Etlingera elatior
Encyclopedia
Etlingera elatior is a species of herbaceous
perennial plant
. Botanical synonyms include Nicolaia elatior, Phaeomeria magnifica, Nicolaia speciosa, Phaeomeria speciosa, Alpinia elatior, Alpinia magnifica.
The showy pink flowers are used in decorative arrangements while the flower buds are an important ingredient in the Nonya
dish laksa
. In North Sumatra, the flower buds are used for a dish called arsik ikan mas (Andaliman/Szechuan pepper Spiced Carp)
It is known in Indonesian
as bunga kecombrang or honje, Malay
as bunga kantan and Thai
as ดาหลา daalaa.
In Karo, it is known as asam cekala (asam meaning 'sour'), and the flower buds, but more importantly the ripe seed pods, which are packed with small black seeds, are an essential ingredient of the Karo version of sayur asam
, and are particularly suited to cooking fresh fish.
(CGA), and three flavonoid
s quercitrin
, isoquecitrin and catechin
have been isolated. Content of CGA was significantly higher than flowers of Lonicera japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle), the commercial source. A protocol for producing a standardized herbal extract of CGA from leaves of E. elatior (40%) has been developed, compared to commercial CGA extracts from honeysuckle flowers (25%).
Leaves of E. elatior have the highest antioxidant, antibacterial and tyrosinase inhibition activities among five Etlingera species studied. Antioxidant properties (AOP) of leaves were significantly stronger than flowers and rhizomes. Leaves of highland populations had higher AOP values than lowland counterparts. Thermal drying of leaves led to drastic declines in AOP while freeze-dried leaves showed significant higher AOP values. Ethanolic extracts of inflorescences have antimicrobial activity and are cytotoxic to HeLa cells. Antioxidant activity of diarylheptanoids isolated from rhizomes is greater than α-tocopherol.
E. elatior has an antioxidant
effect against lead-induced hepatotoxicity
in rats.
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
perennial plant
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
. Botanical synonyms include Nicolaia elatior, Phaeomeria magnifica, Nicolaia speciosa, Phaeomeria speciosa, Alpinia elatior, Alpinia magnifica.
The showy pink flowers are used in decorative arrangements while the flower buds are an important ingredient in the Nonya
Nonya Food
Peranakan or Nonya cuisine combines Chinese, Malay and other influences into a unique blend.Peranakans are descendants of early Chinese migrants who settled in Penang, Malacca, Indonesia and Singapore, inter-marrying with local Malays...
dish laksa
Laksa
Laksa is a popular spicy noodle soup from the Peranakan culture, which is a merger of Chinese and Malay elements found in Malaysia and Singapore, and to a lesser extent Indonesia.- Origin :The origin of the name "laksa" is unclear...
. In North Sumatra, the flower buds are used for a dish called arsik ikan mas (Andaliman/Szechuan pepper Spiced Carp)
It is known in Indonesian
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
as bunga kecombrang or honje, Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
as bunga kantan and Thai
Thai language
Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
as ดาหลา daalaa.
In Karo, it is known as asam cekala (asam meaning 'sour'), and the flower buds, but more importantly the ripe seed pods, which are packed with small black seeds, are an essential ingredient of the Karo version of sayur asam
Sayur Asem
Sayur asem or sayur asam is a popular Indonesian tamarind dish. Common ingredients are peanuts, young jackfruit, melinjo, bilimbi, chayote, long beans, all cooked in tamarind-based soups and sometimes enriched with beef stock. Quite often, the recipe also includes corn.The origin of the dish can be...
, and are particularly suited to cooking fresh fish.
Chemistry
From the leaves of E. elatior, three caffeoylquinic acids including chlorogenic acidChlorogenic acid
Chlorogenic acid is a hydroxycinnamic acid, a member of a family of naturally occurring organic compounds. These are esters of polyphenolic caffeic acid and cyclitol -quinic acid. It is an important biosynthetic intermediate. It also is one of the phenols found in coffee, bamboo Phyllostachys...
(CGA), and three flavonoid
Flavonoid
Flavonoids , are a class of plant secondary metabolites....
s quercitrin
Quercitrin
Quercitrin is a glycoside formed from the flavonoid quercetin and the deoxy sugar rhamnose. It is a constituent of the dye quercitron. It can be found in Tartary buckwheat ....
, isoquecitrin and catechin
Catechin
Catechin is a natural phenol antioxidant plant secondary metabolite. The term catechins is also commonly used to refer to the related family of flavonoids and the subgroup flavan-3-ols ....
have been isolated. Content of CGA was significantly higher than flowers of Lonicera japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle), the commercial source. A protocol for producing a standardized herbal extract of CGA from leaves of E. elatior (40%) has been developed, compared to commercial CGA extracts from honeysuckle flowers (25%).
Leaves of E. elatior have the highest antioxidant, antibacterial and tyrosinase inhibition activities among five Etlingera species studied. Antioxidant properties (AOP) of leaves were significantly stronger than flowers and rhizomes. Leaves of highland populations had higher AOP values than lowland counterparts. Thermal drying of leaves led to drastic declines in AOP while freeze-dried leaves showed significant higher AOP values. Ethanolic extracts of inflorescences have antimicrobial activity and are cytotoxic to HeLa cells. Antioxidant activity of diarylheptanoids isolated from rhizomes is greater than α-tocopherol.
E. elatior has an antioxidant
Antioxidant
An antioxidant is a molecule capable of inhibiting the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons or hydrogen from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals. In turn, these radicals can start chain reactions. When...
effect against lead-induced hepatotoxicity
Hepatotoxicity
Hepatotoxicity implies chemical-driven liver damage.The liver plays a central role in transforming and clearing chemicals and is susceptible to the toxicity from these agents. Certain medicinal agents, when taken in overdoses and sometimes even when introduced within therapeutic ranges, may injure...
in rats.
Gallery
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