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Gen info
- Zingiberaceae, also referred to as the gingers, the largest family in the order Zingiberales with 56 genera and over 1,500 species, widely distributed in the tropics, especially in Southeast Asia. The Philippines has about 108 species in 16 genera. (7)
- Alpinia is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is the largest genus in the ginger family, with 248 species and 2 hybrids. Some species are cultivated as ornamental plants. (14)
- The genus was erected by Scottish botanist William Roxburgh in 1810. The genus name honors Prospero Alpino, a 17th-century Italian botanist who specialized in exotic plants. Species in the genus are generally known as shell gingers. (14)
 Botany
• Tagbak is a stout herbaceous plant, growing
to a height of 2 to 4 meters, with stout rootstocks. Stems are
swollen at the base, and leafy throughout. Leaves are leathery,
spreading or reflexed, oblong-ovate to lanceolate, 25 to 60 centimeters
long, 5 to 20 centimeters wide, with a pointed tip. Petioles are short
and stout. Inflorescence is about 30 centimeters long , the base of
the peduncle having oblong-lanceolate, chartaceous, 8 to 12 centimeters
long bracts. The branches are about 8, scattered, spreading,
stout, about 5 centimeters long, covered with persistent bracts, each
branch bearing several to many flowers, opening one at a time. Calyx
is about 4 centimeters long. Corolla is pale straw-colored, about 7 centimeters long, with the tube cylindric, and the upper lobe about 4 centimeters long, concave, and erect, while the other two are as long but are reflexed and oblong-ovate. Lip is about as long as the corolla-lobes, and spreading. Capsule is ellipsoid, woody and 3 to 4 centimeters long, split into
3 valves and crowned by a persistent calyx.
Distribution
- Endemic species.
-
In thickets along streams, at low and medium altitudes in Apayao, Amburayan, Lepanto, Nueva Viscaya, Pampanga, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Rizal, Laguna, Quezon, and Sorsogon Provinces in Luzon; in Polilio; in Mindanao; and Leyte.
- At low and medium elevation thickets along streams.
Constituents
- A study for repellent constituents yielded α-pinene, α-terpinene, ß-phellandrene, linalool, ß-pinene, p-cymene, camphene, 1,8,cineole, and citronellol. (see study below) (4)
- An ethanol extract of leaves yielded flavonoids, steroids, saponins, tannins, alkaloids and cyanogenic glycosides, with absence of anthraquinone. (see study below) (7)
- Phytochemical screening of ethanol extract of leaves yielded traces of alkaloids, moderate amounts of sterols, and abundant triterpenes, flavonoids, saponins, glycosides, and tannins. (see study below) (10)
Properties
- Studies suggest repellent, antimicrobial, free radical scavenging, anticancer, immunoregulatory, chondroprotective properties.
Parts
utilized
Rhizomes, leaves, stems.
 Uses
Edibility
- Fruit rind is edible, a little woody in texture. (3)
Folkloric
- Decoction of rhizomes used for hemoptysis.
- Pounded leaves, mixed with a little salt rubbed on paralyzed extremities.
- Juice from macerated young stems used for urticaria.
- Reported use for musculoskeletal diseases in the Surigao del Sur mountain range. (5)
- Used for musculoskeletal diseases, migraines, stomachaches, and as anti-relapse treatment for women.
