PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF BITTER GINGER (Zingiber zerumbet SMITH) CULTIVATED IN MANAUS, AMAZONAS

The Amazonian biodiversity houses numerous plant species with high potential in traditional medicine. However, there remains a need to deepen studies on medicinal plants to encourage the prospection of natural compounds and validate their therapeutic use, particularly in the treatment of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), which are among the leading causes of global mortality. Given this scenario, research has turned to bitter ginger (Zingiber zerumbet Smith), which contains zerumbone as the active principle responsible for several biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, hepatoprotective, and antitumor properties. In this context, the present study aimed to characterize the physicochemical parameters of the in natura rhizome of bitter ginger (Zingiber zerumbet) to establish its viability as a strategic raw material for the bioprospecting of new treatments for NCDs. The in natura rhizomes and roots were cut, crushed, weighed, and divided into triplicates for the evaluation of physicochemical parameters, such as proximate composition, hydrogen potential and color. The results for the in natura rhizomes highlighted the energy value (100.21 kcal.g^-1), moisture content (84.09 g.g^-1), crude fiber (17.18 g.g^-1), dry matter (15.91 g.g^-1), carbohydrates (9.84 g.g^-1), proteins (7.04 g.g^‑1), lipids (3.63 g.g^-1), and ash (3.62 g.g^-1). The pH value was 11.03, indicating alkalinity. Color determination of the in natura bitter ginger showed a trend toward red, with values between 9.32 and 10.68, and toward yellow, between 27.23 and 29.45. Luminosity was intermediate, ranging from 49.19 to 50.84. The physicochemical analysis of bitter ginger diverged from literature data, likely due to differences in material processing. Regarding color attributes, it was observed that although there is a slight trend toward red, the yellow chroma presented a higher value, in addition to intermediate luminosity.