Alpinia katsumadai belongs to the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), growing thick rhizomes. It is native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. Generally, ripened seed without pericarp is medicinally used, and it is called chodugu in Korea. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, A. katsumadai seeds were known to be an effective treatment for inflammation and gastric disorders.

Phytochemical research has analyzed several diarylheptanoids, acyclic triterpenoids, and flavonoids from the seeds of A. katsumada, Katsumains, chalcone-containing compounds showed heat shock protein induction suggesting cytoprotective functions. Triterpenoids from A. katsumadai seeds exhibited anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the IL-6 pathway.