臺灣薑科植物資源之調查與利用

Abstract

薑科植物是臺灣常見的植物，在鄉間與都市綠地普遍存在，依臺灣維管束植物簡誌記載，臺灣共有6屬25種。除了園藝栽培及農業生產上的研究外，對於本科植物，最多的研究在於藥用方面。其他報導則多為一般性與生活上的利用方面。近年來永續農業及生物多樣性資源的發展，使得原生植物日益受到重視，台灣原生薑科植物在香辛類及藥用植物類的開發利用上，亦受到矚目。本研究旨在多方面嘗試開發台灣薑科植物資源，以充分發揮其利用潛能。 具有特色的植物材料，一般便可直接應用於造園景觀上。本研究分析25個目前在台灣成功以薑科植物作為景觀素材的小型案例，探討其在生長特性、造型外觀和生態功能上的性質，以及景觀應用上的實例。另外並以台北縣五股鄉「準 休閒農場」為大型成功應用案例，說明各分區應用薑科植物特性之評量表。在實務經驗和研究過程中，造園景觀設計中常用的薑科植物，十分有限。常見的有栽培種斑葉月桃、野薑花、紅花月桃和偶而使用的月桃等。另提出適合在造園景觀中使用之薑科植物種類，彼等無論在觀賞性、生長習性及生態功能上，都有非常好的開發潛力。 本研究共收集月桃屬、閉鞘薑屬、薑黃屬、蝴蝶薑屬、法氏薑屬、薑屬等6屬薑科植物，進行分子分類之研究。經由18S, ITS和trnL三種分子標誌作初步親源性探討，顯示閉鞘薑和薑兩屬的親源關係較接近，蘭嶼法氏薑和薑黃的親源關係較近。蘭嶼法氏薑和月桃在trnL的分子標誌分類基礎上，亦十分接近。故早期會誤將蘭嶼法氏薑認為是月桃屬的高良薑。 在薑科植物的機能性成份方面，探討其根莖成分之抗氧化與抗菌效果。月桃屬(Alpinia)之平均總酚萃取率為17 mg/g，薑黃屬(Curcuma)的平均總酚萃取率為 30 mg/g，蘭嶼法氏薑則高達36.5 mg/g。總抗氧化性最高的為法氏薑屬和蝴蝶薑屬(Hedychium)(89 %)，DPPH清除能力亦以此二屬最高。而藥用的少葉薑(Zingiber oligophyllum)，其DPPH清除能力和還原力反而皆偏低。在抗菌性方面，薑萃取液可有效抑制四株病原性食品微生物的生長。 為擴展薑科植物的利用潛能，本研究亦嘗試開發薑汁乳酸發酵飲品。以生鮮之薑汁原料，直接接種乳酸菌發酵後進行調合，並評估發酵後的產品機能性和其接受度。其中以添加龍根菌(Bifidobacterium longum)的發酵產物之抗氧化性、還原力、清除自由基能力較其他二者為高。試驗結果建議出薑類原料在機能性食品加工上的一個新的途徑。

Zingiberaceae plants, 6 genera 25 species in Taiwan as mentioned in ‘Manual of Taiwan vascular plants’, are very common in Taiwan. Academic researches for these plants are most for medicinal use and also including some economical cultivation and production. Some general and common uses of these plants are also reported. With the spreading concept of sustainability and biodiversity in agriculture, Taiwan native plants catch people’s eyes. For Zingiberaceae plants, the emphasis is spices and medical use. The aim of this study is exploiting the fully potential of Zingiberaceae plants in Taiwan on multiple ways. Plants with specialty can be used directly in landscaping. Roles of their growing characteristics, plant appearances, and ecological functions on landscaping are analyzed by surveying twenty-five successful cases using Zingiberaceae plants in design. And a large landscaped “Zun Leisure Park” was taken as a case study. After investigation, only limited species of Zingiberaceae plants such as Alpinia speciosa ‘Variegata’, Hedychium coronarium, Alpinia purpurata, and sometimes Alpinia zerumbet, are used in landscaping. Several suitable species are proposed for their potential landscaping application with good growing habits, and ecological functions. As for molecular classification of Zingiberaceae plants, this study has collected 6 genera of Zingiberaceae plants from whole Taiwan area, such as Alpinia, Costus, Curcuma, Hedychium, Zingiber and Vanoverberghia species. Based on the molecular markers of 18S, ITS, and trnL, Costus and Zingiber are close, Vanoverberghia and Curcuma are close. While Vanoverberghia and Alpinia are also close based on trnL marker, the misidentification of V. sasakiana as A. galangal is reasonable. The antioxidant and antimicrobiotic components from rhizome of Zingiberaceae plants are also studied. The results showed that the total phenol compounds of the Alpinia averaged 17 mg/g, 30 mg/g for Curcumas, and the highest 36.5 mg/g for Vanoverberghia. Antioxidant performances were best observed in Vanoverberghia and Hedychium, both 89%, and α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity followed similar trends. Zingiber oligophyllum, considered as a medicinal plant in Taiwan, exhibited low DPPH scavenging activity and reducing power. Most tested Zingiberaceae plant extracts exhibited antimicrobial activity against all four tested food microorganisms. This study also investigated the fermentation of gingers as functional drinks. The drink was made of fresh ginger juice as raw materials with/without the product of fermentation with lactic acid bacteria. The functionality of the product was evaluated with their acceptance test. Ginger juice fermented with Bifidobacterium longum has higher values on functionality of antioxidant, reducing power and free radical scavenging. The results may suggest a new way of ginger food processing with high functionality.