An overview on inventions related to ginger processing and products for food and pharmaceutical applications.

The rhizome of Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Zingiberaceae), commonly known as ginger, is one of the most widely used spice and condiment. The nonvolatile pungent compounds (namely gingerols, shogaols, paradols, and zingerone) are some of the extensively studied phytochemicals and account for the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiemetic, and gastro protective activities. This review a persuasive presentation of the current information regarding the patents that have been granted during the last decade related to the processing of ginger with an emphasis on the methods of extraction and mechanisms exploited for health claims for ginger-containing foods and pharmaceutical compositions. Further studies are required for the validation of the beneficial uses of ginger. Formulation for novel products and new usages may emerge in the years to come, basing on the revealed results of various studies.