Amomum kravanh. Amomum cardamomum, Amomum costatum, Amomum verum, Elettaria cardamomum.- True cardamon   豆 蔻 Bái dòu kòu  White cardamon, Siam cardamon,  Ribbed cardamon, Cluster cardamon   Family: Zingiberaceae   
PART USED: Fruit- harvested in Autumn/Winter, when fruit is yellow-green and not completely ripe.
Nature: Warm   FLAVOR: Acrid  CHANNELS: Liver, Spleen, Stomach, Lung
FUNCTIONS
GROUP: Aromatic Damp Resolving
1. Aromatically transforms Dampness.[3] Strengthens Spleen and Stomach.[2]
2. Warms the middle Burner and causes rebellious energy to descend.[3]
3. Promotes the movement of Qi and transforms stagnation.[1,3] Neutralizes ill effects of alcohol.[1]
ACTIONS: Stimulates peristalsis.[2]
INDICATIONS- Mainly used as an assistant herb to warm middle Heater.[2]
1. Acute gastritis- caused from stagnation of food or after suffering a cold;[2] flatulence,[2] nausea,[2] vomiting,[2,4] abdominal pain,[2] Dyspepsia.[4] Pyrosis (heartburn).[4]
2. Damp Heat febrile disease[2]- heavy feeling in head- congestion in chest (may not have muous), gets tired easily, urine- short red, stools- loose, diarrhea. T- pale, greasy, sticky coat P- retarded- middle strong.[3]
3. Vomiting due to cold from deficiency of the Spleen and Stomach or Stomach Cold;[3] chills associated abdominal pain,[1] vomiting and regurgitation,[1] abdominal distension,[1] hiccups,[1] indigestion,[1] drunken stupor.[1,4] Malaria.[4]
4. Stagnant Qi of the Spleen and Stomach; fullness in the chest or epigastrium with distention and lack of appetite.[3] General debility.[4]
5. Films over the eye.[4]
5. Lung diseases.[4]
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Yin and Blood deficiency. Use with caution in cases without Damp Cold.
PATENT COMBINATIONS
COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS: Decoction-  Seed 1-6 g.[1] Dried seed inside fruit 3-6 g.[2,3] When used in decoction it should be added near the end.[3] The preferred manner of taking this herb is directly as a powder in dose of 1.5-4.5 g.[3] Good quality is large, full, and thin-skinned.


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.

Constituents

Research

Chemical composition, antibacterial activity, and mechanism of action of the essential oil from Amomum kravanh
Wen-Rui Diao, Liang-Liang Zhang, Sai-Sai Feng, Jian-Guo Xu
Abstract
Amomum kravanh is widely cultivated and used as a culinary spice. In this work, the chemical composition of the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation of A. kravanh fruits was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and 34 components were identified. 1,8-Cineole (68.42%) was found to be the major component, followed by α-pinene (5.71%), α-terpinene (2.63%), and β-pinene (2.41%). The results of antibacterial tests showed that the sensitivities to the essential oil of different foodborne pathogens tested were different based on the Oxford cup method, MIC, and MBC assays, and the essential oil exhibited the best antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis, a gram-positive bacterium, and Escherichia coli, a gram-negative bacterium. Growth in the presence of Amomum kravanh at the MIC, as measured by monitoring optical density over time, demonstrated that the essential oil was bacteriostatic after 12 h to both B. subtilis and E. coli. Observations of cell membrane permeability, cell constituent release assay, and transmission electron microscopy indicated that this essential oil may disrupt the cell wall and cell membrane permeability, leading to leakage of intracellular constituents in both B. subtilis and E. coli.
J Food Prot . 2014 Oct;77(10):1740-6. doi: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-14-014. PMID: 25285491 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Chemical Constituents from the Fruits of Amomum kravanh and Their Role in Activating Alcohol Dehydrogenase
Hao-Ming Xiong, Hui-Ying Li, Zhi-Rong Lin, Xiao-Mei Liu, Li-Ping Bai, Wei Zhang, Zhi-Hong Jiang, Guo-Yuan Zhu
Abstract
Alcoholism is a worldwide health problem, and diseases caused by alcoholism are killing people every year. Amomum kravanh is a traditional Chinese medicine used to relieve hangovers. However, whether its bioactive components improve alcohol metabolism is not clear. In this study, ten new (amomumols A-J, 1-10) and thirty-five known (11-45) compounds were isolated from the fruits of Amomum kravanh by an activity-guided separation. Ten novel compounds were identified as four sesquiterpenoids (1-4), three monoterpene derivatives (5-7), two neolignans (8, 9), and a novel norsesquiterpenoid (10) with a new C14 nor-bisabolane skeleton. Their structures were determined by the comprehensive analysis of high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HRESIMS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculation. The effects of all isolated compounds on the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase were evaluated in vitro, and it was found that eight compounds (11, 12, 15, 18, 26, and 36-38) exhibited significant activation effects on the alcohol dehydrogenase at 50 μM.
Molecules . 2023 Jun 20;28(12):4878. doi: 10.3390/molecules28124878. PMID: 37375433 PMCID: PMC10303173 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Antioxidant, DNA damage protective, antibacterial activities and nitrite scavenging ability of essential oil of Amomum kravanh from China
Qin Li, Liang-Liang Zhang, Jian-Guo Xu
Abstract
Chemical composition, in vitro antioxidant, DNA damage protective, nitrite scavenging activities, as well as antibacterial activity of Amomum kravanh fruits essential oil against several foodborne pathogens, were investigated. Results showed that the 1,8-cineole (58.53%) was found as the main component, followed by α-pinene (8.32%), α-terpinyl acetate (4.68%), α-terpinolene (4.12%), α-terpinene (3.55%), β-pinene (3.49%). The essential oil had significant antioxidant activity, the protective effect against DNA damage, and nitrite scavenging activity. These biological activities were dose-dependent, increasing with the higher dosage in a certain concentration range. The essential oil exhibited antibacterial activity against four foodborne pathogens with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 5-10 mg/mL and minimum bactericide concentration (MBC) of 10-20 mg/mL. The antibacterial effects of essential oil were greater against Gram-positive bacteria as compared to Gram-negative bacteria. These results suggested that essential oil could be available as a significant natural agent for prevention of food oxidation and spoilage.
Nat Prod Res . 2021 Dec;35(23):5415-5419. doi: 10.1080/14786419.2020.1775225. Epub 2020 Jul 14. PMID: 32662302 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov