The Determination of Total Alkaloid, Polyphenol, Flavonoid and Saponin Contents of Pogang gan (Curcuma sp.)

Pogang gan (Curcuma sp., Zingiberaceae family) is medicinal herb and threatened and it is usually used as a tonic. We successfully micropropagated and cultivated this species. This study determined the total alkaloid, polyphenol, flavonoid and saponin contents of its growth time in order to determine harvest time. The highest level of total alkaloid content is roots after 11 months cultivation (0.272 mg/g), total polyphenol content is rhizomes after 11 months (1.71 mg GAE/g), total flavonoid content is rhizomes after 11 months (13.89 mg QE/g) and total saponin content is tubers and roots after 11 months (5.26% and 4.78%). The total content of alkaloid and flavonoid of pogang gan is higher than Curcuma zedoaria. The total saponin content of natural pogang gan is equal to 39.5% of 6-year old Vietnamese ginseng and the saponin content in rhizomes and tubers of 11-month-planted Pogang gan is from 55.5% to 67.8%, compared with natural Pogang gan.