ISSN 2320-5407 International Journal of Advanced Research (2016), Volume 4, Issue 5, 300-306 300 Journal homepage:http://www.journalijar.com INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL Journal DOI:10.21474/IJAR01 OF ADVANCED RESEARCH RESEARCH ARTICLE Anticancer Properties of Alpinia officinarum (Lesser Galangal) – A mini review. Kacey Reid, Vincent Wright and Samson Omoregie. College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Science, Northern Caribbean University. Manuscript Info Abstract Manuscript History: Received: 18 March 2016 Final Accepted: 13 April 2016 Published Online: May 2016 Key words: Alpinia officinarum, Anticancer *Corresponding Author Samson Omoregie, PhD Lesser Galangal (Alpinia officinarum) is a member of the Zingiberaceae (ginger) family of herbaceous plants. It typically has long green leaves and reddish white flowers and bears dark brown underground rhizomes. A native of Southeast Asia, the plant has traditionally been used as a remedy for a wide variety of maladies including abdominal pain, diarrhoea, rheumatism, hiccups, digestive problems and even cancer. The anti-cancer potential of Alpinia officinarumhas been generating keen interest from the scientific community. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that the plant contains potent anti-proliferative agents that may serve as a basis for anti- cancer drugs in the near future. Basic scientific research work on the plant during the past fifteen years has increased our understanding of the biochemical composition of the plant as well as the antitumor properties of its crude and purified extracts.Several anticancer studies on A. officinarum have focused on elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the preventive, protective, tumour suppressive and apoptotic activities against various types of cancers. This mini review highlights the relevant research evidence that supports the potential of A. officinarum as a potent anticancer agent andlooks at future prospects for development in the drive for possible application of this plant or its active agents for effective cancer treatment. Copy Right, IJAR, 2016,. All rights reserved. Introduction Lesser Galangal (Alpinia officinarum) is a tropical perennial that is native to Southeast China and is widely cultivated as a spice throughout tropical Asia(1). It bears long, narrow green leaves and produces flowers with white petals as well as dark brown underground rhizomes having an aromatic odour. The plant usually grows to a height of approximately five feet. It belongs to the Zingiberaceae (ginger) family of herbaceous plants (Fig 1A-B). The genus name of the plant is named after the seventeenth century Italian botanist Prospero Alpini, who first characterized the plant while the species name, galangal is thought to be derived from the Arabic translation of the Chinese word for ginger. Lesser Galangal is colloquially known by a variety of names such as India root, China root, colic root, East India catarrh, Galanga root, Blue ginger and Chinese ginger(2). It is rarely found cultivated outside of the Asian continent; however, a unique variety of the plant has been reported on the island of Jamaica(3). Lesser galangal is of significant domestic and pharmaceutical value and has traditionally been used to treat a wide range of symptoms including abdominal pain, hiccups, vomiting and diarrhoea(4,5) . It is also extensively used as a spice in cooking (Table 1). More recently, many unique biochemical compounds have been purified from A. officinarum(6,7). Among the most studied of these compounds are galangin and members of a class of compounds known as diarylheptanoids which have been demonstrated to have significant anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative and anti-emetic properties (3,8–19) (Tables 2 and 3).