The efficacy and function of Amomum villosum

Speaking of Amomum villosum, I believe many friends know it because it has a good effect in treating diseases. However, some friends don’t know what the specific effects of Jian Amomum villosum are, so let’s take a detailed look at the effects of Jian Amomum villosum here.

【Other name】 Amomum villosum

[Source] Medicinal material source: The fruit of the plant Alpinia zingiberensis of the Zingiberaceae family.

[Original form] Alpinia galanga, perennial herb, 35-70cm tall. The rhizome is horizontal and branched. There are usually 2-5 leaves; nearly sessile to with petioles up to 2 cm long; ligule 2-lobed, about 2 mm long, pubescent; leaf blade lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, 25-40 cm long, 4-7 cm wide, gradually pointed at both ends, with a small tip, and pubescent on both sides, especially on the underside of the leaves. The raceme is terminal, 15-30cm long, with densely pubescent rachis; the involucral bracts are lanceolate, about 9cm long, falling off when flowering; the bracteoles are extremely small and fall off early; the flowers are usually clustered in pairs, with degenerate floret remnants often visible between the two flowers; the pedicels are about 2mm long; the calyx is rod-shaped, 1-1.2cm long, pubescent, and 3-toothed at the apex; the corolla tube is about 1cm long, sparsely pubescent, the corolla lobes are oblong, about 1cm long, pubescent on the outside, and the rear one is cucullate; the lateral reduced stamens are linear, about 5mm long; the lip is ovate, about 6mm wide, white with red veins, 2-lobed at the apex, with irregular notches on the edges; the stamens are 1.2-1.4cm long; the ovary is densely pubescent. The fruit is spherical or elliptical, 1-1.5cm in diameter, covered with short soft hairs, red when ripe, with a persistent calyx tube at the tip; the seeds are polygonal, about 5mm long and 3mm in diameter, with a camphor smell. The flowering period is from April to August, and the fruiting period is from July to December.

[Habitat distribution] Ecological environment: grows in the shade and wet places under the forest.

[Properties] Property identification: The fruit is round or oval in shape, 0.7-1.3cm long and 0.6-1.2cm in diameter. The outer surface is brown or orange-red, smooth, sometimes covered with short soft hairs, with protruding perianth remnants at the top and fruit stalk marks or residual fruit stalks at the base. The peel is thin and easy to peel off, the inner surface is yellow-white with visible longitudinal veins. The seed cluster has 3 lobes, covered with yellow-brown or grayish-white aril; each lobe has 4-6 seeds, and each lobe is separated by a white septum. The seeds are irregular polyhedrons, 2-4 mm in diameter, with a gray-brown to brown surface and wrinkles. The texture is hard and the endosperm is grayish white. It has a camphor smell and tastes spicy and bitter.

[Chemical composition] The seeds contain izalpinin, alpinone, palmitic acid, cineole, camphor, rhamnocitrin (3,5,4'-trihydroxy-7-methoxyflavone) and kumatakenin (5,4'-dihydroxy-3,7-dimethoxyflavone).

[Processing] Take the original medicinal materials, remove the fruit stalks and impurities, and sieve out the ash. Crush when using.

【Nature and flavor】 Spicy; warm

【Functions and indications】Warms the middle and dispels cold; promotes the flow of qi and regulates the middle. Main symptoms: abdominal distension and pain; vomiting and diarrhea; loss of appetite

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decoct in water, 3-9g; or grind into powder.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

I believe that friends who were not very clear about Amomum villosum at the beginning should now have mastered the relevant knowledge about Amomum villosum. I hope this article can be helpful to you.