Benefits & Active Compounds

Purpose and background

The method is designed to use both fresh raw juice and the pressed pulp. The pulp receives a brief boil and a longer steep, while 75% of the directly pressed raw juice can be kept out of the first heat treatment.

The two final processing choices reflect different priorities: preserving as much of the fresh sensory/plant-chemical profile as practical, or using a stronger heat barrier and more robust handling before refrigerated storage.

Heat can alter ginger chemistry. Gingerols can shift toward shogaols and zingerone, while volatile aroma compounds and vitamin C are more heat-sensitive than many non-volatile compounds.

Active compounds in the ingredients

Ginger

• 6-gingerol – one of the prominent gingerols in fresh ginger.
• 8-gingerol – a longer-chain member of the gingerol family.
• 10-gingerol – another gingerol homologue.
• Shogaols – dehydrated gingerol derivatives that can increase relatively with drying/heating.
• Zingerone – associated especially with cooked/heated ginger and gingerol-related chemistry.
• Terpenes – volatile aroma compounds that contribute to smell and taste and can be affected by heat and evaporation.

Lemon

• Vitamin C / ascorbic acid – water-soluble and sensitive to heat and oxygen.
• Citric acid – the main natural acid in lemon and important for taste and acidity.
• Citrus flavonoids – including flavanones that form part of the phytochemical profile of citrus fruit.

Turmeric

• Curcumin – the best-known curcuminoid in turmeric; poorly soluble in water.
• Demethoxycurcumin – a naturally occurring curcuminoid in turmeric.
• Bisdemethoxycurcumin – another major curcuminoid in turmeric.

Black pepper

• Piperine – a central alkaloid contributing to black pepper's characteristic pungency.

Acacia honey

• Sugars – mainly glucose and fructose, with water and smaller amounts of other constituents.
• Phenolic acids and flavonoids – present in variable amounts depending on botanical origin and processing.
• Aroma compounds – contribute to flavor and aroma and are one reason to add the honey late in the process.