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Amomum Villosum Fruit Oil Eases Brain Inflammation and Memory Loss in Mice

A traditional spice-plant oil reduced inflammation markers and improved memory and mood behaviors in mice with induced brain inflammation.

By Dr. Axe Editorial Team · October 28, 2026 · 1 source · Watch

Essential oil from the fruit of Amomum villosum, a traditional spice plant, eased brain inflammation and improved memory and mood-related behavior in mice, according to a study published October 19, 2026 in Phytotherapy Research.

50%better maze performance

60%less immobility, one test

80%less immobility, 2nd test

Researchers at several Chinese research institutions induced neuroinflammation, brain inflammation, in mice using a bacterial toxin called LPS, then treated the animals with essential oils extracted from the fruit of Amomum villosum, a plant long used in traditional medicine. Treated mice showed a 50% improvement in Morris water maze performance, a standard test of spatial memory, the ability to remember where things are. In two tests used to measure depression-like behavior, the tail suspension test and forced swimming test, treated mice spent 60% and 80% less time immobile, respectively, compared with untreated inflamed mice.

The oil also reduced brain levels of three inflammatory signaling proteins, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-6, while raising IL-10, an anti-inflammatory signaling protein. The researchers reported that the oil's main compounds crossed the blood-brain barrier and reduced neuron loss in brain tissue.

In lab-grown brain immune cells exposed to the same toxin, the oil damped two overactive signaling pathways, PI3K-Akt and MAPK, that switch on inflammation, and it eased damage to neurons grown alongside those cells. Gene and metabolite analyses of the mice's brain tissue showed it also helped restore normal brain metabolism. The authors suggest the oil eased the memory and mood problems by calming that signaling and rebalancing brain metabolism.

Behavior Test Improvements in Inflamed Mice Given Amomum Villosum Oil

Mice, LPS-induced neuroinflammation

Forced swimming test, less immobility

80 %

Tail suspension test, less immobility

60 %

Morris water maze, better performance

50 %

Phytotherapy Research, 2026, Wang et al.

This was a mouse study using inflammation triggered by a bacterial toxin, not a naturally occurring brain disease. The pathway findings come from cells in a dish. The abstract gives no dose, and safety and effects in people have not been tested.

Dr. Axe’s Take

Brain inflammation sits behind a lot of the memory and mood problems I hear about, so I pay attention when a plant shows this kind of effect, even in mice. Amomum villosum, called sha ren in Chinese medicine, has a long history as a digestive herb, and here its oil reached the brain, lowered inflammatory signals and protected neurons. This was an animal study, so I wouldn't reach for the oil yet. What I'd do today is what calms brain inflammation broadly: omega-3s, turmeric, a diet low in processed foods, and good sleep.

— Dr. Axe

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Study summary

Who: Mice with LPS-induced neuroinflammation, versus untreated inflamed mice
Design: Animal study, essential oil treatment after induced brain inflammation
Dose: Not reported
Primary result: 50% better spatial memory performance; 60% and 80% less immobility in two depression-behavior tests
Secondary: Lower TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6; higher IL-10; reduced neuron loss; in lab-grown microglia, damped PI3K-Akt and MAPK signaling
Funding / conflicts: Funders listed in the journal record: National Natural Science Foundation of China; Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province. Conflicts not reported in the abstract.
Date: Oct 19, 2026