Sunth (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) refers to the dried rhizome of ginger, a widely used spice and medicinal herb in Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine. It is well-known for both its warming qualities and strong flavor. Sunth is highly valued for its anti-inflammatory, digestive, antiemetic, and antioxidant activities.
Dry Ginger Scientific Name
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Angiosperms
- Class: Monocots
- Order: Zingiberales
- Family: Zingiberaceae
- Genus: Zingiber
- Species: Zingiber officinale Roscoe
Common Names
- English: Dry Ginger
- Sanskrit: Sunthi / Nagara
- Hindi: Sonth / Sounth
- Tamil: Chukku
- Telugu: Sonti
- Bengali: Shunti
- Marathi: Soonth
Sunth Uses
- Digestive Health – Acts as a powerful digestive stimulant and carminative, Helps treat indigestion, bloating, flatulence, and loss of appetite.
- Anti-inflammatory and Analgesic – Used for joint pain, rheumatism, and arthritis due to its anti-inflammatory effects.
- Respiratory Benefits – Helpful in cough, cold, bronchitis, and asthma by acting as an expectorant and mucolytic.
- Antiemetic and Nausea Relief – Traditionally used to prevent nausea and vomiting, especially morning sickness and motion sickness.
- Metabolic Booster – Used in weight management and metabolic disorders for its thermogenic action.
- Gingerols: [6]-Gingerol (main bioactive in fresh ginger)
- Shogaols: [6]-Shogaol (formed during drying process, more potent)
- Zingerone
- Paradols
- Essential Oils: Zingiberene, β-Bisabolene, α-Farnesene
- Flavonoids: Quercetin, Kaempferol
- Others: Diarylheptanoids, Terpenes
Phytochemical Constituents
Sunth contains various bioactive compounds that contribute to its pharmacological effects. The primary constituents include:
References
Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part-I, Volume IV, Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India.
Bhavaprakasha Nighantu by Bhavamishra – Haritakyadi Varga.
Masuda, Y., et al. (2004). “Chemical studies on antioxidant mechanism of ginger constituents: Isolation of [6]-shogaol and characterization of its antioxidative activity.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 52(8), 2522–2527.
Ali, B. H., Blunden, G., Tanira, M. O., & Nemmar, A. (2008). “Some phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological properties of ginger (Zingiber officinale): A review of recent research.” Food and Chemical Toxicology, 46(2), 409–420.
European Medicines Agency (EMA). “Assessment report on Zingiber officinale Roscoe, rhizoma.” EMA/HMPC/749348/2009