Biological Activities of The Extracts and Essential Oils
The rhizomes of the plant, which contain essential oils, have been used in Chinese medicine as a decoction or powder for treating indigestion, colds, pectoral and abdominal pains, headache and toothache. Its alcoholic maceration has also been applied as liniment for rheumatism. The extract causes central nervous system depression, a decrease in motor activity, and a decrease in respiratory rate.
The decoctions and the sap of the leaves may have hallucinogenic properties, which may be due to unidentified chemical components of the plant’s essential oil fraction.
A purified extract of Kaempferia galanga and polyester-8 stabilize the UV absorptive properties of sunscreen combinations containing avobenzone.
It has been reported recently that the rhizomes of Kaempferia galanga contains chemicals that are potent insecticides. and may have potential in mosquito control. A similar finding was also revealed previously for Zingiber cassumunar and Kaempferia rotunda.
K. galanga extracts possesses antioxidant antiinflammatory and analgesic activities.
Kaempferia galanga contains up to 2.5% ethyl p-methoxycinnamate, which may be useful as a potential anti-tuberculosis lead molecule. In an anticancer assay, it was found that ethyl p-methoxycinnamate could inhibit the proliferation of the human hepatocellular liver carcinoma HepG2 cell line in vitro. It is recently reported that the anti-inflammatory effect of Kaempferia galanga is mainly due to Ethyl-p-methoxycinnamate.
Two major aromatic compounds found in Kaempferia galanga, ethyl p-methoxycinnamate and ethyl cinnamate had sedative effects on mice when inhaled.
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