6-Gingerol

6-Gingerol is a phenol (meaning a C6H5 phenyl bonded to hydroxy-OH) phytochemical with a chain length of 6. It is the most active ingredient in ginger with a molecular formula of C17H26O4. Its IUPAC name is (5S)-5-hydroxy-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)decan-3-one. 6-Gingerol is a pungent, pale yellow oil with a molar mass of 294.391g/mol, melting point of 31C, predicted boiling point of 453C and density of 1.1g/ml. Due to beta-hydroxy ketone, 6-gingerols are thermolabile and easily undergo dehydration to form Shogaols, dried ginger that is more pungent. 6-Gingerol in ginger gets transformed to Zingerone during cooking. Zingerone is less pungent and has a spicy-sweet odor and flavor. Hence, ginger is also used as a spice to enhance flavor in cooking and is added in a wide range of food such as tea, beer, bread, and cookies. 6-Gingerol has exhibited anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-tumor properties in research studies. It’s popular in Asian herbal medicine.

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