Plants containing bioactive substances have increasingly become the object of research studies, particularly those plants with therapeutic value. Many species of the genus Alpinia provide a variety of medicinal properties, such as, Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) Burtt et Smith and A. purpurata (Vieill) K. Schum, which have a significant presence in Brazil. These species have been commercialized in the food and cosmetic industries. However, their greatest importance arises from the medicinal properties of their essential oils containing flavonoids, terpenoids and kavalactones which have been used in folk medicine to treat, for example, arterial hypertension and inflammatory processes. In addition, such species are also used in multidisciplinary studies, including phytochemistry, ethnobotany and biology, indicating the key pharmacological role of this genus in everyday life. Therefore, this work aims to present a bibliographic review of the genus Alpinia and its significance in therapeutic applications.

The species Alpinia purpurata is scarcely cited as to ethnopharmacology and phytochemistry. This study aimed to analyze bioactive compounds through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Hydroalcoholic crude extract was obtained from A. purpurata dried leaves. Folin-Ciocalteau method was used to quantify total phenols, using gallic acid as standard. The obtained result was 15.6 mg GAE g-1. The crude extract was partitioned with the solvents ethyl acetate and butanol, followed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and HPLC. The flavonoids kaempferol-3-O-glucuronide and rutin were detected at a higher concentration in ethyl acetate and butanolic extracts. The butanolic extract contains the highest flavonoid percentage (94.3%). A. purpurata presents important flavonoids of therapeutic use, already verified for A. zerumbet. This is the first study verifying the presence of flavonoids in A. purpurata extracts.

The aims of this study were to evaluate the chemical profile, vascular reactivity, and acute hypotensive effect (AHE) of the ethanolic extract of leaves of Alpinia purpurata (Vieill) K. Schum (EEAP). Its chemical profile was evaluated using HPLC-UV, ICP-OES, and colorimetric quantification of total flavonoids and polyphenols. The vascular reactivity of the extract was determined using the mesenteric bed isolated from WKY. AHE dose-response curves were obtained for both EEAP and inorganic material isolated from AP (IAP) in WKY and SHR animals. Cytotoxic and mutagenic safety levels were determined by the micronucleus test. Rutin-like flavonoids were quantified in the EEAP (1.8 ± 0.03%), and the total flavonoid and polyphenol ratios were 4.1 ± 1.8% and 5.1 ± 0.3%, respectively. We observed that the vasodilation action of EEAP was partially mediated by nitric oxide (·NO). The IAP showed the presence of calcium (137.76 ± 4.08 μg mg-1). The EEAP and IAP showed an AHE in WKY and SHR animals. EEAP did not have cytotoxic effects or cause chromosomic alterations. The AHE shown by EEAP could result from its endothelium-dependent vascular action. Rutin-like flavonoids, among other polyphenols, could contribute to these biological activities...