Herb in Thai notifiable formulas
Siam Cardamom
กระวาน · Krawan
Wurfbainia testacea (Ridl.) Škorničk.& A. D. Poulsen
- Family
- Zingiberaceae
- Part used
- fruit
- Crude drug
- Wurfbainiae Testaceae Fructus
- Other names
- Camphor Seed, Round Cardamom, Round Cardamom Fruit
- In the announcement
- Used in 38 notifiable formulas (13 as capsules)
Thai Herbal Pharmacopoeia (THP)
Constituents and quality criteria of Siam Cardamom
Summarised from the Siam Cardamom monograph of the Thai Herbal Pharmacopoeia, Department of Medical Sciences, the standard used to test the dried ripe fruit.
The pharmacopoeia sets no minimum marker content for this herb. Use the raw material quality criteria below for acceptance testing.
Constituents
Siam Cardamom contains volatile oil, of which 1,8-cineole, β-pinene and borneol are its major components. Description of plant (Fig. 1) Perennial herb, 1.3 to 2.5 m tall; rhizome white, widely creeping. Leaves simple, distichous, 7 to 18 per pseudostem, leaf blade lanceolate to oblong, 13 to 62 cm long, 6 to 13 cm wide, apex acuminate or cuspidate, base attenuate or narrowly cuneate into winged-like petiole, margin entire, glabrous on both surfaces; ligule bilobed, about 5 mm long, usually papery, with stiff hair along margin. Inflorescence spike, arising from rhizome, cylindric or conical, 5 to 14 cm long, 4 to 5 cm wide; peduncle 4 to 15 cm long; bract pale brown, narrowly triangular, striate, 3 to 5 cm long, 1 to 2 cm wide, apex acuminate or apiculate, papery, with stiff, long hair; bracteole creamy white, tubular, 1.8 to 2 cm long, apex deeply bilobe. Flower: calyx tubular, 1.8 to 2.
Raw material quality criteria
| Foreign matter | Not more than 2.0% w/w |
| Total ash | Not more than 10.0% w/w |
| Acid-insoluble ash | Not more than 3.0% w/w |
| Water-soluble extractive | Not less than 6.0% w/w |
| Volatile oil | Not less than 4.0% v/w |
Storage: Siam Cardamom shall be kept in well-closed containers, preferably of metal or glass, protected from light and stored in a cool and dry place.
Source: Thai Herbal Pharmacopoeia, Department of Medical Sciences (online edition, accessed 21 October 2026)Read the full THP monograph
Formulas using Siam Cardamom
38 formulas containing Siam Cardamom
Select a formula to see its ingredients and indications. Formula names and indications are a reference translation; the Thai announcement is the legal text.
- Ya Prasa Pro Yai Kaempferia formula for childhood tan sangCounteracts the toxic effects (thon phit) of tan sang (a traditional Thai childhood disorder) in children with symptoms such as abdominal pain, abdominal bloating and flatulence, frequent small loose stools, loss of appetite, etc.
- Ya Prap Chomphu Thawip Traditional formula for early colds and allergy symptomsRelieves early-stage common cold symptoms and symptoms caused by weather-related allergy (phae akat)
- Ya That Banchop Digestive element formula for bloating and loose stoolsRelieves abdominal bloating and flatulence; relieves abnormal stools due to disordered elements (utchara that phikan), diarrhea not caused by infection, e.g. stool without mucus or blood, and diarrhea without fever
- Ya Wisamphaya Yai Traditional formula for bloating and colicRelieves abdominal bloating, flatulence and abdominal colic/flatulent discomfort
- Ya Prasa Chettaphangkhi Chettaphangkhi (Cladogynos) formula for colic and windRelieves kasai (a chronic wasting condition in Thai traditional medicine) with abdominal colic/flatulent discomfort, expels flatus
- Ya Maha Chak Yai Traditional formula for lom sang and bloatingRelieves lom sang (a wind (lom) disorder associated with childhood sang), relieves abdominal bloating and flatulence
- Ya Thorani Santhakhat Traditional formula for kasai and constipationRelieves kasai sen (kasai affecting the channels/sinews, sen), thao dan (a hardened band or mass in the abdomen) and constipation
- Ya Prasa Kanphlu Clove formula for stomach ache and indigestionRelieves abdominal pain, abdominal colic/flatulent discomfort, and fullness and distension from indigestion due to disordered elements (that)
- Ya Prasa Phon Samo Thai Chebulic myrobalan formula for constipationRelieves lom phan sai (a wind (lom) disorder affecting the intestines), relieves constipation with hard, pellet-like stools (phanraduek)
- Ya Bamrung Lohit Blood-nourishing formulaBlood tonic (bamrung lohit)
- Ya Kae Ritsiduang Chamuk Formula 1 Formula for nasal ritsiduang, Formula 1Relieves nasal ritsiduang (ritsiduang chamuk)
- Ya Kae Ritsiduang Chamuk Formula 2 Formula for nasal ritsiduang, Formula 2Relieves nasal ritsiduang (ritsiduang chamuk)
- Ya Kasai Sen Formula for body aches and back painRelieves body aches and pains, back pain and lower back pain
- Ya Prasa Pro Yai Kaempferia formula for childhood tan sangCounteracts the toxic effects (thon phit) of tan sang (a traditional Thai childhood disorder) in children with symptoms such as abdominal pain, abdominal bloating and flatulence, frequent small loose stools, loss of appetite, etc.
- Ya Prasa Pro Yai Kaempferia formula for childhood tan sangCounteracts the toxic effects (thon phit) of tan sang (a traditional Thai childhood disorder) in children with symptoms such as abdominal pain, abdominal bloating and flatulence, frequent small loose stools, loss of appetite, etc.
