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Zingiber mioga (“white arrow”, Japanese myoga)

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Zingiber mioga grows best in zones 8-11. This ornamental ginger produces orchid-like creamy yellow flowers near the ground and has glossy 3-foot stems and long green leaves streaked and edged white.

This is not the common ginger (Zingiber officinale) that is found in the grocery market and does not produce an edible root. Ginger is a perennial flowering rhizome (“rootstalk”) plant. Rhizomes are below ground (subterranean) plant stems that can send out roots and shoots from its node–typically extending horizontally, but also able to grow vertically.

Habitat/Growing Information.

Zingiber mioga is hardier than Zingiber officinale allowing Z. mioga to survive the Pacific Northwest weather and can be planted outdoors. It is reported to survive up to -10 degrees F. This plant likes moist soil and the morning sun and/or light shade. While it likes sun, make sure the light is filtered or indirect. New ginger plants require 1-3 yrs of uninterrupted/undisturbed growth before they will flower. If planting in a pot, make sure it is medium-deep and wide as this ginger spreads horizontally as well. Its orchid-like flowers bloom at the base of the plant.

Parts utilized.

The flowers (especially the buds) and shoots from Zingiber mioga may be cooked and eaten but its root is inedible. The unopened buds are somewhat of a delicacy (sometimes pickled), and the young shoots are commonly used in Japanese cuisine. Z. mioga has a milder flavor yet still distinctively “ginger”. The larger leaves may be used to wrap (and infuse flavor into) rice balls.

Properties.

The characteristic “pungent” flavor of this Z. mioga was identified as being comprised of 2-alkyl-3-methoxypyrazine, (E)-8-B-(17)-epoxylabd-12-ene-15, and 16-dial (miogadial, aframodial) (Abe et al., 2004). Miogadial is responsible for the flower buds’ flavor.

Z. mioga has historically been used: as anti-nausea; anti-migraine; anti-inflammation; anti-constipation; anti-diabetes; and other rheumatic and gastrointestinal maladies (Han, Lee, Kim, & Lee, 2015; Sharifi-Rad et al., 2017). Young flower buds and parts of the stem below ground (which contain zingerene, zingerone, shogaol, and B-phellandrene) have been used to attenuate menstrual issues, heart disease, and eye inflammation (Han et al., 2015).

Ginger oil extracted from the rhizome has active antimicrobial components a-zingiberene, ar-curcumene, b-bisabolene, and b-sesquiphellandrene (Sharifi-Rad et al., 2017). Gingerols are the main contributers from fresh rhizome; shogaols are the main contributors from dehydrated Z. mioga preparations (Sharifi-Rad et al., 2017). Due to the growing prevalence of drug-resistant microbials, scientists are trying to find more “natural” solutions (especially in food preservatives).

Z. mioga demonstrated antifungal effects on Candida albicans and Fusarium species (Sharifi-Rad et al., 2017). Ginger also demonstrated antibacterial effects on Pseudomona aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Salmonella typhi (Sharifi-Rad et al., 2017).

References

• https://www.seattletimes.com/life/tasty-ginger-can-look-good-in-the-garden-too/
• https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=ZIMI4
• https://www.southernliving.com/plants/ginger
• https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/134575/Zingiber-mioga/Details
• https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/151801-Zingiber-mioga
• https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/ornamental-ginger/ornamental-ginger-plant-varieties.htm
• https://www.gbif.org/species/2757086
• https://www.gardenclinic.com.au/how-to-grow-article/know-your-gingers
• https://homeguides.sfgate.com/ginger-plants-not-flower-71955.html
• https://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/aboutflowers/exoticflowers/gingers
• http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Zingiber+mioga
• https://www.flower-db.com/en//flower:1242
• https://www.uniprot.org/taxonomy/136225
• Abe, M., Ozawa, Y., Uda, Y., Yamada, F., Morimitsu, Y., Nakamura, Y., & Osawa, T. (2004). Antimicrobial activities of diterpene dialdehydes, constituents from myoga (Zingiber mioga Roscoe), and their quantitative analysis. Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry, 68(7), 1601-1604.
• Han, J., Lee, S., Kim, H., & Lee, C. (2015). MS-Based Metabolite Profiling of aboveground and root components of Zingiber mioga and officinale. Molecules, 20(9), 16170-16185.
• Sharifi-Rad, M., Varoni, E. M., Salehi, B., Sharifi-Rad, J., Matthews, K. R., Ayatollahi, S. A., … & Sharifi-Rad, M. (2017). Plants of the Genus Zingiber as Source of Antimicrobial Agents: from Tradition to Pharmacy.

Zingiber officinale

This is the common ginger that is found in the grocery market and used for cooking. Ginger is a perennial flowering rhizome (“rootstalk”) plant. Rhizomes are below ground (subterranean) plant stems that can send out roots and shoots from its node–typically extending horizontally, but also able to grow vertically.

