Properties:Sweet in flavour,Sweet and neutral, neutral in property;acting on the spleenand lung channels.Invigorates the spleen.Replenishes the middle-jiao energy.Promotes the production of normal body fluids. Nourishes the blood.Promotes production of body fluid and blood circulation.
Galangal (gaoliangjiang) is in the ginger family, a species of Alpinia, which has a large concentration of oils and resins that have some analgesic qualities as also found in ginger and cardamom. It is described as an herb for warming the interior. Combined used with Cyperus root in a famous ancient formula named as Liang Fu Wan for Treatment of cold-type pain
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Botanical Basic Data:Galangal(Lesser Galangal) Botanical: Alpinia officinarum (HANCE.),Lesser Galangal.
Family: N.O. Zingaberaceae or Scilaminae
Genus Species:Languas officinarum or Alpinia officinarum
Bouquet: Aromatic and gingery
Flavour: Aromatic and pungent, peppery and gingerlike.
Common Name:LESSER GALANGAL
Other Lnaguage Names of Lesser Galangal:French: galanga de la Chine, galanga vrai, petit galanga Chinese: sa leung geung, sha geung fun Malay: kunchor, zedoary Sinhalese: ingurupiayati Thai: krachai
Latin: Rhizoma Alpiniae Officinarum.
Synonyms:Galangal,Galanga.China Root.India Root.East India Catarrh Root. Lesser Galangal. Rhizoma Galangae. Gargaut. Colic Root. Kaempferia Galanga. Arabic Khalanjan ginger.mild ginger.the Chinese Ko-liang-kiang,the mild ginger from Ko. Aromatic Ginger, China Root, Chinese Ginger, Colic Root, East Indian Catarrh Root, East Indian Root, Gargaut, India Root, Siamese Ginger.
Part Used:Dried rhizome(dried root).Galangal.
Mars Fire Masculine
Habitat&Cultivated:China,India,Indonesia,Malaysia
Lesser galangal: smaller than the greater as the name implies. The leaves are long and slender, roughly half the dimensions of the greater. The whole plant, rarely more than 1m (3 1/4ft) high, vaguely resembles an iris. The flowers are small, white with red streaks. The rhizomes are reddish brown, about 2cm (3/4in) in diameter. They are more pungent than the greater and are similarly ringed.
Collection:Galangal is cultivated in China where the rhizomes are unearthed in late summer and early autumn, washed, cut into segments and dried.
Common Use:Galangal is related to ginger. It has a strong taste which is somewhat like clove. It is mostly used as a hallucinogen and as a taste enhancer. Galangal has a positive effect on the blood circulation and the central nervous system. This has a positive effect on the concentration and other thinking faculties.
Origin: The rhizome of Alpinia officinarum Hance, a perennial plant, of the family Zingiberaceae. It is much like ginger, its use into curry's, stew and every dish where ginger is used. In China, it is mainly produced in Guangdong, Guangxi, Taiwan, etc. Harvested at the turn of summer and autumn, the rhizome that has grown for 4 to 6 years is dug up and picked for use. Procedure: Remove the stems, fibrous roots and remaining scales above the ground from the rhizome, wash it clean, cut it into lengths and dry it in the sun for use when raw.
Differentiation of Lesser Galangal from Great Galangal:
Common Name:Greater Galangal
Genus Species:Languas galangal or Alpinia galanga
Family:Zingiberaceae
Origin:India, Southeast Asia, Laos
Cultivated:Indonesia, Southwest India, eastern Himilayas
Origin of Galangal(Alpiniae Officinarum.,Lesser Galangal):
The rhizome of Alpinia officinarum Hance, a perennial plant, of the family Zingiberaceae. It is much like ginger, its use into curry's, stew and every dish where ginger is used.In China, it is mainly produced in Guangdong, Guangxi, Taiwan, etc.
Harvested at the turn of summer and autumn, the rhizome that has grown for 4 to 6 years is dug up and picked for use. Procedure: Remove the stems, fibrous roots and remaining scales above the ground from the rhizome, wash it clean, cut it into lengths and dry it in the sun for use when raw.
(The Galanga minor, Kaempferia galanga, is mostly used in Malaysia and Indonesia. Its aroma is less pleasant, stronger, more aromatic and 'medicinal')
Etymology: Lat. Alpinia, in memory of the Italian botanist Prospero Alpino (1533¨C1617); Lat. galanga, from Arabic khalangian, from Chinese liang-kiang, mild ginger.
Description of Galangal(Alpiniae Officinarum.,Lesser Galangal):
The genus Alpinia was named by Plumier after Prospero Alpino,a famous Italian botanist of the early seventeenth century.
The name Galangal is derived from theArabic Khalanjan, perhaps a perversion of a Chinese word meaning 'mild ginger.'
The galangal has been known in Europe for seven centuries longer than its botanical origin,for it was only recognized in 1870, when specimens were examined that had been found near Tung-sai, in the extreme south of China, and later, on the island of Hainan, just opposite. The name of Alpinia officinarum was given to the herb, as the source of Lesser Galangal.
The Greater Galangal is a native of Java (A. Galanga or Maranta Galanga), and is much larger, of an orange-brown colour, with a feebler taste and odour. It is occasionally seen at London drug sales, but is scarcely ever used. There is also a resemblance to A. calcarata.The herb grows to a height of about 5 feet, the leaves being long, rather narrow blades, and the flowers, of curious formation, growing in a simple, terminal spike, the petals white, with deep-red veining distinguishing the lippetal.
The branched pieces of rhizome are from 1 1/2 to 3 inches in length, and seldom more than 3/4 inch thick. They are cut while fresh, and the pieces are usually cylindrical, marked at short intervals by narrow, whitish, somewhat raised rings, which are the scars left by former leaves. They are dark reddish-brown externally, and the section shows a dark centre surrounded by a wider, paler layer which becomes darker in drying.
Their odour is aromatic, and their taste pungent and spicy. They are tough and difficult to break, the fracture being granular, with small, ligneous fibres interspersed throughout one side. The drug is exported, chiefly from Shanghai, in bales made of split cane, plaited, and bound round with cane. The root has been used in Europe as a spice for over a thousand years, having probably been introduced by Arabian or Greek physicians, but it has now largely gone out of use except in Russia and India. Closely resembling ginger, it is used in Russia for flavouring vinegar and the liqueur 'nastoika': it is a favourite spice and medicine in Lithuania and Esthonia. Tartars prepare a kind of tea that contains it, and it is used by brewers. The reddishbrown powder is used as snuff, and in India the oil is valued in perfumery.
Galangal is popular in Asiatic cooking and was well-known in European medieval cooking. The plant Alpinia galanga (or Languas galangal) has numerous common names, including greater galangal, galangale and galang. It is also known as Siamese ginger or laos, since the plant is indigenous to Southeast Asia, and its rhizome (root) resembles ginger in appearance and in taste. The word galangal is probably derived from the Arabic translation of its Chinese name, liang-tiang, which means wild ginger? Sometimes the word galingale is used for the various galangale and associated gingery rhizomatous spices, but this term has also been used to describe tubers from the roots of certain cypress and sedge plants. These popular tubers of ancient Egypt are now available in Spain, and are know as tiger nuts, earth nuts, or chufa nuts. In Spain a sweet drink that is made from chufa nuts is called horchata; it differs from the Mexican drink of the same name which is made from rice.
Different galangal specimens vary in their hotness and flavor. The spice is said to have a flowery taste, while others describe it as tasting like ginger with cardamom. However, some feel the taste of galangal is more like peppery cinnamon, while lesser galangal has a stronger, hotter, and more medicinal taste. The lesser galangal Languas officinarum is sometimes confused with greater galangal. It comes from China, where it is used as a medicinal herb, but is grown in Indonesia and is regarded as a spice flavor for use in food. Another plant in this group is zedoary, also called white turmeric; this spice is sometimes used in foods, but it is currently of minor importance.
Galangal and other gingery spices are used in Asia and in the Middle East in cooking, perfumes, snuffs, and aphrodisiacs. The galangal spices have been used as flavors for condiments, including vinegar, beers, and wines in Russia, and they are used in Germany and elsewhere in teas.
A ruther related group of spicy plants are those members of the Kaemplferia genus, such as Kaemplferia galanga; this is sometimes confused with lesser galangal. See a list of spices by Taste and Hotness.
Useful Parts The roots of galangal contain the flavor.
Properties: Pungent in flavor, hot in nature, it is related to the spleen and stomach channels.
Constituents of Galangal(Alpiniae Officinarum.,Lesser Galangal):
The root contains a volatile oil, resin, galangol, kaempferid, galangin and alpinin, starch, etc. The active principles are the volatile oil and acrid resin. Galangin is dioxyflavanol, and has been obtained synthetically. Alcohol freely extracts all the properties, and for the fluid extract there should be no admixture of water or glycerin.
Medicinal Action and Uses of Galangal(Alpiniae Officinarum.,Lesser Galangal):
Stimulant and carminative. It is especially useful in flatulence, dyspepsia, vomiting and sickness at stomach, being recommended as a remedy for sea-sickness. It tones up the tissues and is sometimes prescribed in fever. Homoeopaths use it as a stimulant. Galangal is used in cattle medicine, and the Arabs use it to make their horses fiery. It is included in several compound preparations, but is not now often employed alone.
Main Content: galangin (C15H10O5); eugenol(C10H12O2); quercetin (C15H10O7).
Other Content:kaempferol; quercetin-3-methylether;Isorhamnetin;galangin-3-methylether; kaempferol-7-methyl ether; 7-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyflavone; alpinin; 7-(4"-hydroxyphenly)-1-phenyl-4-hepten-3-one;5-hydroxy-1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy phenyl)-3-heptanone; 5-methoxy-7-(4"-hydroxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-3-heptanone; 5-hydroxy-7-(4"-hydroxy-3"-methoxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-3-heptanone;(3R,5R)-1-(4-hydroxy-phenyl)-7-phenylheptane-3,5-diol; octahydrocurcumin; 17-diphenylhept-4-en-3-one;7-(4"-hydroxy-3"-methoxyphenyl)-1-phenylhept-4-en-3-one; 7-(4"-hydroxy-3"-methoxyphentl)-1-phenyl-3,5-heptadione; 5-hydroxy-7-(4"-hydroxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-3-heptanone; 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid; Beta-sitosterol; stigmasterol; campesterol; 6-zingerol; benzylacetone; eualpinol.
Content in volatile oil(1%): 1,8-cineloe;4-phenylon-2-one; 3-phenyl-propanal; alpha-pinene;phenol-4-3-hydroxy-l-propenyl;palmitic;beta-guaiene;alpha-lerpineol;gamma-elemene;galangol; methyl cinnamate; cadinene.
Functions: Dispels cold, kills pain, warms the spleen and stomach and arrests coughing. The powder is used as a snuff for catarrh.