- Ya Hom Inthachak Fragrant formula for faintness and nauseaRelieves lom bat tha chit (a wind (lom) disorder affecting the mind), relieves nausea and vomiting, relieves wind (lom) causing abdominal colic/flatulent discomfort
- Ya Hom Inthachak Fragrant formula for faintness and nauseaRelieves lom bat tha chit (a wind (lom) disorder affecting the mind), relieves nausea and vomiting, relieves wind (lom) causing abdominal colic/flatulent discomfort
- Ya Prap Chomphu Thawip Traditional formula for early colds and allergy symptomsRelieves early-stage common cold symptoms and symptoms caused by weather-related allergy (phae akat)
- Ya Hom Thep Chit Fragrant cordial formula for dizziness and palpitationsRelieves subtle wind (lom kong la-iat) causing symptoms such as dizziness, faintness (sawing sawai), palpitations, etc., and nourishes the mind (bamrung duang chit) so that it is refreshed
- Ya Kamlang Ratchasi Formula 1 Lion's strength blood tonic, Formula 1Blood tonic (bamrung lohit)
- Ya That Banchop Digestive element formula for bloating and loose stoolsRelieves abdominal bloating and flatulence; relieves abnormal stools due to disordered elements (utchara that phikan), diarrhea not caused by infection, e.g. stool without mucus or blood, and diarrhea without fever
- Ya That Banchop Digestive element formula for bloating and loose stoolsRelieves abdominal bloating and flatulence; relieves abnormal stools due to disordered elements (utchara that phikan), diarrhea not caused by infection, e.g. stool without mucus or blood, and diarrhea without fever
- Ya Hom Nawakot Fragrant nine-kot formula for dizziness and nauseaRelieves dizziness due to wind (lom wing wian), nausea and vomiting (wind causing tightness in the chest, lom chuk naen nai ok) in the elderly; relieves post-fever wind (lom plai khai) (after recovering from fever, symptoms remain such as nausea, dizziness, loss of appetite, abdominal bloating and fatigue)
- Ya Wisamphaya Yai Traditional formula for bloating and colicRelieves abdominal bloating, flatulence and abdominal colic/flatulent discomfort
- Ya Prasa Chettaphangkhi Chettaphangkhi (Cladogynos) formula for colic and windRelieves kasai (a chronic wasting condition in Thai traditional medicine) with abdominal colic/flatulent discomfort, expels flatus
- Ya Maha Chak Yai Traditional formula for lom sang and bloatingRelieves lom sang (a wind (lom) disorder associated with childhood sang), relieves abdominal bloating and flatulence
- Ya Thorani Santhakhat Traditional formula for kasai and constipationRelieves kasai sen (kasai affecting the channels/sinews, sen), thao dan (a hardened band or mass in the abdomen) and constipation
- Ya Prasa Kanphlu Clove formula for stomach ache and indigestionRelieves abdominal pain, abdominal colic/flatulent discomfort, and fullness and distension from indigestion due to disordered elements (that)
- Ya Saeng Muek Traditional formula for fever, cough and mouth soresRelieves feverishness (tua ron); relieves abdominal distension (thong khuen) and abdominal pain; relieves cough, expels phlegm; relieves mouth ulcers; relieves la-ong (a childhood condition with fine spots in the mouth)
- Ya That Op Choei Cinnamon formula for wind and bloatingCarminative (relieves flatulence), relieves abdominal bloating and flatulence
- Ya Kae Ai Khap Samha Formula for cough and phlegmRelieves cough, expels phlegm
- Ya Kae Ai Mai Mi Samha Formula 2 Formula for dry cough, Formula 2Relieves cough, throat irritation and dry voice
- Ya Kae Ai Mai Mi Samha Formula 3 Formula for dry cough, Formula 3Relieves cough without phlegm
- Ya Prasa Phon Samo Thai Chebulic myrobalan formula for constipationRelieves lom phan sai (a wind (lom) disorder affecting the intestines), relieves constipation with hard, pellet-like stools (phanraduek)
- Ya Bamrung Lohit Blood-nourishing formulaBlood tonic (bamrung lohit)
- Ya Kae Ritsiduang Chamuk Formula 1 Formula for nasal ritsiduang, Formula 1Relieves nasal ritsiduang (ritsiduang chamuk)
- Ya Kasai Sen Formula for body aches and back painRelieves body aches and pains, back pain and lower back pain
- Ya Kasai Sen Formula for body aches and back painRelieves body aches and pains, back pain and lower back pain
Development potential
Develop Siam Cardamom into a product with the TIBD group
In notifiable formulas38 formulasused in multi-herb formulas
THP raw-material criteria5 testsfor acceptance testing before production
Marker with a minimum contentNot setquality is checked with the raw-material criteria
Testing in the groupVISBIOVolatile compound analysis by GC-MS
Three ways forward 1Notify a listed formula2Adapt it through detailed notification3Develop a Category B herbal medicine or Category C health productSee the development pathway
VISBIO · laboratory in the TIBD group
Volatile compound analysis by GC-MS
Analytical testing of Siam Cardamom raw materials and products by VISBIO, the laboratory in our group.
See the VISBIO serviceK-API · manufacturing in the groupExtract and manufacture at K-API
The TIBD group plant licensed by the Thai FDA to manufacture herbal products, so extraction and production stay within the group.
See the K-API plantTIBD · consultationPlan a product with Siam Cardamom
We check whether your formula qualifies for notification, detailed notification or registration with the Thai FDA, then prepare the filing documents.
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