alpinia galanga oil. PLoS One 2017; 12(11), e0188848.
G Das, JK Patra, S Gonçalves, A Romano, EP Gutiérrez-Grijalva and JB Heredia. Galangal, the multipotent super spices: A comprehensive review. Trends in Food Science and Technology 2020; 101, 50-62.
N Khumpirapang, S Chaichit, S Jiranusornkul, S Pikulkaew, A Müllertz and S Okonogi. In vivo anesthetic effect and mechanism of action of active compounds from Alpinia galanga oil on Cyprinus carpio (koi carp). Aquaculture 2018; 496, 176-184.
N Khumpirapang, LVG Jørgensen, A Müllertz, T Rades and S Okonogi. Formulation optimization, anesthetic activity, skin permeation, and transportation pathway of Alpinia galanga oil SNEDDS in zebrafish (Danio rerio). European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics 2021; 165, 193-202.
C Zhou, MA Abdel-Samie, C Li, H Cui and L Lin. Active packaging based on swim bladder gelatin/galangal root oil nanofibers: Preparation, properties and antibacterial application. Food Packaging and Shelf Life 2020; 26, 100586.
W Zhou, Y He, F Liu, L Liao, X Huang, R Li, Y Zou, L Zhou, L Zou, Y Liu, R Ruan and J Li. Carboxymethyl chitosan-pullulan edible films enriched with galangal essential oil: Characterization and application in mango preservation. Carbohydrate Polymers 2021; 256, 117579.
M Daru. Partnership expansion between farmers and the herbal medicine industry for community economic development. In: Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Assessment and Development of Agricultural Innovation, Bogor, Indonesia. 2021.
Q Liu, X Meng, Y Li, CN Zhao, GY Tang and HB Li. Antibacterial and antifungal activities of spices. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2017; 18(6), 1283.
C Wen , J Zhang, H Zhang, CS Dzah, M Zandileand, Y Duan, H Ma and X Luo. Advances in ultrasound assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from cash crops - A review. Ultrasonics Sonochemistry 2018; 48, 538-549.
LDSP Barros, EDNSD Cruz, BDA Guimarães, WN Setzer, RHV Mourão, JKDRD Silva, JSD Costa and PLB Figueiredo. Chemometric analysis of the seasonal variation in the essential oil composition and antioxidant activity of a new geraniol chemotype of Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E.Br. ex Britton & P. Wilson from the Brazilian Amazon. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 2022; 105, 104503.
G Bryant and J Wolfe. Electromechanical stresses produced in the plasma membranes of suspended cells by applied electric fields. The Journal of Membrane Biology 1987; 96(2), 129-139.
AK Jha and N Sit. Extraction of bioactive compounds from plant materials using combination of various novel methods: A review. Trends in Food Science and Technology 2022; 119, 579-591.
CMGC Renard. Bioactives in fruit and vegetables and their extraction processes: State of the art and perspectives. In: Proceedings of the Bio2actives 2017, Quimper, France. 2017.
S Sukardi, MH Pulungan and SNL Asmara. Pulsed electric field energy calculation to damage red galangal (Alpinia purpurata K. Scumm) rhizome slices and its essential oil yield and quality with hydrodistillation. Česká a Slovenská Farmacie 2022; 71(3), 103-115.
I Shorstkii, MS Mirshekarloo and E Koshevoi. Application of pulsed electric field for oil extraction from sunflower seeds: Electrical parameter effects on oil yield. Journal of Food Process Engineering 2017; 40(1), e12281.
LM Seydani, M Gharachorloo and G Asadi. Use of pulsed electric field to extract rapeseed oil and investigation of the qualitative properties of oils. Journal of Food Process Engineering 2022; 45(11), e14149.
LP Ferraz and EK Silva. Pulsed electric field-assisted extraction techniques for obtaining vegetable oils and essential oils: Recent progress and opportunities for the food industry. Separation and Purification Technology 2025; 354, 128833.