This is another popular culinary and medicinal plant of the ginger family. The fresh galanga rootstock (rhizome) is typical for the cuisine of Thailand. For example it is used finely sliced in soups of the tom yam type. The ginger-like rhizome is built up from cylindrical subunits marked by characteristic rings. Its flavour is completely different from that of ginger. The fresh rhizome has a piney flavour due to fenchyl acetate and bornyl acetate. Its other major volatiles are 1,8-cineole, guaiol and methyl cinnamate. The 'sharp' constituents, causing the burning sensation on the mucous membranes, partly consists of phenylalkanones like those in ginger.
Nitric oxide inhibitors Group:
Following content from Alpinia officinarum Hance proved show Nitric oxide inhibitory activity: galanganal (IC50=68 microM), galanganols B (88 microM) and C (33 microM), 1'S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (2.3 microM), 1'S-1'-acetoxyeugenol acetate (11 microM), trans-p-hydroxycinnamaldehyde (ca. 20 microM), trans-p-coumaryl alcohol (72 microM), and trans-p-coumaryl diacetate (19 microM) were found to show inhibitory activity.
Two diarylheptanoids identified :7-(4''-hydroxy-3''-methoxyphenyl-1-phenylhept-4-en-3-one and 3,5-dihydroxy-1,7-diphenylheptane; and flavonol constituent galangin identified.
Antiallergic phytochemicals Group:
Following phenylpropanoids and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde show strong inhibit release of beta-hexosaminidase:-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate and 1'S-1'-acetoxyeugenol acetate,1'- and 4-acetoxyl groups of 1'S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate and 1'S-1'-acetoxyeugenol acetate,etc.
5alpha-reductase Inhibitor Group:
Following four diarylheptanoids constituents from acetone extract of Alpinia officinarum rhizomes were identified as 5alpha-reductase Inhibitors: 1,7-diphenylhept-4-en-3-one, dihydroyashabushiketol (1,7-diphenyl-5-hydroxy-3-heptanone), 5-hydroxy-7-(4"-hydroxy-3"-methoxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-3-heptanone and 5-hydroxy-7-(4"-hydroxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-3-heptanone.
Conclusion:this could be a potential source as DHT inhibitor Groups for many interesting and benefit uses.
Immunostimulating activators Group:
Hot water polysaccharide extracts of Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd showed a marked stimulating effect on the reticulo-endothelial system (RES) and increased the number of peritoneal exudate cells (PEC), and spleen cells of mice. In this case, the optimum doses were 50 and 25 mg/kg for the two fractions, respectively.
Gastroprotective effects:1'S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate and related phenylpropanoids isolated from the rhizomes of Alpinia galanga proved gastroprotective effects,1'S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate and 1'S-1'-acetoxyeugenol acetate markedly inhibited the ethanol-induced gastric mucosal lesions (ED(50)=0.61 and ca. 0.90 mg/kg).
Applications of Galangal(Alpiniae Officinarum.,Lesser Galangal):
1. To treat cold pain in the abdomen due to stomach-cold:
Like other members of the ginger family, galangal is warming and comforting to the digestion. Galangal has a pleasantly aromatic and mildly spicy taste, and is suitable for all conditions where the central areas of the body need greater warmth. Galangal was introduced into Europe in about the 9th century. The mystic Hildegard of Bingen regarded it literally as the "spice of life," given by God to ward off ill health.
This herb is always used in mutual enforcement with blast-fried ginger, e.g., Er Jiang Wan.
2. To treat distending pain in the abdomen due to stomach-cold and stagnation of liver-qi:
This herb is mostly used together with nutgrass flatsedge rhizome (Rhizoma Cyperi) in order to soothe the liver, regulate the circulation of qi, dispel cold and relieve pain, e.g., Liang Fu Wan.
3. To treat vomiting due to stomach-cold:
This herb can be used together with dangshen (Radix Codonopsis Pilosulae), tuckahoe (Poria Cocos), largehead atractylodes rhizome (Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae), etc.
4. Nutritional Value:
Eating five daily servings of vegetables and fruits lowers the chances of cancer. A recent study found that eating nine or ten daily servings of vegetables and fruits, combined with three servings of low-fat dairy products, were effective in lowering blood pressure.
5.Chinese medicine:
In traditional Chinese herbal medicine, galangal is a warming herb used for abdominal pain, vomiting, and hiccups, as well as for diarrhea due to internal cold. When used for hicupps, galangal is combined with codonopsis and Ju ling.
6.Indian tradition:
In India and southwestern Asia, galangal is considered stomachic, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, and a nervine tonic. Galangal is used in the treatment of hiccups, dyspepsia, stomach pain, rheumatoid arthritis, and intermittent fever.
7.Western herbalism:
Galangal was introduced into Europe by Arabian physicians well over a thousand years ago. In line with the Chinese and Indian herbal traditions, galangal is mainly used in the West for gas, indigestion, vomiting, and stomach pain. An infusion can be used to alleviate painful canker sores and sore gums. Galangal has long been recommended as a treatment for seasickness, which is not surprising given the well-established ability of its relative ginger to relieve motion sickness.
8.Candidiasis:
Galangal can be used with other antifungal herbs as part of a regimen to treat intestinal candidiasis.
Antibacterial:In Chinese research trials, a decoction of galangal had an antibacterial action against a number of pathogens, including anthrax.
Antifungal:Research indicates that galangal is distinctly effective against Candida albicans.
