Süstemaatiline kuuluvus (APG IV)
Riik: Taimed (Plantae)
Klaad: Soontaimed (Tracheophyta)
Klaad: Katteseemnetaimed (Angiospermae)
Klaad: Üheidulehelised (Monocotyledon)
Selts: Ingverilaadsed (Zingiberales)
Sugukond: Ingverilised (Zingiberaceae)
Perekond: Ingver (Zingiber)
Liik: Harilik ingver - Zingiber officinale Roscoe

Botaaniline kirjeldus
Ingver on püstine, sihvakas, mitmeaastane rohttaim ingveriliste sugukonnast ja perekonnast ingver. Taime kasvatatakse tavaliselt aastase kultuurina. Ingveril on paksenenud, lihakas, maa-alune risoom. Risoom on robustne, harunev ja lihakas, kuni 2 cm paksune, kasvab horisontaalselt maa all ja võib kasvada kuni 1,25 meetri pikkuseks. Risoom on kaetud ajutiste, õhukeste soomustega, millest jäävad mõne aja pärast rõngakujulised armid. Koor on korkjas, toonilt helekollane kuni punakas. Kuivatatult on koor ebaühtlaselt kortsusl; risoomi sisemus on helekollane ja aromaatne. Kuivatatud risoomidel on nähtavad madalad tassikujulised aukus lehearmid. 

Ingveri vars on püstine ja harunemata. Värvuselt on see helekollane. Lehed on vahelduvad, varreümbrised rootsutud lehed. Nende pikkus on kuni 30 cm ja laius kuni 2 cm ja need on lineaalsed kuni lantsetjad, terve serva ja terava tipuga. 

Ingveri õisi kandev vars kasvab otse risoomist, moodustades 15–30 cm pikkuse tähkja õisiku. Õied on haprad ja lühiealised ning paiknevad tihedalt üksteise kõrval. Õied paiknevad soomusjate katiselehtede kaenaldes. Viimased püsivad ja kaitsevad hiljem arenevat vilja. Õiekate kaheli, kolmetine, asümmeetriline. Tupplehed moodustavad kahe sisselõikega putke. Õiekroon kollane. Kroonlehed on aluselt kokku kasvanud ja moodustavad putke. Ülaosas laieneb õiekroon kolmeks hõlmaks. [1,-3]

Levila
Ingver pärineb Indo-Malai piirkonnast ja on nüüdseks laialdaselt levinud Aasia, Aafrika, Ameerika ja Austraalia troopikas. Ingver kodustati Indias ja Hiinas. Ingver armastab kuuma, niisket kliimat ja toitainerikast mulda. Meie jahedamas kliimas kasvavad taimed hästi täispäikeses; lõunapoolsemates paikades võivad taimed vajada osalist varju. [2]

Toime ja kasutamine
Ingveril on kergelt terav maitse ja seda kasutatakse tavaliselt kuivatatud ja jahvatatud kujul, et maitsestada leibu, kastmeid, karriroogasid, maiustusi, marineeritud tooteid ja ingveriõlut. Värsket risoomi ehk rohelist ingverit kasutatakse toiduvalmistamisel. Kooritud risoome säilitatakse keetes siirupis. Jaapanis ja mujal süüakse ingveri viile roogade või käikude vahel, et puhastada maitsemeelt. [3]

Ingver sisaldab olulisi keemilisi ühendeid nagu gingerool, shogaoliid, zingibereen ja zingeroon, samuti vähiksema sisaldusega ühendeid nagu terpeenid, vitamiinid ja mineraalid. Gingeroolid on peamised komponendid, millel on mitmeid bioaktiivseid omadusi. Ingveril antiemeetiline (iiveldusvastane) toime. Lisaks on ingveri toimet uuritud selle potentsiaalse kasu tõttu onkoloogias, keemiaravi-indutseeritud iivelduse ja oksendamise puhul. [4]

Ingverit on kasutatud üle 200 aasta nii vürtsi kui ka ravimina traditsioonilises Hiina meditsiinis. Ingver on pikka aega kasutatud taimse ravimina erinevate sümptomite, sealhulgas oksendamise, valu, külmetuse sümptomite raviks ning neil on põletikuvastased, anti-apoptootilised, kasvajavastased, palavikuvastased, anti-hüperglükeemilised, antioksüdantsed, anti-diabeetilised, vere hüübimist takistavad (trombotsüütide agregatsiooni vastane toime) ja analgeetilised omadused. Ingverit kasutatakse laialdaselt artriidi, krampide, nikastuste, kurguvalu, reuma, lihasvalude, oksendamise, kõhukinnisuse, seedehäirete, kõrge vererõhu, dementsuse, palaviku ja nakkushaiguste korral. Ingveriõli kasutatakse ka toidu maitsestamisel. [5]

