Pharmacognostic evaluation and physicochemical screening of the rhizomes of Zingiber officinale (Ginger)

Zingiber officinale is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. Zingiber officinale locally known as ‘Ginger’, in the pharmacognostic evaluation it revealed the availability of components like oil globules, Oleo-resin cells, Starch grains, which may have their individual role. The physicochemical screening of Zingiber officinale aimed towards to the evaluation of purity of crude drug and was found to be FOM (1.53%), Moisture content (12.12%), Total ash value (8.33%), Acid insoluble ash value (1.6%), Water soluble ash value (05%), Alcohol and Water soluble extractive value (2.4 and 8.3%) respectively. The study will provide referential information for the good quality, purity and identification for the future batches of Zingiber officinale.