Galangal and Its Oriental Practice:
Galangal is a rarely discussed plant agent in modern western botanical medicine. It is, however, still widely present in the modern practice of Ayurvedic medicine as well as traditional Chinese and Thai medicines and as a culinary agent in these same cultures. Its inherently warming nature provokes better blood flow through the extremities and imparts a warm, comforting sensation to the stomach when it is distressed. It makes a phenomenal addition to soup recipes. There are two chemical principles in galangal that have been studied quite intensely over the past few years, the flavonoid galangin and the phenylpropanoid 1¡¯-acetoxychaovicol acetate. A review of these two more researched constituents is as follows:
Galangin:an incredible flavonoid with multiple biological activities
Galangin:Galangin (3,5,7-trihydroxyflavone) is a flavonoid with multiple biological activities. It was originally found and characterized from galangal root in 1881. It has since been found in many other plants, and is also a constituent of bee propolis throughout the Mediterranean where it is considered to play an antimicrobial role.
Against the carcinogenic potential of overcooked, char-grilled foods: Several recent studies with this flavonoid suggest that it may have a potent anti-cancer effect, specifically through inhibition of the detoxification enzyme CYP1A1 and modulation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. The implication with this type of research is that this flavonoid exerts a protective effect against the carcinogenic potential of overcooked, char-grilled foods. Galangin has also been shown to be a potent preserver of the endogenous free radical scavenger glutathione, thereby playing another anti-carcinogenic role.
Prevent heart disease and lipid peroxidation: Recent research has also uncovered several mechanisms by which this particular flavonoid exerts a positive effect in the prevention of heart disease. Galangin has a proven anti-oxidative effect on endothelial tissues and acts to help preserve other protective antioxidants such as vitamin E, vitamin C and other flavonoids, in this function it also serves to prevent lipid peroxidation.
Inhibition of cyclo-oxygenase family of enzymes: Galangin also exerts a strong inhibitory effect on the cyclo-oxygenase family of enzymes, this provides a strong cardioprotective effect by inhibiting the aggregation of platelets, as well as providing a consistent systemic anti-inflammatory effect. These are only a few of the known applications for this incredible flavonoid.
Aromatase inhibitor: The Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases for the United States Department of Agricultural Research Service lists this plant constituent as anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, anti-oxidant, anti-viral, cancer preventive and as an aromatase inhibitor.
Prevents the conversion of testosterone to estrogen: This last entry deserves additional mention; an aromatase inhibitor specifically prevents the conversion of testosterone to estrogen in both men and women. This aspect of galangin's action provides yet another mechanism for preventing cancer (especially of the breast and prostate) and heart disease.
History of Galangal(Alpiniae Officinarum.,Lesser Galangal):
Medicinal Properties: have no well-defined medicinal use,although they have been advocated for many of the disorders that are treated with ginger. In Germany, herbalists use lesser galangal for dyspepsia biliary symptoms, bowel spasm and angina.
Historical View Alpinia officinarum: Galangal is an aromatic stimulant like ginger.It was formerly much employed by the Arabians and Greeks, and was used to some extent in this country, but it has now become obsolete here?
Attributed Medicinal Properties:Resembling ginger in its effects, galangal is an aromatic stimulant, carminative and stomachic. It is used against nausea, flatulence, dyspepsia, rheumatism, catarrh and enteritis. It also possesses tonic and antibacterial qualities and is used for these properties in veterinary and homeopathic medicine. In India it is used as a body deodorizer and halitosis remedy. Both galangals have been used in Europe and Asia as an aphrodisiac for centuries. Gerard (1597) says: "they conduce to venery, and heate the too cold reines (loins)".
Galangal (Alpinia officinarum) is an ancient and highly revered medicinal agent in Ayurvedic, Traditional Chinese and Thai folk medicine. This botanical cousin to Ginger was recognized to be the superior in many ways and has been employed in medicine for over a thousand years. It has a pungent, hot and spicy taste with an aromatic, ginger-like odor. In traditional Chinese Medicine it is said to ¡°warm the middle¡± and alleviate pain, being especially good for abdominal pain, vomiting, hiccups and diarrhea. It is also recognized as a powerful dispersing agent with analgesic properties that make it an appropriate and effective intervention for rheumatic pains and other inflammatory disorders.
The use of this amazing plant in the western world can be traced back to before its mention by the great mystic Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179). Hildegard referred to galangal as ¡°the spice of life¡± and a potent aid to digestion and a quick reliever of pain, especially angina, heart attack, and gall bladder attacks. In her classic treatise ¡°Physica¡±, she writes, ¡°whoever has heart pain and is weak in the heart should instantly eat enough galangal, and he or she will be well again.¡± Physicians in Germany who have taken up the modern practice of Hildegard Medicine have reported that galangal is as effective as nitroglycerine in relieving the constrictive heart pain of angina, without any side effects. These same physicians comment that it was Hildegard¡¯s mystical vision that first introduced the world to galangal¡¯s effects as a reliever of heart pain.
In 1898, galangal root was included in King¡¯s American Dispensatory where its effects on dyspepsia and as a digestive aid are elaborated. In addition to these actions Felter and Lloyd consider it a specific agent to relax the perineum and reduce the pain of hemorrhoids. Maude Grieve includes it in her classic text, ¡°A modern Herbal¡± in 1931 where she considers galangal a stimulant and carminative, especially useful in flatulence, dyspepsia, vomiting and stomach sickness of any kind, including sea-sickness. She describes it as toning the tissues and often being useful in fevers, like most of our diaphoretic agents. She also comments on its use in cattle medicine and by the Arabs to make their horses fiery.
Historical Notes on the Radix Galangae of Pharmacy:
Galangal was a favorite of Aleister Crowley, the English occultist, and the abbess Hildegard von Bingen mentions Galangal in her book "Natural Science" written around 1200 c.e. It is also a primary herb in both Ayurvedic & Tibetan medicine. But it is not clear which Galangal was used. It's quite possible varieties were often confused as we've seen with other herbs like Jatamansi and Valeriana Wallichi. Ancient physicians typically used what was available in their areas, and traders may have easily made substitutions or even dilutions. This continues today, where cassias and cinnamons are often diluted with pecan shells to increase profits. What may very well have been the difference between an excellent physician and a poor one, was their ability to discriminate herbs accurately.
In discovering and describing the plant which yields the Radix Galangae minoris of pharmacy, Dr. Hance has added an interesting chapter to the history of a substance which for many centuries has been an object of trade between Europe and the East. Galangal does not, indeed, possess properties which can claim for it the rank of an important medicine, being simply a pungent aromatic of the nature of ginger; but it has so long held a place in the pharmacopoeias of Europe, and enters into so many ancient receipts, that I need hardly apologize for offering to the Linnean Society a few notes on its pharmacological history.
Galangal was apparently unknown to the ancient Greeks and Romans; at least no mention of it can be found in the classical authors. Its introduction into Europe was due to the Arabians, in whose writings it is noticed at a very early period.
Thus Ibn Khurd¨¢dbah, an Arab geographer who served under the Khalif Mutammid, A.D. 869-885, has left some information respecting China, after which he speaks of the country of Sila, which exports . . . musk, aloes [i. e. aloes-wood], camphor, . . . porcelain, satin, cinnamon [cassia], and galangal. ("Le Livre des Routes et des Provinces, par Ibn Khordadbeh, traduit et annot¨¦ par C. Barbier de Meynard," Journ. Asiatique, s¨¦r. vi. tome v. (1865), p. 294.)
The celebrated geographer Edrisi, who wrote A.D. 1154, observes of Aden, that it is the port for Scinde, India and China, from which last country are brought musk, aloes-wood, pepper, cardamoms, cinnamom, galangal, mace, myrobalans, camphor, nutmegs, cloves and cubebs. ("G¨¦ographie d'Edrisi," traduite par A. Jaubert, Paris, 1836-40, 4to, tome i p. 51.)
The Arabian physicians, from Rhazes and Alkindi, in the tenth and eleventh centuries downwards, make frequent reference to galangal as an ingredient of the complicated medicines then in use.
Among the later Greeks I cannot find any mention made of this drug prior to Myrepsus, who probably resided as physician at the court of the Greek Emperors at Nicaea in the thirteenth century; though several authors declare it is referred to much earlier. It is constantly named by Actuarius, who may have been contemporary with Myrepsus.
In a work published some years ago in Paris, entitled "Assises de J¨¦rusalem, ou Recueil des Ouvrages de Jurisprudence composs pendant le xiiie si¨¦cle dans les Royaumes de J¨¦rusalem et de Chypre," (Paris, 1841-43, fol. tome ii. chap. 142.) there is a remarkable list of commodities liable to duty during the twelfth century at the port of Aeon in Syria (the modern Akka), at that period a great emporium of Mediterranean trade, in which many Indian spices and drugs, including galangal, are enumerated.
We find galangal also noticed, together with ginger and zedoary, as productions of India imported into Palestine, by Jaques de Vitri, Bishop of Aeon in the early part of the thirteenth century; (Vitriaco (Jac. de), "Historia Orientalis et Occidentalis," 1597, 8vo, p. 172.) and in the "Romance of Godefroi de Bouillon," a poem written in the twelfth century, it is named as one of the rarities of the East, which the Crusaders were deluded into believing would be found in plenty in the Holy Land. ("Biblioth¨¨que de l'Ecole des Chartes," tome ii. (1840-41), p. 437.)
Marco Polo, in his travels in Asia in the thirteenth century, observed galangal to be produced in Southern China (Province of Foochow?), as well as in Java. ("Le Livre de Marco Polo" (¨¦d. Pauthier: Paris, 1866), pp. 522, 561.)
About this period it was also known in Western Europe. St. Hildegard, Abbess of Bingen, who died in A.D. 1179, names it as galgan, and comments upon its medicinal virtues. ("S. Hildegardis Abbatissae Opera omnia," accurante J. P. Migne, Paris, 1855, p. 1134.)
Galangal is catalogued with other spices (as ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmegs) in the tariff of duties levied in the port of Colibre (Collioure), in Roussillon, in A.D. 1252. (Capmany, "Memorias Historicas sobre la Marina, Comercio y Artes de la Ciudad do Barcelona," 1779, tome ii. p. 20.)
A more interesting notice of the drug is contained in the journal of expenses of John, King of France, from July 1, 1359, to July 8, 1360, during his residence in England, preserved in the "Comptes de l'Argenterie des Rois de France." Besides purchases of sugar, mace, ginger, cloves, pepper, cardamoms, calamus aromaticus, and many other drugs, we find three entries for galangal, namely, for 1/2 lb. 18d., for 2 lbs. 6s., and for 1 lb. 22d.(The original entries are as follows: "Lundy VIIe jour d'octobre. Jehan Kelleshulle, espicier ¨¤ St. Boutoul, pour espices prises de li pour le Roy . . . Galingal, demie livre 18d. Jeudy XIIIe de fevrier . . . Galingal, 2 livres, 6s. Samedy XXVIIe jour de juing . . . Berth¨¦lemi Mine, espicier . . . Galingal, une livre, 22d. . . ." L. Douet D'Arcq, " Comptes de l'Argenterie des Rois de France au XIVe siecle." Paris, 1851, 8vo. pp. 218, 232, 265, 266.) As the price of gold happens to be also mentioned in one part of the account, it is easy to form an estimate of the relative value of galangal. This shows the price of 3s. per pound to be equivalent to about 10s. of our present money--not extravagant for a commodity transported from the remotest Asia to the centre of England.