Habitat/Growing Information.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Zingiber officinale grows best in zones 9-12. This species of ginger may be grown indoors (potted) in the Pacific Northwest area, but it is a tropical plant. It would not survive the PNW outdoors. However, another species of ginger, Zingiber mioga, would do better in the PNW climate.

Plant it in the spring. This plant likes moist soil (well-draining, not water-logged) and the morning sun and/or light shade. While it likes sun, make sure the light is filtered or indirect. It likes heat and humidity. When the leaves die in the fall, it is ready to harvest. New ginger plants require 1-3 yrs of uninterrupted/undisturbed growth before they will flower. If planting in a pot, make sure it is deep and wide as this ginger spreads horizontally as well.

Parts utilized.

The rhizome itself is what you see in the stores. However, the flower petals and the leaves may also be used in cooking. The petals can be hard/tough but are flavorful. Chop them up very fine. You can use them to season food (e.g. add flavor to oil/sauce) and extract/filter them out before serving. The buds (before flowering) are more tender and edible in whole. The leaves may also be used, but can be tough. They have the same flavor as the root, but less intense. Chop them up fine and/or extract/filter them out before serving. The leaves may also be dehydrated, used as a garnish (fresh/dehydrated), and used in teas.

Properties.

Ginger has long been used in Chinese cooking and in Chinese medicine (ginger is the Yang). It has: antioxidant properties; vitamin C; Fe, Mg, Ma, Ca, P, K, Na; flavonoids; and phenolic compounds (Shahrajabian, Sun, & Cheng, 2019). Ginger has historically been used for: nausea; stomach cramps; motion sickness; morning sickness; anti-inflammatory; anti-hypertension; anti-edema; anti-cardiac disease; antibacterial; and anti-diabetic effects (Shahrajabian et al., 2019; Shidfar et al., 2015). Researchers are studying ginger’s active components: bisabolene, zingiberene, zingiberol (found in ginger oil); gingerol, shogaols, gingerdiol, gingerdione, paradol, alpha-zingiberene, curcumin, and beta-sequi-phellandrene (Shahrajabian et al., 2019; Shidfar et al., 2015).

Due to the problem of drug-resistant bacteria, scientists have been exploring more natural antibacterial means. Zingiber officinale has antibacterial properties (Islam, Rowsni, Khan, & Kabir, 2014). Islam et al. (2014) found that a soybean oil extract of ginger (a common method of food preparation in Bangladesh) exhibited antimicrobial properties against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio cholerae, Klebsiella species, and Salmonella species (Islam et al., 2014).

References

• https://wimastergardener.org/article/ginger-zingiber-officinale/
• https://gardenerspath.com/plants/herbs/how-to-grow-temperate-ginger/
• https://www.southernliving.com/plants/ginger
• https://www.gardenguides.com/13426903-can-you-use-the-leaves-of-the-ginger-plant.html
• http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a763
• https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=ZIOF
• https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/57537
• https://medcraveonline.com/IJCAM/ginger-zingiber-officinale-a-mini-review.html
• https://homeguides.sfgate.com/ginger-plants-not-flower-71955.html
• https://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/aboutflowers/exoticflowers/gingers
• https://www.gbif.org/species/2757280
• http://www.botanicalauthentication.org/index.php/Zingiber_officinale_(rhizome)
• https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Zingiber+officinale
• https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/ginger/infos
• Islam, K., Rowsni, A. A., Khan, M. M., & Kabir, M. S. (2014). Antimicrobial activity of ginger (Zingiber officinale) extracts against food-borne pathogenic bacteria. International Journal of Science, Environment and Technology, 3(3), 867-871.
• Shahrajabian, M. H., Sun, W., & Cheng, Q. (2019). Clinical aspects and health benefits of ginger (Zingiber officinale) in both traditional Chinese medicine and modern industry. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B—Soil & Plant Science, 69(6), 546-556.
• Shidfar, F., Rajab, A., Rahideh, T., Khandouzi, N., Hosseini, S., & Shidfar, S. (2015). The effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on glycemic markers in patients with type 2 diabetes. Journal of complementary and integrative medicine, 12(2), 165-170.

Moringa oleifera (“the drumstick tree seeds”, “Tree of Life”)

Moringa seeds come from the pods (like pea pods) of the moringa (or “drumstick”, “Tree of Life”) tree that is native to India (also grows in China, Africa, and South America.

Habitat/Growing Information.

The Moringa tree is hardy but likes heat and humidity (nothing less than 70 degrees F). In the United States, it should do well in hardiness zones 9-10, and perhaps zone 8 if indoors. They may grow from a cutting or seeds. Moringa can also be potted. They prefer sandy/loamy soil (equal parts soil, sand, clay, and silt)–well draining.

Parts utilized.

