Reversed phase HPLC-DAD profiling of zerumbone in rhizome of Zingiber ottensii, extracted with different solvents

The rhizome of Zingiber ottensii Valeton (ZOT) has been traditionally used in Thailand for the treatment of flatulence, wounds, peptic ulcers, and muscle pain. Several studies revealed promising anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of ZOT extracts, particularly the essential oil and its bioactive compound, zerumbone [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ]. Recently, we have developed and validated the HPLC method for analysis of zerumbone in ZOT rhizomes [ 4 ]. In this study, our experiments were designed to evaluate the HPLC profile of zerumbone in ZOT rhizomes that were steamed (120°C for 60 min using an autoclave), dried, and then extracted with three different solvents (n-hexane, 95% ethanol, and distilled water), comparing with non-steamed rhizomes. n-hexane extracts of ZOT rhizomes had two specific peaks, while there were three specific peaks in 95% ethanol extracts. Among these peaks, zerumbone is a major constituent in both steamed and non-steamed ZOT rhizomes extracted with n-hexane and ethanol, which was eluted at a retention time of 33.4 min. However, it was not detected in the both ZOT rhizomes extracted with distilled water. Under steaming process, the content of zerumbone significantly decreased by about 11% and 20% respectively in n-hexane and ethanol extracts of steamed rhizomes compared with non-steamed rhizomes. Besides, it should be noted that n-hexane extracts of steamed and non-steamed ZOT rhizome also contained higher content of zerumbone compared to ethanol extracts. Overall, these results suggested that the steaming process had negative impacts on zerumbone content in ZOT rhizomes, which might affect their biological activities. Publication History Article published online: 05 March 2026 © 2026. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany