top of page
IMG20200909132156.jpg

Kantan (Etlingera elatior)

IMG20200909132208.jpg
IMG20200909132219.jpg

Common names

- kantan, bunga kantan, bunga siantan, kechala, ubud udat (Malay)

- torch ginger, Philippine waxflower (English)

- xiang bao jiang, xiang hua ya jiang (Chinese)

- assam situ, cekala biasa, lamei, nyanding, petikala, siala, tite lan, honje, kecombran (Indonesia)

Descriptions

- member of Zingiberaceae

- a vigorous growing perennial herb grown in large clumps of about 3-4 m height

- leaves are green in color, hairless, lanceolate in shape

- leaf blade is lanceolate and glabrous with 80 x 18 cm

- has bright pink, red and white inflorescence

- flowers are followed by green to reddish fruit

- corolla is pink to red, sometimes white. Labellum is deep red with a yellow margin

- fruiting head is greenish, yellowish orangey or reddish, ellipsoid, sometimes subglobose, ca. 2.5 cm in diameter containing many small black seeds

Chemical constituents

Rhizomes: demethoxycurcumin, stigmast-4-en-3-one, stigmast-4-ene-3, 6-dione, stigmast-4-en-6β-ol-3-one, 5α,8α-epidioxyergosta-6, 22-dien-3β-ol, 1,7-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,4,6-heptatrien-3-one, 1,7-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2,4,6-heptatrienone and 16-hydroxylabda-8(17), 11,13-trien-16,15-olide

​

Inflorescences: presence of flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins, tannins and carbohydrates

​

Leaves: flavonoids of kaempferol 3-glucuronide, quercetin 3-glucoside and quercetin 3-rhamnoside, phenolic compounds isolated are caffeoylquinic acids of 3-o-caffeoylquinic acid, 5-o-caffeoylquinic acid and flavonoids of isoquercitrin, quercitrin and catechin

​

Essential oil from inflorescences: dodecanol, dodecanal and α-pinene

​

Oil from leaves: β-pinene and 1-dodecene and sesquiterpenes (farnesene and caryophyllene)

​

Traditional uses

  • as a flavour in cooking especially in laksa and rojak

Flowers: add to the local dishes

  • used to reduce flatulence

Flower

  • used to treat ear ache

Flower: decoction

  • used for cleaning wounds.

Leaves: decoction

  • used to reduce body odour after giving birth

Shoots (young): decoction

  • to increase appetite

Seeds

  • used as a remedy for slow aging

Flower: chopped and put in the perfume

  •  can reduce diabetes and hypertension

Inflorescence (raw): daily intake

Preparation/ part of plants used

bottom of page