Abstract:
Wild ginger, Siphonochilus aethiopicus, is a traditional remedy for the treatment of
allergic asthma and other conditions. Preparations include hot infusions of rhizomes
and steaming of the rhizomes and inhalation of the vapour. Volatile compounds in the
vapour phase (representing the fraction that is inhaled) of both (1) a hot water infusion
of fresh and air dried rhizomes and of (2) rhizomes were concentrated by head space
solid phase microextraction (H/S-SPME) and analysed by gas chromatography with
time of flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOFMS). Eucalyptol (1,8-cineole) was the major compound present in the vapour phase of a hot water infusion of fresh and dried
rhizomes, and was also present as one of three major compounds in the vapour phase
of fresh rhizomes. The drying of rhizomes caused a significant loss of eucalyptol and
other compounds. Eucalyptol reportedly controls airway mucus hypersecretion and
asthma. As such the presence of eucalyptol in the vapour phase of hot preparations
may contribute to the anecdotal effectiveness of S. aethiopicus as a decongestant and
traditional remedy for the treatment of allergic asthma.
