Chemical constituents from the stems and leaves of Amomum villosum Lour. and their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities

Amomum villosum Lour. is a medicinal and edible plant, whose medicinal parts are dried and mature fruits, and its stems and leaves are always treated as waste. HPLC-MS/MS analysis showed that the chemical components contained in the stems/leaves of A. villosum and those in fruits are quite different. To discover potential active ingredients from the stems/leaves of A. villosum, phytochemical evaluation of the stems/leaves of A. villosum was conducted to isolate and identify-four undescribed compounds (1, 2a, 2b, and 3) along with 41 known ones (4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, and 6-42). All isolated compounds were assessed for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Among them, compounds 5b, 33, 34, and 38 exhibited anti-inflammatory activity, and compounds 1, 4a, 4b, 6, 7, 15, 33, 35, 37, and 41 showed antioxidant effects. Among them, the new compound 1 showed a significant antioxidant effect via activation of NRF2/HO-1 pathways. Therefore, the leaves and stems of A. villosum may be served as a potential medicine or dietary supplement for preventing and treating diseases resulting from inflammation and oxidative stress.

Automated summary

Amomum villosum Lour. is a medicinal and edible plant. The stems and leaves of A. villosum, which are usually treated as waste, were found to contain various chemical components, including four undescribed compounds and 41 known compounds. Some of these compounds showed anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, with the new compound 1 exhibiting significant antioxidant effect through the activation of NRF2/HO-1 pathways. Therefore, the stems and leaves of A. villosum may serve as a potential medicine or dietary supplement for preventing and treating diseases resulting from inflammation and oxidative stress.