N Ghazanfari, FT Yazdi, SA Mortazavi and M Mohammadi. Using pulsed electric field pre-treatment to optimize coriander seeds essential oil extraction and evaluate antimicrobial properties, antioxidant activity, and essential oil compositions. LWT 2023; 182, 114852.
MMAN Ranjha, R Kanwal, B Shafique, RN Arshad, S Irfan, M Kieliszek, PŁ Kowalczewski, M Irfan, MZ Khalid, U Roobab and RM Aadil. A critical review on electric field: A novel technology for the extraction of phytoconstituents. Molecules 2021; 26(16), 4893.
IB Abubakar, I Malami, Y Yahaya and SM Sule. A review on the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Alpinia officinarum Hance. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2018; 224, 45-62.
L Bahmani, M Aboonajmi, A Arabhosseini and H Mirsaeedghazi. Effects of ultrasound pre-treatment on quantity and quality of essential oil of tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.) leaves. Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants 2018; 8, 47-52.
R Richa, R Kumar, RM Shukla and K Khan. Ultrasound assisted essential oil extraction technology: New boon in food industry. SKUAST Journal of Research 2020; 22(2), 78-85.
Q Ma, XD Fan, XC Liu, TQ Qiu and JG Jiang. Ultrasound-enhanced subcritical water extraction of essential oils from Kaempferia galangal L. and their comparative antioxidant activities. Separation and Purification Technology 2015; 150, 73-79.
KH Kwun, GJ Kim and HJ Shin. Ultrasonication assistance increases the efficiency of isoflavones extraction from kudzu (Pueraria lobata Ohwi) roots waste. Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering 2009; 14, 345-348.
VM Phan, T Junyusen, P Liplap and P Junyusen. Effects of ultrasonication and thermal cooking pretreatments on the extractability and quality of cold press extracted rice bran oil. Journal of Food Process Engineering 2019; 42(2), e12975.
R Costa, BD Zellner, ML Crupi, MRD Fina, MR Valentino, P Dugo, G Dugo and L Mondello. GC-MS, GC-O and enantio-GC investigation of the essential oil of Tarchonanthus camphoratus L. Flavour and Fragrance Journal 2008; 23(1), 40-48.
D Latimer and W George. Official methods of analysis 2023. AOAC International, Rockville, Maryland, 2023.
KHS Kouassi, M Bajji and H Jijakli. The control of postharvest blue and green molds of citrus in relation with essential oil-wax formulations, adherence and viscosity. Postharvest Biology and Technology 2012; 73, 122-128.
D Liang, B Feng, N Li, L Su, Z Wang, F Kong and Y Bi. Preparation, characterization, and biological activity of Cinnamomum cassia essential oil nano-emulsion. Ultrasonics Sonochemistry 2022; 86(4), 106009.
G Raj, DP Pradeep, C Yusufali, M Dan and S Baby. Chemical profiles of volatiles in four Alpinia species from Kerala, South India. Journal of Essential Oil Research 2013; 25(2), 97-102.
Y Wu, Y Wang, ZH Li, CF Wang, JY Wei, XL Li, PJ Wang, SF Zhou, SS Du, DY Huang and ZW Deng. Composition of the essential oil from Alpinia galanga rhizomes and its bioactivity on Lasioderma serricorne. Bulletin of Insectology 2014; 67(2), 247-254.
SV Nampoothiri, AN Menon, T Esakkidurai and K Pitchumani. Essential oil composition of Alpinia calcarata and Alpinia galanga rhizomes-a comparative study. Journal of Essential Oil Bearing Plants 2016; 19(1), 82-87.
L Zhang, C Pan, Z Ou, X Liang, Y Shi, L Chi, Z Zhang, X Zheng, C Li and H Xiang. Chemical profiling and bioactivity of essential oils from Alpinia officinarum Hance from ten localities in China. Industrial Crops and Products 2020; 153, 112583.
S Sahoo, S Singh, A Sahoo, BC Sahoo, S Jena, B Kar and S Nayak. Molecular and phytochemical stability of long term micropropagated greater galanga (Alpinia galanga) revealed suitable for industrial applications. Industrial Crops and Products 2020; 148, 112274.