The Moringa seeds are commonly used but the bark, leaves, flowers, and fruits may also be used in a variety of products from supplementation to skincare. The seeds come in a “pod” similar to green beans. The seeds/pods may be cooked and eaten. Dehydrated seeds darken in color and resemble a nut. It is possible to extract oil from the seeds to be used in food or other topical applications (e.g. skincare). Its oil is known as “Ben oil” or “Behen oil” and somewhat resembles olive oil (Leone et al., 2016). Oil is 36.7% of the seed’s weight (Leone et al., 2016). The leaves may be cooked and eaten (like spinach) or enjoyed raw as part of a salad. The leaves may be dehydrated and used more like a tea. The leaves may also be dried and ground up into a powder to use as various condiments/ingredients.

Properties.

Moringa seeds are high in vitamins A, B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), and B6. They are also good sources of phytochemicals, folate/ascorbic acid, calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc. Moringa leaves are rich sources of protein, minerals, B-carotene, and antioxidants (Leone et al., 2016; Kou, Li, Olayanju, Drake, & Chen, 2018).

Moringa seeds have long been used in Asia for a variety of remedies due to their medicinal properties: regulate blood sugar; antioxidant; stomach pain; anti-bacterial/anti-fungal; digestive aid; water purification; attenuate inflammatory response; hepatoprotective; neuroprotective (Leone et al., 2016; Kou et al., 2018).

Further research on the Moringa tree products and properties should be very interesting.

References

• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319916.php#what-is-in-moringa
• https://food.ndtv.com/health/10-incredible-health-benefits-of-moringa-seeds-1645730
• https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1242/moringa
• https://moringafarms.com/growing-moringa/
• https://www.bobvila.com/articles/loamy-soil/
• Leone, A., Spada, A., Battezzati, A., Schiraldi, A., Aristil, J., & Bertoli, S. (2016). Moringa oleifera seeds and oil: Characteristics and uses for human health. International journal of molecular sciences, 17(12), 2141.
• Kou, X., Li, B., Olayanju, J., Drake, J., & Chen, N. (2018). Nutraceutical or Pharmacological Potential of Moringa oleifera Lam. Nutrients, 10(3), 343.

Momordica charantia

The Chinese bitter melon/cucumber (of the Cucurbitaceae family) is shaped like a large American cucumber. Bitter melon (typically 7-9 inches in length) has a very deeply “wrinkled-looking” grass-green (as opposed to the darker colored skin of the American cucumber) soft skin and has tapered ends.

Habitat/Growing Information.

The plant prefers heat (warm to hot) & moisture–a somewhat tropical climate for at least 3-4 months to grow to maturity. Plant them late spring or when the weather is consistently 75 to 80 degrees F. Like cucumbers, the bitter melon grows on a vine. Trellises may be useful to keep the growing melons from touching the ground. Keep the soil moist and well-drained–not waterlogged. Harvest while it is green–at its best. As it ripens/over-ripens it goes from green to yellow to orange. Each plant produces 10-12 melons.

Parts utilized.

Similar to the cucumber, the flesh is used (sometimes dehydrated) and the seeds are discarded. You can use it to stir-fry or even stuffed or in soups.

Properties.

The amount of bitterness depends on the melon’s color. Green bitter melons tend to be the most bitter; white bitter melons are less bitter. As a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, these vegetables are rich in phenolic compounds, vitamin A and C and iron (Islam & Jalaluddin, 2019). The bitter melon also had higher contents of potassium, calcium, magnesium, dietary fiber, niacin, thiamin, and riboflavin than other more common staple vegetables found in grocery stores (Islam & Jalaluddin, 2019 ).

Other researchers have found the bitter melon’s effects to be antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-ulcerogenic, anti-tumor, antimutagenic, anti-lipolytic, analgesic, antiviral, analgesic, abortifacient, hypoglycemic, and immunomodulatory (Islam & Jalauddin, 2019; Jia, Shen, Zhang, & Xie, 2017; Shivanagoudra et al., 2019).

Shivanagoudra et al. (2019) found bitter melon extracts to stimulate insulin secretion from pancreatic cells, to protect pancreatic B-cells from inflammation, and to reduce lipid proliferation in adipocytes.

Bitter melon has been used for hundreds of years in Asia, but further research is needed to uncover all of its “secrets” including a dose-response profile.

References

• https://www.thespruceeats.com/the-best-bitter-melon-recipes-4071414
• https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=MOCH2
• https://harvesttotable.com/how-to-grow-bitter-melon/
• Islam, S., & Jalaluddin, M. (2019). Biological Functions and Sensory Attributes of Different Skin Colored Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia L.) Varieties. American Journal of Food Science and Health, 5(2), 25-31.
• Jia, S., Shen, M., Zhang, F., & Xie, J. (2017). Recent advances in Momordica charantia: functional components and biological activities. International journal of molecular sciences, 18(12), 2555.
• Shivanagoudra, S. R., Perera, W. H., Perez, J. L., Athrey, G., Sun, Y., Wu, C. S., … & Patil, B. S. (2019). In vitro and in silico elucidation of antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory activities of bioactive compounds from Momordica charantia L. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry.