Identification of 1H-NMR characteristics for black ginger specimens from different places of origin

Abstract

Black ginger (Kaempferia parviflora) is a short-lived ginger plant with dark purple colored root and is known to be effective in treating diabetes and obesity. To find out the difference in the characteristics of the black ginger according to the variety of production, 1D proton NMR experiments were performed on 4 types of black gingers from different regions. The NMR spectra of all black ginger showed the characteristic peaks of the polymethoxy flavone compounds, and the chemical shifts and intensity of peaks showed slight differences depending of the type of black ginger implying the difference in molecular environment. These initial NMR experiments can be applied to the identification of the diversity of black ginger in physiological function according to the climate of regions using SNIF-NMR (Site-specific Natural Isotope Fractionation studied by NMR).