Just like how ripe fruits have the power to nourish our bodies, the dried and ripe fruits of Alpinia oxyphylla have been found to nourish intelligence and treat dementia. In this study, scientists aimed to understand the targets and mechanisms behind this effect. By analyzing the phytochemicals present in Alpinia oxyphylla fruits, they discovered 49 bioactive compounds that interact with key molecules involved in neurodegenerative dementia. Interestingly, some of these compounds were found to target enzymes like acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase, which are known to be relevant in neurological disorders. Additionally, a database of genes associated with dementia was constructed for further research. Notably, substances like yakuchinone B and rhamnetin were identified as key phytochemicals that play a role in regulating the pathogenesis of dementia. This groundbreaking approach not only highlights the potential of traditional herbal medicine but also paves the way for further studies on the translation of Traditional Chinese Medicine into scientific practice.

The dried and ripe fruits of Alpinia oxyphylla and ripe fruits of Alpinia oxyphylla Miquel (AO) have the effects of tonifying kidney-essence and nourishing intelligence and thus have been widely used in treating dementia. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a typical form of neurodegenerative dementia with kidney-essence deficiency in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). So far, there is a lack of systematic studies on the biological basis of tonifying kidney-essence and nourishing intelligence and the corresponding phytochemicals. In this study, we investigated the targets of AO in tonifying kidney-essence and nourishing intelligence based on the key pathophysiological processes of neurodegenerative dementia. According to ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry data and Lipinski’s rule of five, 49 bioactive phytochemicals from AO were identified, and 26 of them were found to target 168 key molecules in the treatment of neurodegenerative dementia. Nine phytochemicals of AO were shown to target acetylcholinesterase (ACHE), and 19 phytochemicals were shown to target butyrylcholinesterase (BCHE). A database of neurodegenerative dementia with kidney-essence deficiency involving 731 genes was constructed. Furthermore, yakuchinone B, 5-hydroxy-1,7-bis (4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) heptan-3-one (5-HYD), oxyhylladiketone, oxyphyllacinol, butyl-β-D-fructopyranoside, dibutyl phthalate, chrysin, yakuchinone A, rhamnetin, and rhamnocitrin were identified as the key phytochemicals from AO that regulate the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative dementia in a multitargeted manner. The approach of studying the pharmacological mechanism underlying the effects of medicinal plants and the biological basis of TCM syndrome may be helpful in studying the translation of TCM.

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