A Pungent Principle of Ginger

Zingerone, a major pungent component of ginger,¹⁾ is used as a flavor because it smells spicy and sweet. Zingerone belongs to vanilloids such as capsaicin and eugenol, and is known for activating TRPV1, a receptor responding to heat and pain.²⁾ It has been reported to have various biological activities: i.e. antioxidant effect,³⁾ anti-inflammatory effect,⁴⁾ antimicrobial effect,⁵⁾ and an acceleratory effect of energy expenditure.⁶⁾ As such, it has been gaining a lot of attention.