Kasutatud allikad
1. Kaufman, S. (2016, June 1). Zingiber officinale (ginger). CABI Compendium. https://doi.org/10.1079/cabicompendium.57537
2. Kizhakkayil, J., & Sasikumar, B. (2011). Diversity, characterization and utilization of ginger: A review. Plant Genetic Resources, 9(3), 464-477. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1479262111000670
3. Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2023, October 13). ginger. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/plant/ginger
4. Anh, N. H., Kim, S. J., Long, N. P., Min, J. E., Yoon, Y. C., Lee, E. G., Kim, M., Kim, T. J., Yang, Y. Y., Son, E. Y., Yoon, S. J., Diem, N. C., Kim, H. M., & Kwon, S. W. (2020). Ginger on Human Health: A Comprehensive Systematic Review of 109 Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients, 12(1), 157. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12010157
5. Shahrajabian, M. H., Sun, W., & Cheng, Q. (2019). Clinical aspects and health benefits of ginger (Zingiber officinale) in both traditional Chinese medicine and modern industry. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B — Soil & Plant Science, 69(6), 546-556. https://doi.org/10.1080/09064710.2019.1606930

Classification (APG IV)
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commenilids
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Zingiber
Species: Ginger - Zingiber officinale Roscoe

Botanical Description
Ginger is an erect, slender, perennial herbaceous plant from the Zingiberaceae family and the Zingiber genus. It is usually cultivated as an annual crop. The plant has a thickened, fleshy, underground rhizome that is robust, branched, and fleshy, growing horizontally underground. The rhizome can reach up to 1.25 meters in length and is about 2 cm thick. It is covered by temporary, thin scales that later leave ring-shaped scars. The outer surface of the rhizome is corky, with colors ranging from pale yellow to reddish. When dried, the rhizome has an irregularly wrinkled outer surface, while the interior remains pale yellow and aromatic. Dried rhizomes also display shallow, cup-shaped leaf scars.

The ginger stem is upright, unbranched, and pale yellow. The leaves are alternate, sheathing, and sessile. They grow up to 30 cm in length and 2 cm in width, being linear to lanceolate in shape, with entire margins and pointed tips.

The flowering stem emerges directly from the rhizome, forming a spike-like inflorescence that is 15–30 cm long. The flowers are delicate, short-lived, and closely packed together in the axils of scale-like bracts. These bracts persist and later protect the developing fruit. The perianth is double-layered, trimerous, and asymmetrical. The calyx forms a tube with two incisions. The corolla is yellow, with petals fused at the base, forming a tube that expands into three lobes at the top. [1,3]

Distribution
Ginger originates from the Indo-Malayan region and has since spread widely across the tropical areas of Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Australia. It was domesticated in India and China. Ginger thrives in hot, humid climates and nutrient-rich soils. In cooler climates, it grows well in full sunlight, while in southern regions, partial shade may be necessary. [2]

Effects and Usage
Ginger has a mildly spicy taste and is commonly used in dried and ground form to flavor bread, sauces, curries, sweets, pickles, and ginger beer. Fresh rhizomes, known as green ginger, are used in cooking. Peeled rhizomes are preserved by boiling them in syrup. In Japan and other regions, thin slices of ginger are consumed between meals or courses to cleanse the palate. [3]

Ginger contains key chemical compounds such as gingerol, shogaol, zingiberene, and zingerone, along with smaller amounts of terpenes, vitamins, and minerals. Gingerols are the main active compounds responsible for various bioactive properties. Ginger is known for its antiemetic (nausea-relieving) effects. It has also been studied for its potential benefits in oncology, particularly in reducing nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy. [4]

Ginger has been used for over 200 years as both a spice and medicine in traditional Chinese medicine. It has long been used as an herbal remedy for symptoms such as vomiting, pain, and cold symptoms. It also possesses anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, anticancer, antipyretic, antihyperglycemic, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticoagulant (platelet aggregation inhibitory), and analgesic properties. Ginger is widely used to treat arthritis, cramps, sprains, sore throats, rheumatism, muscle pain, vomiting, constipation, indigestion, high blood pressure, dementia, fever, and infectious diseases. Ginger oil is also used as a flavoring agent. [5]

References
1. Kaufman, S. (2016, June 1). Zingiber officinale (ginger). CABI Compendium. https://doi.org/10.1079/cabicompendium.57537
2. Kizhakkayil, J., & Sasikumar, B. (2011). Diversity, characterization, and utilization of ginger: A review. Plant Genetic Resources, 9(3), 464-477. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1479262111000670
3. Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2023, October 13). Ginger. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/plant/ginger
4. Anh, N. H., Kim, S. J., Long, N. P., Min, J. E., Yoon, Y. C., Lee, E. G., Kim, M., Kim, T. J., Yang, Y. Y., Son, E. Y., Yoon, S. J., Diem, N. C., Kim, H. M., & Kwon, S. W. (2020). Ginger on Human Health: A Comprehensive Systematic Review of 109 Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients, 12(1), 157. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12010157
5. Shahrajabian, M. H., Sun, W., & Cheng, Q. (2019). Clinical aspects and health benefits of ginger (Zingiber officinale) in both traditional Chinese medicine and modern industry. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B — Soil & Plant Science, 69(6), 546-556. https://doi.org/10.1080/09064710.2019.1606930