F Chemat, MA Vian, and G Cravotto. Green extraction of natural products: Concept and principles. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2012; 13(7), 8615-8627.
M Barros, L Redondo, D Rego, C Serra and K Miloudi. Extraction of essential oils from plants by hydrodistillation with pulsed electric fields (PEF) pre-treatment. Applied Sciences 2022; 12(16), 8107.
S Carpentieri, AR Jambrak, G Ferrari and G Pataro. Pulsed electric field-assisted extraction of aroma and bioactive compounds from aromatic plants and food by-products. Frontiers in Nutrition 2022; 8, 792203.
HK Sandhu, P Sinha, N Emanuel, N Kumar, R Sami, E Khojah and AAM Al-Mushhin. Effect of ultrasound-assisted pretreatment on extraction efficiency of essential oil and bioactive compounds from citrus waste by-products. Separations 2021; 8(12), 244.
L Shen, S Pang, M Zhou, Y Sun, A Qayum, Y Liu, A Rashid, B Xu, Q Liang, H Ma and X Ren. A comprehensive review of ultrasonic assisted extraction (UAE) for bioactive components: Principles, advantages, equipment, and combined technologies. Ultrasonics Sonochemistry 2023; 101, 106646.
TM Attard, CR McElroy and AJ Hunt. Economic assessment of supercritical CO2 extraction of waxes as part of a maize stover biorefinery. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2015; 16(8), 17546-17564.
A Haji‐Moradkhani, R Rezaei and M Moghimi. Optimization of pulsed electric field‐assisted oil extraction from cannabis seeds. Journal of Food Process Engineering 2019; 42(4), e13028.
SB Urhe, A Dubey, PN Guru and S Nishani. Modern approaches for extracting plant bioactive compounds to enhance food security. In: A Kumar, RP Sah, B Gowda, JK Dey, A Debnath and B Das (Eds.). Enhancing crop resilience: Advances in climate smart crop production technologies. BIOTICA, Tripura, India, 2024, p. 80-98.
L Jirovetz, G Buchbauer, MP Shafi and NK Leela. Analysis of the essential oils of the leaves, stems, rhizomes and roots of the medicinal plant Alpinia galanga from southern India. Acta Pharmaceutica 2003; 53(2), 73-81.
SS Hati, GA Dimari, GO Egwu and VO Ogugbuaja. Specific gravity and antibacterial assays of some synthetic industrial essential oils. Science World Journal 2010; 5(1), 11-15.
KGD Babu and VK Kaul. Variation in essential oil composition of rose‐scented geranium (Pelargonium sp.) distilled by different distillation techniques. Flavour Fragrance Journal 2005; 20(2), 222-231.
F Amezouar, W Badri, M Hsaine, N Bourhim and H Fougrach. Chemical composition, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of leaves essential oil and ethanolic extract of moroccan Warionia saharae Benth. & Coss. Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science 2012; 2(5), 212-217.
RP Raina, SK Verma and Z Abraham. Volatile constituents of essential oils isolated from Alpinia galanga Willd. (L.) and A. officinarum Hance rhizomes from North East India. Journal of Essential Oil Research 2014; 26(1), 24-28.
NM Devi, S Nagarajan, CB Singh, MMA Khan, A Khan, N Khan, MH Mahmoud, H Fouad and A Ansari. Antioxidant, diabetic and inflammatory activities of Alpinia calcarata Roscoe extract. Chemistry and Biodiversity 2024; 21, e202300970.
W Zhou, Y Sun, L Zou, L Zhou and W Liu. Effect of galangal essential oil emulsion on quality attributes of cloudy pineapple juice. Frontiers in Nutrition 2021; 8, 751405.
C Zhou, MA Abdel-Samie, C Li, H Cui and L Lin. Active packaging based on swim bladder gelatin/galangal root oil nanofibers: Preparation, properties and antibacterial application. Food Packaging and Shelf Life 2020; 26(12), 100586.
RA Destryana, T Estiasih, Sukardi and D Pranowo. The potential uses of Galangal (Alpinia sp.) essential oils as the sources of biologically active compounds. AIMS Agriculture and Food 2024; 9(4), 1064-1109.
