Abstract :
Kaempfer (or Finger root: Boesenbergia rotunda (L.) Mansf.), a common and widely used herb in Thailand, is rich in vitamins, minerals, and other flavonoid substances that beneficially promote good health and well-being. These include Pandora A, an active ingredient that shows promising potential in inhibiting the growth of the SAR-CoV-2 virus in living cells before and after the infection period. Nevertheless, many people often have difficulty consuming fresh Kaempfer due to its spicy and bitterness in taste. This study aims to develop gelatinized Kaempfer wine, a dietary product in the form of gelatin that takes the health benefits from the Finger root but can also be easily accessed for consumption at the same time. Kaempfer wine was first prepared by a fermentation process of finger root extracted juice using yeast as the culturing agent. The gelation process then took place by adding gelatin to form a jelly product. The inoculum dosage of the starter culture at 4 percent by volume was optimal for the fermentation to obtain the wine having an alcohol concentration of 10.25 percent by volume. Adding 2.4 percent (w/v) of gelatin yielded Kaempfer wine jelly with preferable characteristics, including hardness, chewiness, gumminess, adhesiveness, and springiness comparable to the commercial PiPo® product in the market. The concept of this study could apply to the production of other herbal dietary supplements or pharmaceutical products.
Keywords : Kaempfer, Finger root, Kaempfer wine, gelation, herbal jelly, herbal supplements