 Botany
Lankauas is a herbaceous plant with strongly aromatic rhizomes. Stems are 1 to 2 meters high, about 2.5 cm in diameter. Leaves are pale green with short hairs beneath. Pyramidlike inflorescence is terminal, erect, about 30 cm long. Rachis and pedicels are yellowish green. Succulent flowers are cream-colored.
Distribution
Found in old clearings.
Sometimes planted.
Constituents
Rhizomes contain volatile oil, sesquiterpenes, with small amountsz of eugenol, gingerol; flavonoids including quercetin and kaempferol; sterols and sterol glycosides.
Properties
Rhizomes considered carminative, antirheumatic, and stimulant.
Parts used
Rhizomes, leaves.
Uses
Culinary
In Java, the young rhizomes. tender shoots, flower buds and flowers are eaten.
Rhizomes used as condiment, its flavor similar to, but less pungent than ginger.
Folkloric
Juice of rhizome applied to 'an-an,' or paño blanco, a fungal skin disease.
Decoction of leaves is used as antirheumatic and stimulant baths.
In Ayurveda, rhizome used for treatment of diabetes, obesity, inflammatory disease.
Used as appetite stimulant. stomachaches, dyspepsia.
Studies
• Glucose-Lowering Effect: Study of methanol and aqueous extracts of A galanga rhizome on blood glucose showed a significant lowering of blood glucose in normal rabbits comparable to gliclazie. However, it did not produce significant reductions in alloxan-diabetic rabbits.
• Insecticidal: Study showed the insecticidal activities of extracts prepared from Alpinia galanga and Cleome viscosa, the former showing more activity than the latter, against Bactrocera dorsalis, an economically damaging pest in Thailand.
• Anti-Ulcer / Gastroprotective: Study showed pretreatment of animals with A. galanga extract before indomethacin significantly decrased gastric secretions and ulcers. It showed significant protective effect on stress-induced changes in the gastric mucosa. The anti-ulcer activity could be due to an antisecretory effect. In human subjects, there was reported relief of heartburn and dyspepsia.
• Anti-Leishmanial: Study of Alpinia galanga rhizomes extracts isolated 12 compounds. Compounds 2, 3, 4 and 5 were most active against promastigotes of L. donovania.
• Antioxidant / Antimelanogenesis: UVA irradiation is suggested to contribute to melanogenesis through promotion of cellular oxidative stress and impairment of antioxidant defenses and an overproduction of melanin is associated with melanoma skin cancer and hyperpigmentation. The study results showed extract-derived antityrosinase properties inhibited cellular oxidative stress and improved antioxidant defenses - mechanisms that might be responsible for the protective effects on UVA-dependent melanogenesis.
• Antimicrobial: Study of 15 mediciinal herbs for antimicrobial activity showed six- including Alpinia galanga - showed high activities against B cereus, S typhi, S aureus, the oil extracts showing higher activities than the fresh extracts.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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