In Professor J. E. Thorold Rogers' "History of Agriculture and Prices in England," there are eleven entries indicating the price of galangal in England between A.D. 1264 and 1376. The highest was in 1307, when 2 lbs. of the spice purchased for the Crown were paid at the rate of 6s. 8d. The other entries indicate the price as from 1s. 6d. to 3s. per lb.
In the fifteenth century galangal was evidently in common use for Saladinus, physician to one of the Princes of Tarentum, circa A.D. 1442-1458, reckons it among the things necessaria et usitata, which should be found in the shop of every aromatarius. ("Compendium Aromatariorum," Bonon. 1488, fol.) As might be expected, it is included in all the older pharmacopoeias and antidotaria.
Garcia D'Orta, first physician to the Portuguese Viceroy of India at Goa, and a resident in India for thirty years, is, I think, the first writer to point out (1563) that there are two sorts of galangal¡ªthe one, as he says, of smaller size and more potent virtues brought from China, the other, a thicker and less aromatic rhizome, produced in Java. ("Colloquios dos Simples e drogas he cousas medicinais da India," Goa, 1563, Colloquio 24.)
This distinction is perfectly correct. The Greater Galangal, which is termed Radix galangae majoris, is yielded by Alpinia galanga, Willd. (more), a plant of Java; (Maranta Galanga, Linn., Sp. Pl. and Swartz, Obs. Bot.) the lesser, called Radix galangae minoris or simply Radix galangae, is derived, as we now know, from the plant which Dr. Hance has described as A. officinarum (more). It is the latter drug alone that is at present found in European commerce. (Moodeen Sheriff, in his learned "Supplement to the Pharmacopoeia of India," (Madras, 1869), states that in the bazars of Hyderabad and in some other parts of India the rhizome of Alpinia calcarata, Rosc., is sold as a sort of galangal; and that a species of Alpinia growing in gardens about Madras, which, conceiving it to be new to science, he has described and named as A. Khulinjan, has a rhizome much resembling the Lesser Galangal of China.)
The name galangal, galanga or garingal, Galgant in German, is derived from the Arabic khanlanjan; whether that word may be a corruption of the Chinese name liang-kiang, signifying mild ginger, I must leave it to others to decide.
Let me say a few words regarding the uses of galangal. As a medicine, the manifold virtues formerly ascribed to it must be ignored; the drug is an aromatic stimulant, and might take the place of ginger, as indeed it does in some countries. That it is still in use in Europe is evident from the exports from China and from the considerable parcels offered in the public drug sales of London. (Three hundred bags, each 112 lbs., imported from Whampoa, were offered for sale by Messrs. Lewis and Peat, 27 Oct., 1870. The quantity was not thought remarkable; and I am assured that a single buyer will sometimes purchase such a lot at one time for shipment to the continent.) The chief consumption, however, is not in England, but in Russia. (Professor Regel, of St. Petersburg, and A. v. Bunge, of Dorpat, and Mr. Justus Eck, of London, have all obligingly supplied me with information as to the use of galangal in Russia. My thanks are also due to my friend, Professor Fl¨¹ckiger, who, on this as on other occasions, has kindly offered me valuable suggestions.) It is there used for a variety of purposes, as for flavoring the liquor called nastoika. The drug is also employed by brewers, and to impart a pungent flavor to vinegar, a use noticed by Pomet ("Histoire des Drogues," Paris, 1694, fol., part 1, p. 64.) so long ago as 1694. As a popular medicine and spice, it is much sold in Livonia, Esthonia, and in Central Russia; and by the Tartars it is taken with tea. It is also in requisition in Russia as a cattle-medicine; and all over Europe there is a small consumption of it in regular medicine.
There is doubtless some quantity of galangal of both sorts used in India. By a "Report on the External Commerce of the Presidency of Bombay for the year 1865-66," I find that there was imported into the port of Bombay of "Gallingall" from China 520 cwt., from Penang, Singapore, the Straits of Malacca and Siam 70 cwt., and from ports in Malabar 834 cwt. Of the total quantity (1424 cwt.), 716 cwt. was reshipped to the Arabian and Persian Gulfs.
According to Rondot, writing in 1848, the trade in this drug is on the decline; ("Commerce d'Exportation de la Chine," Paris, 1848, p.98) and the statistics which I have examined tend strongly to show that this is the fact.
The foregoing notes may be thus summarized:
1.Galangal was noticed by the Arab geographer Ibn Khurd¨¢dbah in the ninth century as a production of the region which exports musk, camphor and aloes-wood.
2.It was used by the Arabians and later Greek physicians, and was known in northern Europe in the twelfth century.
3.It was imported during the thirteenth century with other eastern spices by way of Aden, the Red Sea and Egypt, to Akka, in Syria, whence it was carried to other ports of the Mediterranean.
4.Two forms of the drug were noticed by Garcia d'Orta in 1563; these are still found in commerce, and are derived respectively from Alpinia Galanga, Willd., and A. officinarum, Hance.
5.Galangal is still used throughout Europe, but is consumed most largely in Russia. It is also used in India, and is shipped to ports in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea.
