Uses in Tradition systems of medicine

• Inflammation
• Pain
• Asthma
• Foul breath
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Bronchitis
• Hiccough
• Blood diseases.

• Generally, the rhizomes and fruits are aromatic, tonic and stimulant
• Occasionally they are nutritive.
• Some are used as food as they contain starch in large quantity while others yield an astringent and diaphoretic juice
• In the hills of Uttarakhand, rhizomes are boiled and eaten with salt,
• The rhizome is cooked to prepare chutney in Manipur.

Suggested Medicinal Properties

• Hair loss
• Digestive disorders like loss of appetite, indigestion, flatulence, diarrhoea, vomiting, and abdominal pain
• Respiratory problems such as in treating asthma, bronchitis, and hiccup. It also gives relief from bronchospasm and bronchial asthma
• Teeth cleansing, dental aches and caries, Mouth deodorant
• Cardiac health
• Headache
• Joint pain
• Tropical Eosinophilia
• Hiccups
• Antidiabetic activity
• Tranquilizing activity
• Antihistaminic, anti-inflammatory and ulcer protective activity
• Pediculicidal activity
• Antimicrobial activity
• Hypocholesterolemic Activity
• Antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity
• Antimalarial activity
• Cytotoxic activity

Active Phytochemicals

1. Sitosterol and its glucosides
2. Furanoid diterpene-hedychenone and 7-hydroxyhedychenone
3. Essential oils: α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene, 1,8 - cineole, 2-alkanones, linalool, camphor, linalyl acetate, β-terpineol, borneol, β-caryophyllene, γ-cadinene, humulene, terpinolene, p-cymene, benzyl cinnamate, benzyl acetate, lindylacteate, γ-terpinene, β-phellandrene, methyl paracumarin acetate, cinnamic ethyl acetate, ethyl-pmethoxycinnamate, ethyl cinnamate, d-sabinene, sesquiterpene-cadinene, sesquiterpene alcohols, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, drimane and labdane derivatives, hedychenone, 7–hydroxyhedychenone, spicatanoic acid, spicatanol, spicatanolmethyl ether, terpinene, limonene and terpeneol