Traditional Usages and Phytochemical Screenings of Selected Zingiberaceae from Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

Background: Zingiberaceae is one of the significant components of the herbaceous ground flora of Southeast Asia tropical forests. This family includes some medicinally important species, in particular the members of genera of Alpinia, Curcuma, Etlingera and Zingiber (Van Balgooy, 2001). Objective: to identify the traditional usages and evaluate for phytochemical screening of selected Zingiberaceae from Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Material and Methods: Zingiberaceae samples were collected from the Lore Lindu National Park (LLNP), Central Sulawesi Indonesia and its surroundings and evaluated for their phytochemical contents by using TLC method with particular spraying reagents. Results: the plants were used by the local ethnics for different daily and medicinal purposes. All part of each selected species of Zingiberaceae contain flavonoid, tannins, saponins, triterpenoid and alkaloid although steroids were only found in the leaves of Etlingera flexuosa, Curcuma mangga and Alpinia galanga. Alkaloids were only found in the rhyzome of Etlingera flexuosa, Curcuma aerugynosa, Zingiber montanum. Besides it was also detected in leaves of both Alpinia rubricaulis and Etlingera acanthoides. Additionally, Alkaloids were also discovered in the stem of Ammomum aculeata, Alpinia galanga and Curcuma mangga.