Alpinia oxyphylla.  益 智 仁 Yì zhì rén   Bitter cardamon,  Black cardamon, Sharp leaf galangal    Family Zingiberaceae    
The drug is considered by the Chinese to benefit the Stomach and Spleen, and therefore to "increase knowledge;" the disposition and wits of the individual being considered to largely reside in these organs.[3]
PART USED: Dry ripe fruit
Nature- warm      FLAVOR: Pungent/acrid  CHANNEL: Spleen, Kidney
ACTIONS
FUNCTIONS
GROUP: Replenishing Yang
1. Warm the Spleen.[1,2] Preserve saliva. Warm up Kidney.
2. Preserve essence and decrease micturition.
INDICATIONS
1. Spleen deficiency with salivation.
2. Cold Dampness of Spleen and Kidney manifested as abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea.
3. Kidney deficiency Cold manifested as nocturnal emission,[3] enuresis, nocturia, or slow and difficult discharge of urine. Incontinence.[3] Flooding after labor.[3]
PATENT COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS:  Dry ripe fruits.  Decoction 3-6 g.[2]

References
Inner Path can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
References

Anti-angiogenic effects of the fruit of Alpinia oxyphylla.
He ZH, Ge W, Yue GG, Lau CB, He MF, But PP.
Abstract
AIM OF STUDY:
The fruit of Alpinia oxyphylla, an herb commonly used in East Asian medicine, is variously used for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory conditions, which may possibly be mediated through anti-angiogenesis. This study aims to check for anti-angiogenic functions in the herb.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
The 95% ethanol extract and four subsequent fractions (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous fractions) of the fruit of A. oxyphylla were tested on zebrafish model by quantitative endogenous alkaline phosphatase assay; then the active fractions were further tested on wild type and Tg(fli1a:EGFP)y1 zebrafish embryos and human umbilical vein endothelial cells and tumor cell lines for the anti-angiogenic effects.
RESULTS:
The n-hexane and ethyl acetate fractions showed anti-angiogenic potentials in both in vivo and in vitro models.
CONCLUSIONS:
The use of A. oxyphylla for cancer and inflammation diseases may be partly due to its effects against vessel formation.
PMID: 20723592 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.08.024  
J Ethnopharmacol. 2010 Nov 11;132(2):443-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.08.024. Epub 2010 Aug 17. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Anti-diarrheal constituents of Alpinia oxyphylla.
Zhang J, et al. Fitoterapia. 2013.
Abstract
Isolation, screening and in vivo assays have been used for evaluating anti-diarrhea bioactive of Alpinia oxyphylla. Preliminary experimental results showed that 95% ethanol extract and 90% ethanol elution significantly extended the onset time of diarrhea and reduced the wet feces proportion, however 50% ethanol election had no effect on diarrhea. Chemical analysis results displayed that Nootkatone, Tectochrysin and yakuchinone A may be bioactive ingredients for curing diarrhea. Duodenum in vitro experiment showed that Tectochrysin 50, 100 μM reduces carbachol-induced contraction, while yakuchinone A and Nootkatone had no effect. Bioinformatic computational method as molecular docking has been complementary to experimentally work to explore the potential mechanism. The study of pathogenesis of diarrhea in humans and animal models suggested that Na(+)/H(+) exchanger3 (NHE3) and aquaporin4 (AQP4) are causative agents of diarrhea. The analysis was done on the basis of scoring and binding ability and the docking analysis showed that Tectochrysin has maximum potential against NHE3 (PDB ID: 2OCS) and AQP4 (PDB ID: 3GD8). Tectochrysin indicated minimum energy score and the highest number of interactions with active site residues. These results suggested that A. oxyphylla might exhibit its anti-diarrhea effect partially by affecting the proteins of NHE3 and AQP4 with its active ingredient Tectochrysin.
PMID 23583435 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. and Its Active Compound P-Coumaric Acid Promote Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Signaling for Inducing Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Improving Post-cerebral Ischemic Spatial Cognitive Functions
Yacong He, Shuang Chen, Bun Tsoi, Shuhua Qi, Bing Gu, Zhenxing Wang, Cheng Peng, Jiangang Shen
Abstract
Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. (AOM) is a medicinal herb for improving cognitive functions in traditional Chinese medicine for poststroke treatment, but its efficacies and underlying mechanisms remain unknown. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that AOM could induce adult hippocampal neurogenesis and improve poststroke cognitive impairment via inducing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling pathway. In order to test the hypothesis, we performed both in vivo rat experiments using transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model and in vitro neural stem cell (NSC) experiments using oxygen-glucose deprivation plus reoxygenation. First, AOM treatment significantly up-regulated the expression of BDNF, tropomycin receptor kinase B (TrkB), and phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT) in the hippocampus, enhanced adult hippocampal neurogenesis, and improved the spatial learning/memory and cognitive functions in the post-MCAO ischemic rats in vivo. Next, in vitro studies confirmed p-coumaric acid (P-CA) to be the most effective compound identified from AOM extract with the properties of activating BDNF/TrkB/AKT signaling pathway and promoting NSC proliferation. Cotreatment of BDNF/TrkB-specific inhibitor ANA12 abolished the effects of P-CA on inducing BDNF/TrkB/AKT activation and the NSC proliferation. Finally, animal experiments showed that P-CA treatment enhanced the neuronal proliferation and differentiation in the hippocampus, improved spatial learning and memory functions, and reduced anxiety in the transient MCAO ischemic rats. In conclusion, P-CA is a representative compound from AOM for its bioactivities of activating BDNF/TrkB/AKT signaling pathway, promoting hippocampal neurogenesis, improving cognitive functions, and reducing anxiety in post-ischemic stroke rats.
Front Cell Dev Biol . 2021 Jan 18:8:577790. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2020.577790. eCollection 2020. PMID: 33537297 PMCID: PMC7849625 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of Alpinia oxyphylla extract in vitro and in a monosodium iodoacetate-induced osteoarthritis rat model
Yun Mi Lee, Eunjung Son, Seung-Hyung Kim, Dong-Seon Kim
Abstract
Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) affects the articular cartilage and subchondral bone of synovial joints and induces proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory pathway dysregulation, leading to pain. This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory and antiosteoarthritis effects of Alpinia oxyphylla extract (AOE) in vitro and in vivo.
Methods: The anti-inflammatory effect of AOE was evaluated in vitro in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW264.7 cells. The antiosteoarthritis effect of AOE was investigated in a monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced rat model of OA. Rats were orally administered AOE (150 mg/kg or 300 mg/kg) or the positive control drug indomethacin (1 mg/kg) 3 days before MIA injection and once daily for 21 days thereafter.
Results: AOE significantly decreased the production of nitric oxide (NO, 68.2%), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2, 92.8%), interleukin-1β (IL-1β, 77.2%), interleukin-6 (IL-6, 39.9%), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α, 20.7%) and the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells at a dose of 100 µg/ml. In addition, AOE attenuated joint pain, suppressed proinflammatory cytokine and mediator production and inhibited cartilage degradation in the MIA-induced rat OA model.
Conclusion: These results demonstrate that AOE exerts potent anti-inflammatory effects and may be a useful therapeutic candidate against OA.
Phytomedicine 2019 Dec:65:153095. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2019.153095. Epub 2019 Sep 21. PMID: 31568919 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov