Sarcouncil Journal of Biomedical Sciences

Abstract: The Amomum villosum is widely used to treat intestinal diseases, abdominal pain, helminth infections, digestion, stimulates digestive enzyme secretion, enhances appetite, reduces bloating, and indigestion. However, the chemical composition and biological properties of the essential oil of Amomum villosum collected in Thanh Hoa, Vietnam, have not been investigated. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify the chemical composition of Amomum villosum essential oil. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and inhibition of α-Glucosidase activities of the essential oil, respectively. Experimental results revealed that all parts of the plant, including the leaves, stems, and roots, contain essential oil. Among them, the leaves exhibited the highest oil content, ranging from 1.0 to 4.0%, while the stems and roots showed comparatively lower yields. The major constituents of the essential oil obtained from different plant parts were α-pinene (11.6–22.0%) and β-pinene (6.6–48.1%), which are characteristic monoterpenes contributing to the distinctive aroma of the oil. The strong antioxidant and antibacterial effects of Amomum villosum essential oil were demonstrated with an IC50 value of 6.91 ± 0.2 μg/mL and anti-α-glucosidase activities with an IC50 value of 4.16 ± 0.32 mg/mL, respectively. Our results indicate that the essential oil of Amomum villosum collected in Thanh Hoa, Vietnam, has great potential in the pharmaceutical industry.