Galangal and Cyperus Formula:Liang Fu Wan and Treatment of cold-type pain
This highly aromatic formula is comprised of equal amounts of galangal and cyperus; the former is first washed with wine, and the latter with vinegar, then both are dried by baking and ground to powder, then formed into pills with ginger juice or water. It is taken in the amount of 6 grams each time. This is a warming preparation used for cold-type pain. The formula is simply named for its two ingredients.
Galangal (gaoliangjiang) is in the ginger family, a species of Alpinia, which has a large concentration of oils and resins that have some analgesic qualities as also found in ginger and cardamom. It is described as an herb for warming the interior. All of the herbs used for warming the interior, including aconite, dry ginger, cinnamon bark, evodia, zanthoxylum, long pepper, clove, and fennel, are considered analgesic. A cold syndrome usually involves pain; according to the text New Practical Syndrome Differentiation of TCM, exterior cold is usually manifest as severe general aching and headache, while internal cold is usually manifest as abdominal pain. Cyperus (xiangfu) is a highly aromatic qi regulating herb; according to Yang Yifan:
Cyperus is so effective for regulating qi, it is regarded in TCM as the chief of all the herbs that regulate the qi....It is the most commonly used herb to promote the liver-qi movement. Since it is gentle and effective, it can be applied for treating both excess and deficiency syndromes that are associated with the liver qi stagnation....
The aromatic components are volatile oils (mainly cyperone, cyperol, and cyperene) that have analgesic and anti-inflammatory qualities. This formula is mainly used for abdominal pain that responds favorably to warmth (a typical treatment is to apply a heating pad or hot water bottle to the painful area). Yan Wu suggests an extended prescription for acute and sudden abdominal pain that can be decreased by application of heat, namely combining two cyperus-based formulas, Liang Fu Wan and Zhengqi Tianxiang San (Lindera and Cyperus Formula); the latter includes lindera, dried ginger, perilla leaf, and citrus. Like Liang Fu Wan, Zhengqi Tianxiang San is also an interior warming combination that is very fragrant (tianxiang means heavenly fragrance).
Reference Materials:
'Other Medical Records of Famous Physicians':"Sudden attacks of pathogenic cold, adverse rising of stomach-cold, cholera and abdominal pain."
'The Compendium of Materia Medica' : "Cold pain in the epigastrium can be relieved immediately if lesser galangal is ground into fine powder and parched for a while and 5 g. of the powder is taken with rice water."
'New Compilation of Materia Medica': "To treat cold pain in the epigastrium by warming the stomach, dispelling cold, promoting digestion and relieving alcoholism."
Galangal formulation activating blood circulation to remove stasis:
For tonifying the kidney and activating blood circulation to remove stasis, following herbs combinations can be use for cheerful functions: cornus, cuscuta, alpinia, curcuma, arisaema, polygala, acorus, placenta, leech, crataegus
Application Guide,Warnings,Precautions:
Don't take if you:Are pregnant, think you may be pregnant or plan pregnancy in the near future. Have any chronic disease of the gastrointestinal tract, such as stomach or duodenal ulcers, esophageal reflux (reflux esophagitis), ulcerative colitis, spastic colitis, diverticulosis, diverticulitis.
Consult your doctor if you:Take this herb for any medical problem that doesn't improve in 2 weeks. There may be safer, more-effective treatments. Take any medicinal drugs or herbs including aspirin, laxatives, cold and cough remedies, antacids, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, supplements, other prescription or non-prescription drugs.
Pregnancy:Problems in pregnant women taking small or usual amounts have not been proved. But the chance of problems does exist. Don't use unless prescribed by your doctor.
Breast-feeding:Problems in breast-fed infants of lactating mothers taking small or usual amounts have not been proved. But the chance of problems does exist. Don't use unless prescribed by your doctor.
Infants and children:Treating infants and children under 2 with any herbal preparation is hazardous.
Others:None expected if you are under 45, not pregnant, basically healthy, take it for only a short time and do not exceed manufacturer's recommended dosage.
Storage:Keep cool and dry, but don't freeze. Store safely away from children.
Common Effect:
Galangal improves the appetite and it stimulates the blood stream in the body and the brain. The herb improves health and vitality. It is also used as a sexual stimulant.
The mild psychoactive effect is felt quite soon after chewing and swallowing a few teaspoons of Galangal. You can experience a warm feeling, clear thinking and altered perception, especially visual.
Larger doses can lead to mild visual hallucinations.
Usage and Applications:
Chew 1 to 10 grams or make tea of it, or dissolve it in a warm or cold drink. Use as much herb as you want effect. A small amount on a daily basis stimulates the blood circulation and the central nervous system. When used as tea, you can add some honey and / or peppermint leaves to improve the taste.
It is possible to use Galangal as a spice in meals such as rice dishes. Add a teaspoon Galangal when boiling the rice. When brought to taste with honey, you get an extraordinary hot and spicy dish. Galangal can be mixed with other herbs like Damiana to improve the taste.
To treat cold pain in the abdomen due to stomach-cold: This herb is always used in mutual enforcement with blast-fried ginger, e.g., Er Jiang Wan.
To treat distending pain in the abdomen due to stomach-cold and stagnation of liver-qi: This herb is mostly used together with nutgrass flatsedge rhizome (Rhizoma Cyperi) in order to soothe the liver, regulate the circulation of qi, dispel cold and relieve pain, e.g., Liang Fu Wan.
To treat vomiting due to stomach-cold: This herb can be used together with dangshen (Radix Codonopsis Pilosulae), tuckahoe (Poria Cocos), largehead atractylodes rhizome (Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae), etc.
