{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}} {{speciesbox |image = Galangal.web.jpg |image_caption = Drawing from an 1805 issue of ''The Botanical Magazine'' |genus = Kaempferia |species = galanga |authority = L. }}
'''''Kaempferia galanga''''', commonly known as '''kencur''', '''aromatic ginger''', '''sand ginger''', '''cutcherry''', is a monocotyledonous plant in the ginger family, and one of four plants called galangal. It is found primarily in open areas in Indonesia, southern China, Taiwan, Cambodia, and India, but is also widely cultivated throughout Southeast Asia.
==Culinary and medical use== ''Kaempferia galanga'' is used as a spice in cooking in Indonesia, where it is called ''kencur'' ('cekur' in Malaysia), and especially in Javanese and Balinese cuisines. ''Beras kencur'', which combines dried ''K. galanga'' powder with rice flour, is a particularly popular ''jamu'' herbal drink. Its leaves are also used in the Malay rice dish, ''nasi ulam''.
Unlike the similar ''Boesenbergia rotunda'' (Thai กระชาย ''krachai''), ''K. galanga'' is not commonly used in Thai cuisine, but can be bought as a dried rhizome or in powder form at herbal medicine stalls. It is known in Thai as ''proh horm'' (เปราะหอม) or ''waan horm'' (ว่านหอม), and in Khmer as ''prâh'' (ប្រោះ) or ''prâh krâ-oup'' (ប្រោះក្រអូប). It is also used in Chinese cooking and Chinese medicine, and is sold in Chinese groceries under the name ''sha jiang'' ({{lang-zh|c=沙 姜|p=shajiang}}),<ref name=food>{{Cite book| last=Van Wyk| first=Ben-Erik| year=2005| title=Food Plants of the World| location=Portland, Oregon| publisher=Timber Press, Inc| isbn=978-0-88192-743-6}}</ref> while the plant itself is referred to as ''shan nai'' ({{lang-zh|c=山 柰|p=shannai}}).<ref name=chinaflora> {{Cite book | last =Wu | first =Delin; Larsen, Kai | contribution =Kaempferia galanga | year =2000 | title =Flora of China | editor-last =Wu | editor-first =Z. Y.; Raven, P.H.; Hong, D.Y. | volume =22 | pages =74 | place=Beijing | publisher =Science Press; St. Louis: Missouri Botanical Garden Press | contribution-url =http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200028415 | access-date =2007-07-16 }}</ref> ''Kaempferia galanga'' has a peppery camphorous taste.<ref name=food/>
== Similar species == ''K. galanga'' is differentiated from other galangals by the absence of stem and dark brown, rounded rhizomes, while the other varieties all have stems and pale rosebrown rhizomes.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}} It is also sometimes called lesser galangal, which properly refers to ''Alpinia officinarum''. <!-- ''K. galanga'' is also erroneously called ''zedoary''.{{Citation needed|reason=by who?|date=May 2010}} --> * ''Alpinia galanga''<ref name=atip>{{cite journal | last1 = Chan | first1 = E.W.C. | title = Antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibition properties of leaves and rhizomes of ginger species | journal = Food Chemistry | volume = 109 | issue = 3 | pages = 477–483 | year = 2008 | doi = 10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.02.016 | last2 = Lim | first2 = Y.Y. | last3 = Wong | first3 = L.F. | last4 = Lianto | first4 = F.S. | last5 = Wong | first5 = S.K. | last6 = Lim | first6 = K.K. | last7 = Joe | first7 = C.E. | last8 = Lim | first8 = T.Y. | display-authors = 1 | bibcode = 2008FoodC.109..477C }}</ref> * ''Alpinia zerumbet''<ref name=eddm /> * ''Curcuma longa''<ref name=eddm /> * ''Etlingera elatior''<ref name=atip /><ref name=eddm>{{cite journal | last1 = Chan | first1 = E.W.C. | title = Effects of different drying methods on the antioxidant properties of leaves and tea of ginger species | journal = Food Chemistry | volume = 113 | issue = 1 | pages = 166–172 | year = 2009 | doi = 10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.07.090 | last2 = Lim | first2 = Y | last3 = Wong | first3 = S | last4 = Lim | first4 = K | last5 = Tan | first5 = S | last6 = Lianto | first6 = F | last7 = Yong | first7 = M | display-authors = 1 | bibcode = 2009FoodC.113..166C }}</ref> * ''Etlingera maingayi''<ref name=atip /> * ''Etlingera fulgens''<ref name=atip /><ref name=cale>{{cite journal | last1 = Chan | first1 = E.W.C. | title = Caffeoylquinic acids from leaves of Etlingera species (Zingiberaceae) | journal = LWT - Food Science and Technology | volume = 42 | issue = 5 | pages = 1026–1030 | year = 2009 | doi = 10.1016/j.lwt.2009.01.003 | last2 = Lim | first2 = Y.Y. | last3 = Ling | first3 = S.K. | last4 = Tan | first4 = S.P. | last5 = Lim | first5 = K.K. | last6 = Khoo | first6 = M.G.H. | display-authors = 1}}</ref> * ''Kaempferia angustifolia''<ref name=ceok /> * ''Kaempferia rotunda''<ref name=ceok>{{cite journal | last1 = Woerdenbag | first1 = Herman J. | title = Composition of the essential oils of ''Kaempferia rotunda'' L. and ''Kaempferia angustifolia'' Roscoe rhizomes from Indonesia | journal = Flavour and Fragrance Journal | volume = 19 | issue = 2 | pages = 145–148 | year = 2004 | doi = 10.1002/ffj.1284 | last2 = Windono | first2 = Tri | last3 = Bos | first3 = Rein | last4 = Riswan | first4 = Sudarsono | last5 = Quax | first5 = Wim J. | display-authors = 1}}</ref><ref name=icrz>{{cite journal | last1 = Nugroho | first1 = Bambang W. | title = Insecticidal constituents from rhizomes of Zingiber cassumunar and Kaempferia rotunda | journal = Phytochemistry | volume = 41 | issue = 1 | pages = 129–132 | year = 1996 | doi = 10.1016/0031-9422(95)00454-8 | display-authors = 1 | last2 = Schwarz | first2 = Brunhilde | last3 = Wray | first3 = Victor | last4 = Proksch | first4 = Peter| bibcode = 1996PChem..41..129N }}</ref> * ''Zingiber cassumunar''<ref name=icrz /><ref name=pmga>{{cite journal | last1 = Chung | first1 = Soo Yeon | title = Potent modulation of P-glycoprotein activity by naturally occurring phenylbutenoids from Zingiber cassumunar | journal = Phytotherapy Research | volume = 23 | issue = 4 | pages = 472–476 | year = 2009 | doi = 10.1002/ptr.2650 | pmid = 19051210 | last2 = Han | first2 = AR | last3 = Sung | first3 = MK | last4 = Jung | first4 = HJ | last5 = Nam | first5 = JW | last6 = Seo | first6 = EK | last7 = Lee | first7 = HJ | s2cid = 206424932 |name-list-style=vanc | display-authors = 1}}</ref> * ''Zingiber officinale''<ref name=mppa>{{cite journal | last1 = Jiang | first1 = H. | title = Metabolic profiling and phylogenetic analysis of medicinal Zingiber species: Tools for authentication of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) | journal = Phytochemistry | volume = 67 | issue = 15 | pages = 1673–1685 | year = 2006 | doi = 10.1016/j.phytochem.2005.08.001 | pmid = 16169024 | last2 = Xie | first2 = Z | last3 = Koo | first3 = HJ | last4 = McLaughlin | first4 = SP | last5 = Timmermann | first5 = BN | last6 = Gang | first6 = DR | bibcode = 2006PChem..67.1673J | display-authors = 1}}</ref>
==Chemical constituents== The rhizomes of aromatic ginger have been reported to contain cineol, borneol, 3-carene, camphene, kaempferol, kaempferide, cinnamaldehyde, p-methoxycinnamic acid, ethyl cinnamate, and ethyl p-methoxycinnamate.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}} A study made a list of chemicals classified based on their different chemical groups<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Si-Yu |first1=Wang |title=Kaempferia galanga L.: Progresses in Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Ethnomedicinal Uses |journal=Frontiers in Pharmacology |date=2021 |volume=12 |article-number=675350 |doi=10.3389/fphar.2021.675350|doi-access=free |pmid=34737693 |pmc=8560697 }}</ref> * Terpenoids (26) * Phenolics (15) * Polysaccharides (15) * Flavonoids (3) * FattyAcids and Esters (11) * DiarylHeptanoids (6) * Cyclic Dipeptides (6)
==Insecticidal research== Extracts of the plant kill larvae of several species of mosquito including some that are disease vectors.<ref name=lakg>{{cite journal | last1 = Ahn | first1 = Young-Joon | title = Larvicidal activity of Kaempferia galanga rhizome phenylpropanoids towards three mosquito species | journal = Pest Management Science | volume = 64 | issue = 8 | pages = 857–862 | year = 2008 | doi = 10.1002/ps.1557 | pmid = 18324612 | last2 = Byun | first2 = SG | last3 = Cho | first3 = JE | last4 = Chung | first4 = K | last5 = Ahn | first5 = YJ | display-authors = 1 | bibcode = 2008PMSci..64..857A }}</ref><ref>Kim N.-J., Byun S.-G., Cho J.-E., Chung K., Ahn Y.-J. "Larvicidal activity of Kaempferia galanga rhizome phenylpropanoids towards three mosquito species." Pest Management Science 2008 64:8 (857-862)</ref> As a result of these findings, research is underway to evaluate the plant extract's use as an insect repellent, with preliminary findings suggesting it is not an irritant to the skin of rats.<ref name=extract/>