(7)
- Pounded leaves mixed with a little salt rubbed on paralyzed extremities. (7)
- Mamanwa tribe in Caraga, Philippines, use
raw or boiled tubers to treat kidney problems and constipation. Smashed tuber are applied on forehead to cure fever. Young shoots are minced into a paste, mixed with a little water, and applied to forehead to treat headaches. (13)
Studies
• Repellent: Study investigated the mechanism for reduced green leaf hopper population in rice fields with tagbak (Alpinia elegans). Results showed N. virescens, an important vector of tungro, was repelled by the odors released from the leaf discs of tagbak. The repellent chemicals were the green leafhopper were α-pinene, α-terpinene, ß-phellandrene, linalool, ß-pinene, p-cymene, camphene, 1,8,cineole, and citronellol. Results suggest tagbak can be used to reduce dependence of synthetic insecticides, an alternative pest management strategy in organic and low-input rice production. (4)
• Mosquito Repellent / Leaves: Study evaluated the efficacy of a crude extract of leaves of Alpinia elegans against Aedes aegypti. (6)
• Free Radical Scavenging Effects / Leaves: Study evaluated
an ethanol extract of leaves for in vitro antioxidant activity using DPPH antioxidant assay. Results showed high radical scavenging activity with percent DPPH inhibition of 95.11 ± 1.00 at 500 µg/ml. (see constituents above) (7)
• Antipneumonic Effect / Essential Oil / Leaves: Study evaluated
the essential oil isolated from six Philippine plant species for in vitro growth inhibitory effect against pneumonia causing bacteria. Alpinia elegans and A. cumingii showed the most effective antibacterial potential against H. influenza with MIC of 256 µg/ml. GC-MS analysis showed caryophyllene epoxide to be the major leaf oil component of A. elegans. (8)
• Vapor Effect on Bioassays: Study of ethanol extract showed a broad spectrum of biological effects. Due to its volatility, conventional microplate-based bioassays can be significantly affected by the vapors. Study evaluated the antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of three essential oils (Alpinia elegans, Cinnamomum iners, and Xanthostemon verdugonianus) one supercritical CO2 extract (Nigella sativa), and four plant-derived compounds (capsaicin,caryophyllene oxide, 8-hydroxyquinoline and thymoquinone). Results showed vapor transition to adjoining wells caused false-positive results of performed bioassays.
(9)
• Anticancer Activity / Leaves: Study evaluated Alpinia elegans ethanolic leaf extract (Tagbak:TGK) for potential anticancer activity against lung (A549), colorectal (HCT116), and liver (HEPG2) cancer cells, using MTS cell viability assay with doxorubicin (DXR) as positive control and 0.1% DMSO in culture media as negative control.
TGK exhibited antiproliferative activity at high concentrations, with greater effect against HEPG2 (IC50 98.35ppm) than A549 (IC50 245.5 ppm) and HCT116 (IC50 299.7 ppm). TGK
attenuated cell migration. Cytoskeleton and nuclei visualization via fluorescence microscopy showed cell shrinkage and pyknosis, as well as cellular debris, indicating apoptotic and necrotic effects on cancer cells. Results showed significant inhibition of cellular proliferation and migration at high concentrations. (see constituents above) (10)
• Anticancer Activity / Seed Oil: The seed oil of Alpinia elegans have been shown to contain bioctive compounds: D-limonene, α-pinene, and caryophyllene oxide.
Study evaluated Alpinia elegans seed oil for bioactive compounds using in silico methods to examine the compounds as viable therapeutic candidates against human cancer cell lines. Results showed the three compounds were most potent against thyroid gland carcinoma (8505C) cells, brain glaucoma (Hs 683) cells, and promyeloblast leukemia (HL-60) cells. Additionally, D-limonene showed arrhythmia as an adverse effect. Predictions showed the compounds could inhibit cellular growth factors and serine/threonine-protein kinase activity. The compounds generated a bioavailability score of 0.55 and exhibited blood-brain-barrier (BBB) penetration. D-limonene, α-pinene, and caryophyllene oxide had binding energy of -4.59, -5.43, and -6.92, respectively. Results suggest the compounds are promising candidates against human cancer cell lines by inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis. (11)
• Immunoregulatory / Chrondroprotective Against Osteoarthritis / Leaves: Study evaluated the effect of A. elegans leaf extracts in MIA-induced osteoarthritis rat model by targeting the major immune regulatory pathways involved in OA pathogenesis. Crude ethanolic and ethyl acetate sub-extract exhibited potent chrondroprotective effects by inhibiting oxidative stress, reducing expression of pro-infllammatory cytokines and cartilage degrading enzymes. Cellular abnormalities and proteoglycan loss were significantly decreased on rat cartilages following extract treatment. Results suggest crude ethanolic and ethyl acetate leaf extracts can be a promising treatment option for OA. (12) Availability
Wild-crafted. |
