Why Diversification of Ginger & Turmeric Oils Matters for My FYP Design
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A review by Ajanaku et al. (2022) in Frontiers in Nutrition explores the bioactive functional constituents of ginger (Zingiber officinale) and turmeric (Curcuma longa), namely curcuminoids, gingerols, shogaols, and essential oils. The article discusses how such constituents are accountable for anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities and their significance in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and food preservation. Notably, the review highlights that the extraction process has a direct impact on the yield and stability of these bioactives.
This paper dives deeper than just the discussion of oil yield alone and highlights the importance of integrity in compounds during extraction. Gingerol, for example, is heat labile and can degrade if heated for extended periods, whereas curcumin’s bioavailability is heavily dependent on its extraction and processing route. This is a point that suggests that mechanical or thermal extraction schemes must be extremely well designed to avoid degradation of such sensitive compounds, which has implications for device design that are of relevance.
One of the strengths of this review is its broad description of chemical composition and areas of application, and how that creates a concrete sense of why the quality of extraction should be good. One of the weaknesses is that it does not mention engineering- or equipment-level solutions for the small-scale or SME setting; it is largely biochemical and pharmacology.
To this present project, this article legitimizes the need for decisions in extraction design. It validates the argument that my device, apart from increasing efficiency, should not just safeguard quality active compounds. Incorporating both biochemical preservation and mechanical design is important. My project is an engineering solution that targets regional SME production as well as global demand for bioactive-dense essential oils.
This image stood out to me as it tackles the diversification of the essential oil. From my research this diversification is important because:
1) Bioactive oils have varied applications, the device design must emphasize hygienic processing and preserve compound stability, ensuring suitability across sectors.
2) Diversification broadens the economic opportunities for SMEs, making the case for affordable mechanical extraction devices even stronger
3) I can’t just focus on getting oil out, I must consider how to minimize degradation and contamination.