==Extracts and essential oils== thumb|left|200px|''Kaempferia galanga'' rhizomes The rhizomes of the plant, which contain essential oils, have been used in traditional Chinese medicine as a decoction or powder. Its alcoholic maceration has also been applied as liniment for rheumatism.<ref name=extract>{{Cite journal| last1=Kanjanapothi| first1=D.| title=Toxicity of crude rhizome extract of Kaempferia galanga L. (Proh Hom)| journal=Journal of Ethnopharmacology| volume=90| issue=2–3| year=2004| pages=359–365| doi=10.1016/j.jep.2003.10.020| pmid=15013202| last2=Panthong| first2=A| last3=Lertprasertsuke| first3=N| last4=Taesotikul| first4=T| last5=Rujjanawate| first5=C| last6=Kaewpinit| first6=D| last7=Sudthayakorn| first7=R| last8=Choochote| first8=W| last9=Chaithong| first9=U| display-authors=1}}</ref> The extract causes central nervous system depression, a decrease in motor activity, and a decrease in respiratory rate.<ref>{{cite journal | doi = 10.1016/j.jep.2003.10.020 | title = Toxicity of crude rhizome extract of Kaempferia galanga L. (Proh Hom) | year = 2004 | last1 = Kanjanapothi | first1 = D | journal = Journal of Ethnopharmacology | volume = 90 | issue = 2–3 | pages = 359–65 | pmid = 15013202 | last2 = Panthong | first2 = A | last3 = Lertprasertsuke | first3 = N | last4 = Taesotikul | first4 = T | last5 = Rujjanawate | first5 = C | last6 = Kaewpinit | first6 = D | last7 = Sudthayakorn | first7 = R | last8 = Choochote | first8 = W | last9 = Chaithong | first9 = U| last10 = Jitpakdi | first10 = A | last11 = Pitasawat | first11 = B | display-authors = 8 }}</ref>
The decoctions and the sap of the leaves may have hallucinogenic properties, which may be due to unidentified chemical components of the plant's essential oil fraction.<ref>{{cite book|author=Thomas Nordegren|title=The A-Z Encyclopedia of Alcohol and Drug Abuse|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4yaGePenGKgC&pg=PA303|year=2002|publisher=Universal-Publishers|isbn=978-1-58112-404-0|page=303}}</ref>
A purified extract of ''K. galanga'' and polyester-8 stabilize the UV-absorptive properties of sunscreen combinations containing avobenzone.<ref>Gonzalez A., Gaenzler F. "Photostability of sunscreen combinations containing avobenzone exposed to natural and artificial ultraviolet light." Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2011 64:2 SUPPL. 1 (AB30)</ref>
== Aroma attributes == * Borneol<ref name=ceor /> * 1,8-Cineole<ref name=ceor /> * Ethyl cinnamate<ref name=ceor>{{cite journal | last1 = Wong | first1 = K. C. | title = Composition of the essential oil of rhizomes of kaempferia galanga L | journal = Flavour and Fragrance Journal | volume = 7 | issue = 5 | pages = 263–266 | year = 2006 | doi = 10.1002/ffj.2730070506 | last2 = Ong | first2 = K. S. | last3 = Lim | first3 = C. L. | display-authors = 1}}</ref><ref name=biva>{{cite journal | last1 = Othman | first1 = R. | title = Bioassay-guided isolation of a vasorelaxant active compound from Kaempferia galanga L | journal = Phytomedicine | volume = 13 | issue = 1–2 | pages = 61–66 | year = 2006 | doi = 10.1016/j.phymed.2004.07.004 | pmid = 16360934 | last2 = Ibrahim | first2 = H | last3 = Mohd | first3 = MA | last4 = Mustafa | first4 = MR | last5 = Awang | first5 = K | display-authors = 1}}</ref> * Ethyl p-methoxycinnamate<ref name=ceor /><ref name=sahe>{{cite journal | last1 = Huang | first1 = Linfang | title = Sedative activity of hexane extract of Keampferia galanga L. and its active compounds | journal = Journal of Ethnopharmacology | volume = 120 | issue = 1 | pages = 123–125 | year = 2008 | doi = 10.1016/j.jep.2008.07.045 | pmid = 18761077 | last2 = Yagura | first2 = T | last3 = Chen | first3 = S | display-authors = 1}}</ref> * Gamma-car-3-ene<ref name=ceor /> * Pentadecane<ref name=ceor />
== See also == * Insect repellent * Kaempferol * Desi Sangye Gyatso * Galangal * ''Kaempferia rotunda''
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Wikispecies}} * {{Commons-inline}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070209015825/http://home.earthlink.net/~lilinah/Food/Misc_Hist_Food/SpiceboxAndalusi.html Use in Andalusian Cooking] * [http://gernot-katzers-spice-pages.com/engl/Kaem_gal.html Account at Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages]
{{Herbs & spices}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q1113398}}
galanga Category:Flora of Asia Category:Medicinal plants of Asia Category:Plants described in 1753 Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus