Gingerol

Chemical Formula	C17H26O4
Molecular Weight	294.391 g/mol
Names and Identifiers	PubChem Link
Traditional Name	Gingerol
CAS Registry Number	23513-14-6

 

Gingerol, properly as [6]-gingerol, is a chemical compound found in fresh ginger. Chemically, gingerol is a relative of capsaicin and piperine, the compounds which give chilli peppers and black pepper their respective spiciness. It is normally found as a pungent yellow oil, but also can form a low-melting crystalline solid.

Cooking ginger transforms gingerol via a reverse aldol reaction into zingerone, which is less pungent and has a spicy-sweet aroma. When ginger is dried or mildly heated, gingerol undergoes a dehydration reaction forming shogaols, which are about twice as pungent as gingerol. This explains why dried ginger is more pungent than fresh ginger.

 

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