Abstract:
Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) rhizomes are mostly used as spice and medicine due to their high aroma intensity and
medicinal bioactive compounds. However, the volatile compounds of ginger, partly responsible for its aroma and medicinal
properties, can be affected by the pretreatment, drying method, and extraction processes employed. %e objective of this study was
to assess the effects of pretreatment and drying on the volatile compounds of yellow ginger variety at nine months of maturation.
%e effect of potassium metabisulfite (KMBS) and blanching pretreatment and drying on the volatile compounds of ginger using
head space solid-phase microextraction with GCMS/MS identification (HS-SPME/GCMS/MS) was investigated. KMBS of
concentrations 0.0 (control), 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, and 1.0% and blanching at 50°C and 100°C were used for pretreatment and dried in a
tent-like concrete solar (CSD) dryer and open-sun drying (OSD). %e different concentrations of KMBS-treated fresh ginger
rhizomes did not result in any particular pattern for volatile compound composition identification. However, the top five
compounds were mostly sesquiterpenes. %e 0.15% KMBS-treated CSD emerged as the best pretreatment for retaining
α-zingiberene, β-cubebene, α-farnesene, and geranial. The presence of β-cedrene, β-carene, and dihydro-α-curcumene makes this
study unique. %e 0.15% KMBS pretreatment and CSD drying can be adopted as an affordable alternative to preserve ginger.
