Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B.L.Burtt & R.M.Sm

Micucci, M., Bolchi, C., Budriesi, R., Cevenini, M., Maroni, L., Capozza, S., Chiarini, A., Pallavicini, M. & Angeletti, A., 2020, Antihypertensive phytocomplexes of proven efficacy and well-established use: Mode of action and individual characterization of the active constituents, Phytochemistry (112222) 170, pp. 1-19 : 7-8

2.7. Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B.L.Burtt & R.M.Sm

Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B.L.Burtt & R.M.Sm is a tropical plant that originates in South America and Asia, whose leaves are used in folk medicine for the treatment of hypertension and gastrointestinal ailments.

Extracts from leaves mainly contain flavonoids, such as (+)-catechin, (−)-epicatechin, rutin, quercetin, kaempferol and its glucosides, and kava pyrones, including dihydro-5,6-dehydrokawain and 5,6-dehydrokawain (Mpalantinos et al., 1998).

A. zerumbet leaves extract produces vasodilation in the mesenteric vascular bed, which was reverted by L-NAME and [1,2,3]oxadiazolo [4,4-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), suggesting the involvement of endothelium. This effect is due, at least in part, to activation of NO synthase and soluble guanylyl cyclase (GC), and to B2 bradykinin receptors antagonism (de Moura et al., 2005; Galleano et al., 2010). In vivo experiments showed also the involvement of endothelium-derived relaxing factors in the hypotensive action of A. zerumbet leaves extract (de Moura et al., 2005). Studies on the hypotensive activity of the purified flavonoids have been cited above (see M. alba ). Here, two recent researches have to be mentioned which demonstrate the ACE inhibition activity of catechin (He, 2017) and the NO levels stimulation by epicatechin ( Fig. 7 ) (Ramirez-Sanchez et al., 2018).

Essential oil, obtained by leaves, is also used. This contains a wide range of monoterpenes, of which terpinen-4-ol and 1,8-cineol are the main constituents ( Fig. 7 ) (Lahlou et al., 2003; Pinto et al., 2009). The i. v. administration of the A. zerumbet essential oil to both Deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) salt hypertensive and uninephrectomized, normotensive rats results in a decrease of BP (Lahlou et al., 2003), mainly due to terpinen-4-ol. The vasorelaxant effect occurs also by an endothelium-independent mechanism, as A. zerumbet essential oil methanolic fraction, rich in terpinen-4-ol and 1,8-cineol, inhibits calcium influx, acting on receptor-operated calcium channels and voltage-operated calcium channels (VOCC) (da Cunha et al., 2013). Recently, terpinen-4-ol has been proved to change intracellular Ca 2+ handling and to induce pacing disturbance in rat hearts (Gondim et al., 2017).

The plant has also properties of inhibiting the ox-LDL-mediated dysfunction of the vascular endothelium (Shen et al., 2012). In humans, the essential oil has effect on post-stroke muscle spasticity (Maia et al., 2016).

Figures

Fig. 7. Singly studied constituents of Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B.L.Burtt & R.M.Sm. essential oil (monoterpenes) and leaves extract (flavanols).