Kaempferia galanga: Prospects of Northeast India

Dr Sukriti Dutta

(The writer is Assistant Professor Debraj Roy College, Golaghat.

Can be reached at sukritidutta56@gmail.com)

Northeast India is one of the richest natural reservoirs of the country mainly for its biodiversity and heritage for which the region is known to the world. Being an integral part of one of the mega biodiversity hotspots of the world, the region needs special attention to study its resources. Nature gives herbs for the synthesis of medicinal compounds present in them having great economic viability. Sense of utilization of herbs has been acquired since old age. Kaempferia galanga, commonly known as aromatic ginger, Chandramula in Hindi, Ganthiyon in Assamese and Chandramoolika in Sanskrit under the family Zingiberaceae is found in open areas of Indonesia, Southern China, Taiwan, Cambodia and India. It is a genus of about 70 species found in Africa and South-East Asia. In India, it is grown in the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, states of the Northeast and West Bengal. A few species are grown undercover in cold areas and grown as ground cover in the tropics. The main purpose of the cultivation of K galangal is its aromatic and other medicinal properties. It is also used as a herb in cooking in Indonesia and especially in Javanese cuisines. Decoction of the rhizome powder with honey cures cough and pectoral infections. Leaves and rhizomes of K galanga are used to treat swelling, headache, toothache, stomachache, and rheumatism in traditional medicines. Due to the presence of many important bioactive compounds like ethyl-p-methoxycinnamate that is the indicator of antimicrobial and antineoplastic activity. Similarly, ethyl cinnamate present in Kaempferia essential oil is used as vasorelaxant. Luteolin and apigenin are good antioxidant agents having many medicinal activities. A natural flavonoid Kaempferol has the properties to reduce the risk of lung and pancreatic cancer. The sedative activity of K. galanga is due to the presence of ethyl trans-p-methoxycinnamate and ethyl-cinnamate that inhibit locomotors activity. Essential oils extracted from the rhizomes of K. galanga have shown considerable repellent and larvicidal activity against several mosquito species. More than this, a purified extract of K. galanga and polyester-8 stabilize the UV-absorptive properties of sunscreen combinations containing avobenzone.

As it has already been mentioned that K. galanga is usually cultivated for its medicinal properties, therefore, the growth, yield and quality of the plant depend on its planting time and type of seed material. Good quality mother rhizomes should be planted in the spring season generally. It takes 7 to 8 months for maturing. After that those rhizomes are harvested and extraction of essential oil is done as per standard protocol. The essential oil of the rhizome gives yellow colouration on steam distillation and yields up to 2.5%. The present rate of dry rhizome of K. galanga is Rs.300 to 400/ kg and the price of essential oil is Rs. 15,000-17,000 /kg in India which can be helpful for the farmers to increase their earnings.

Since, K. galanga essential oil exhibits a wide range of biological activities and may be used in aromatherapy, cosmetics, food flavouring, fragrances and pharmaceuticals. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the cultivation of this valuable medicinal plant with superior quality. Due to the limited improved varieties, there is a need for superior varieties of K. galanga for high essential oil yield and rhizome yield. Keeping this in view Dr Mohan Lal, scientist, CSIR- North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat and his co-workers identified a high essential oil and rhizome yielding variety named Jor Lab K-1 based on two years of multi-location trial data compared with the check variety 'Rajni'.

Cultivation of the superior variety of K. galanga is very much beneficial to the farmers as well as pharmaceutical industries and net return will be too much higher as compared to the other varieties of K. galanga which will lead to income generation of the rural people and entrepreneur development. Moreover, the Ministry of AYUSH recently has taken necessary steps to identify the plants having medicinal properties found in North East India. Because the entire Northeast has all the potential to develop into 'Medicine Hub' taking full advantage of the biodiversity of the region.