Safety and Toxicity:Galangin
Chemical Name:Flavone,3,5,7-trihydroxy-
CAS Number: 548-83-4 Beilstein Reference:0272179
Molecular Formula:C15-H10-O5 Molecular Weight:270.25 Description:Mutagen
Synonyms:4H-Benzopyran-4-one,3,5,7-trihydroxy-2-phenyl-;Galangin;Norizalpinin;3,5,7-Trihydroxyflavone.
Melting Point:214~215 Deg C. Solubility:soluble in Ethanol,aether, insoluble in water, easy soluble in chloroform,benzene.
Acute Toxicity:
LD.Lethal dose.Oral.Rodent-mouse.>1500 mg/kg.
Details of toxic effects not reported other than lethal dose value.
Reference:DARUEE Dokl Akad Nauk resp.Uzb.Volume(issue)/page/year:(9-10),55,1995
Galangal Spell from the Herman Slater Formulary:
....Page Seven: AFRICAN JU JU POWDER:Ju Ju is a generic term in most West African nations referring to the practice of magic or the casting of spells.There is no specific 'Ju Ju' powder, just as there is no specific European Ceremonial Magical powder.
....Aleister Crowley liked to use Galangal as a condiment on hisfood. It adds a nice flavor to the taste of plain white rice. Its use in crossing spells is debatable, as is its use in psychic development.
Magical tincture:
Galangal (Alpinia officionalis or A. galanga) Also known as Low John the Conquerer or Siamese Ginger. Galangal has dark green, sword-shaped leaves, white flowers with pink veins, round red seed capsules, and a rhizomous rootstalk that smells of ginger and camphor. The rhizome has a spicy, gingerlike flavor used in Southeast Asia soups and curries. The young shoots and flowers are eaten raw and the flowers can be boiled or pickled. The rhizome yields an essential oil, essence d'Amali, used in perfumes.
Magical Uses: Use tincture for luck, money, protection, exorcism and psychic development. Ginger can be substituted.highly versatile and only slightly less powerful that High John or Jalap. Known as Low John, it action never proceeds in a straight line, but takes on unexpected twists and turns. It accomplishes its functions through devious means. Creates a powerful force for affecting change and is often used in legal difficulties.
Psychic abilities, luck, money, courage, strength, and for avoiding legal problems. Worn or carried, it protects and draws good luck. Place it in a leather mojo bag with silver, to draw money. Powdered galangal is burned to break spells and curses. It is also carried or sprinkled around the home to promote lust. Worn as a talisman, galangal aids psychic development and guards the wearer's health. A mild hallucinogen. Use caution with this plant.
Arrow poison:
Kaempferia galanga is used as an hallucinogen in New Guinea. Throughout the range of this species, the highly aromatic rhizome is valued as a spice to flavor rice, and also in folk medicine as an expectorant and carminative. A tea of the leaves is employed for sore throat, swellings, rheumatism, and eye infections. In Malaysia, the plant was added to the arrow poison prepared from Antians toxicaria.Beyond the high content of essential oil in the rhizome,It is said Hallucinogenic activity might possibly be due to constituents of the essential oils.
Galangal and Its Cosmetic Uses:Sun protection
A 100% extract from the roots of Kaempferia Galanga that is an all-natural source of Ethyl Methoxycinnamate shown to have enhancement of sun protection.
Scientific References:
1.Lesser Galangal Root Alpinia officinarum.
Claims & Warning:
Claims: Information this web site presented is meant for Nutritional Benefit and as an educational starting point only, for use in maintenance and promotion good health in cooperation with a common knowledge base reference...Furthermore,it based solely on the traditional and historic use or legend of a given herb from the garden of Adonis. Although every effort has been made to ensure its accurate, please note that some info may be outdated by more recent scientific developments......
Pharmakon Warning: The order of knowledge is not the transparent order of forms and ideas,as one might be tempted retrospectively to interpret it; it is the antidote....(Dissemination,Plato's Pharmacy,II.The Ingredients:Phantasms,Festivals,and Paints;138cf. Jacques Derrida.).
And as it happens,the technique of imitation,along with the production of the simulacrum,has always been in Plato's eyes manifestly magical,thaumaturgical:......and the same things appear bent and straight to those who view them in water and out,or concave and convex,owing to similar errors of vision about colors, and there is obviously every confusion of this sort in our souls.And so scene painting (skiagraphia) in its exploitation of this weakness of four nature falls nothing short of witchcraft (thaumatopoia), and so do jugglery and many other such contrivances.(Republic X,602c-d;cf.also 607c).
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MDidea Extracts Professional
Newly Developed Extracts Series:
Enjoy Daily Cartoons:
Serie No.:R016.Basic Data Sheet Download
.
seminal trace...Alpinia officinarum.Lesser Galangal Root Extract.10:1.Galangal Root Extract.Galangin.CAS RN:548-83-4.M.F.C15H10O5;Eugenol.M.F.C10H12O2.Alpinia officinarum Extract.Radix Galangae...
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Against the carcinogenic potential of overcooked, char-grilled foods: Several recent studies with this flavonoid suggest that it may have a potent anti-cancer effect, specifically through inhibition of the detoxification enzyme CYP1A1 and modulation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. The implication with this type of research is that this flavonoid exerts a protective effect against the carcinogenic potential of overcooked, char-grilled foods. Galangin has also been shown to be a potent preserver of the endogenous free radical scavenger glutathione, thereby playing another anti-carcinogenic role.
Scientific References:
Claims & Warning:
