PHYSICOCHEMICAL STUDIES WITH EXPERIMENTALLY PRODUCED GINGER POWDER

The experiment was carried out to produce ginger powder from fresh ginger rhizomes using sun drying technique. The fresh rhizomes were collected from Forestry market, Benin City, Edo State. The ginger was then examined for its proximate, phytochemical and mineral element composition. These tests were carried out on the ginger before and after processing. The phytochemicals examined were alkaloids, glycosides, phenolic compounds, tanins, saponins, terpenoids, flavonoids, quinones and steroids. Specifically, the absence or presence of these phytochemicals were determined. The results from the mineral element test on the fresh ginger showed the following values in mg/L; Magnesium (0.75), Iron (1.0), Calcium (0.50), Zinc (0.80), Potassium (19.70) and Sodium (2.20). The processed ginger powder showed; Iron (1.60), Magnesium (1.08), Calcium (0.30), Zinc (1.20), Potassium (61.10) and Sodium (11.40). MBased on this study, the sun drying technique proved effective in reducing the moisture content of the ginger thereby improving its shelf-life, and its overall consumer desirability. The processed ginger powder is also a good source of the aforementioned minerals.