Progress and Prospect in Ex Situ Conservation of Zingiberaceae Harboring Antiallergic Compounds

Numerous ginger species (Zingiberaceae) have been shown to exhibit a diverse array of biological activities, viz., antidiabetic, antiallergic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, etc. Overexploitation and ever-growing demand for such biologically active compounds originating from this family has now led to an existing threat toward their diversity in the natural habitat. In order to cope up with these issues, ex situ conservation techniques such as micropropagation and cryopreservation have now emerged as the most reliable techniques in sustaining their diversity and to efficiently produce bioactive compounds. In this chapter, we attempted to determine which ex situ conservational approach is adequate to maintain diversity, identifying research gaps in micropropagation, cryopreservation, and to ascertain the mechanism of action of biologically active compound that has been identified from the selected members of this family with special reference to allergy and allergic reactions. This would help future research studies in selecting the most appropriate ex situ setup for their conservation and highlighting important antiallergic compounds of interest.