P Tongnuanchan and S Benjakul. Essential oils: Extraction, bioactivities, and their uses for food preservation. Journal of Food Science 2014; 79(7), R1231-R1249.
AK Ramanunny, S Wadhwa, SK Singh, B Kumar, M Gulati, A Kumar, S Almawash, AA Saqr, K Gowthamarajan, K Dua, H Singh, S Vishwasa, R Khursheed, SR Parveena, A Venkatesan, KR Paudel, PM Hansbro and DK Chellappan. Topical non-aqueous nanoemulsion of Alpinia galanga extract for effective treatment in psoriasis: In vitro and in vivo evaluation. International Journal of Pharmaceutics 2022; 624, 121882.
HT Van, TD Thang, TN Luu and VD Doan. An overview of the chemical composition and biological activities of essential oils from: Alpinia genus (Zingiberaceae). RSC Advances 2021; 11(60), 37767-37783.
S Özkinali, N Şener, M Gür, K Güney and Ç Olgun. Antimicrobial activity and chemical composition of coriander & galangal essential oil. Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Education and Research 2017; 5(3), 221-224.
YQ Zhou, H Liu, MX He, R Wang, QQ Zeng, Y Wang, WC Ye and QW Zhang. A review of the botany, phytochemical, and pharmacological properties of Galangal: Greater galangal (Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd.) and lesser galangal (Alpinia officinarum Hance). In: AM Grumezescu and AM Holban (Eds.). Natural and artificial flavoring agents and food dyes. Academic Press, London, 2018, p. 351-396.
AK Ramanunnya, S Wadhwa, M Gulati, S Vishwas, R Khursheed, KR Paudel, S Gupta, O Porwal, SM Alshahrani, NK Jha, DK Chellappan, P Prasher, G Gupta, J Adams, K Dua, D Tewaria and SK Singh. Journey of Alpinia galanga from kitchen spice to nutraceutical to folk medicine to nanomedicine. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2021; 291, 115144.
R Wanna, P Khaengkhan and H Bozdoğan. Chemical compositions and fumigation effects of essential oils derived from cardamom, Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton, and Galangal, Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd, against red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Plants 2024; 13(3), 1845.
HNB Marzoug, M Romdhane, A Lebrihi, F Mathieu, F Couderc, M Abderraba, ML Khouja and J Bouajila. Eucalyptus oleosa essential oils: Chemical composition and antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the oils from different plant parts (stems, leaves, flowers and fruits). Molecules 2011; 16(2), 1695-1709.
ER Hendry, T Worthington, BR Conway and PA Lambert. Antimicrobial efficacy of eucalyptus oil and 1,8-cineole alone and in combination with chlorhexidine digluconate against microorganisms grown in planktonic and biofilm cultures. The Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 2009; 64(6), 1219-1225.
A Snene, RE Mokni, H Jmii, I Jlassi, H Jaïdane, D Falconieri, A Piras, H Dhaouadi, S Porcedda and S Hammamia. In vitro antimicrobial, antioxidant and antiviral activities of the essential oil and various extracts of wild (Daucus virgatus (Poir.) Maire) from Tunisia. Industrial Crops and Products 2017; 109, 109-115.
P Satyal, JD Craft, NS Dosoky and WN Setzer. The chemical compositions of the volatile oils of garlic (Allium sativum) and wild garlic (Allium vineale). Foods 2017; 6(8), 63.
E Ovidi, VL Masci, M Zambelli, A Tiezzi, S Vitalini and S Garzoli. Laurus nobilis, Salvia sclarea and Salvia officinalis essential oils and hydrolates: Evaluation of liquid and vapor phase chemical composition and biological activities. Plants 2021; 10(4), 707.
D Kifer, V Mužinić and MŠ Klarić. Antimicrobial potency of single and combined mupirocin and monoterpenes, thymol, menthol and 1,8-cineole against Staphylococcus aureus planktonic and biofilm growth. The Journal of Antibiotics 2016; 69(9), 689-696.
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Walailak University
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
