Medicinal Plants: of Malaysia
Medicinal Plants: of Malaysia
Medicinal Plants: of Malaysia
com Agriculture
Medicinal
Plants
of Malaysia
Dr Robin Mitra1, Professor John Orbell2 and Dr Morley Somasundaram Muralitharan3
T
ropical plants have served as an important repository of medicinal plants for
millennia. Today, many medical practitioners trained in pharmacology and/or
pharmacognosy are well aware of the number of modern therapeutic agents that
have been derived from the tropical species of Malaysia. For the past 50 years or so, there
has been a strong trend in seeking plants as sources of novel pharmaceutical agents.
Presently, both chemists and phytochemists involved in the development of natural
products have come to recognize the bewildering diversity of secondary metabolites
present in these plants and their potential in the pharmaceutical industry. Individual plant
species often contain over 1,000 unique chemical entities (or the enzymatic machinery
required to produce such compounds upon the proper stimulus). Perhaps, one of the
most compelling explanations that has been put forward for this vast array of chemical
diversity, that exists as a subset of biological diversity, is the chemical adaptation that such
tropical plants undergo through time.29 In this paper, we outline the medical properties
of a few representative Malaysian medicinal plants.
Areca catechu referred to as a common masticatory drug, is widely cultivated in
India as well as South East Asia and the Pacific Islands.27 Powdered leaves are used to
treat stomachache, whilst the leaves or roots are rolled with Mimusops sp. and used as
cigarettes to treat ulcerated nose. A decoction of the nuts is consumed to treat cestodialis
intestinalis, diarrhea, edema, lumbago, mucositis, bronchial catarrh and urinary disorders
and is also applied to treat wounds. An infusion of the bark is used as a wash to cleanse
various cutaneous eruption. The skin of the nut is heated, pressed between the toes and
used against itch. The essential oil of the leaves is used for the treatment of catarrhal
affections, inflammation of the throat and larynx, as an antiseptic, preparation of gargle
against diphtheria and as an inhalant. The significance of areca flavanol (tannin) and its
relation to oral submucous fibriosis and oral carcinogenesis has been reviewed.28
1
Lecturer in Biotechnology, Monash University Malaysia. School of Arts and Sciences 2 Jalan Kolej, Bandar Sunway, 46150 Petaling
Jaya PO Box 8975, 46780 Kelana Jaya Selangor Darul Ehsan Malaysia. Email: robin.mitra@artsci.monash.edu.my
2
School of Molecular Sciences, Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne VIC 8001, Australia. Email: John.Orbell@vu.edu.au
3
Associate Head (Development) and Senior Lecturer in Biotechnology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University,
Geelong, Victoria 3217, Australia. Email: morleym@deakin.edu.au
Curcuma domestica tumeric locally known as kunyit is mostly used in India and
various parts of Southeast Asia both as a spice, a coloring agent in cooking1 as well as
for producing yellow dye.11 The rhizome serves as a carminative and anti-spasmodic
in diarrhea or dysentery and as a folk remedy for other ailments such as disorders of the
urinary tract, headaches, stiffness of the joints etc..11 Studies have been carried out in
Malaysia on guinea pigs to determine the effects of C. domestica on lipid composition
in the serum and aorta1 which showed that inclusion of C. domestica in the diet reduced
lipid composition levels in the aorta, triglyceride levels in serum and cholesterol
deposition in the aorta of high cholesterol diet animals.1
Cymbopogon citratus’s leaves are used to make an aromatic bath to reduce
swelling, prevent body odour, to purify blood5, as an antiseptic to treat body eruptions,
cuts, wounds, anemia11 and leprosy. An infusion of the leaves is used as a treatment
for digestive problems16, as a preparation of gargles for toothache and swollen gums29,
as a tonic for post partum protective medicine and as a mild diuretic.16 The volatile oil
is applied to relieve rheumatism, sprain etc. A decoction of the whole plant is used to
treat coughs, colds5, spitting of blood and in clearing the voice. The essential oil from
the culms (sheaths and stems) and leaves are used as an ingredient in foods, drinks and
perfumes
Datura metel’s leaves are smoked as a remedy for asthma and respiratory tract related
diseases.26 However, in serious cases of intoxication, discontinuation is advised. The
flowers and seeds are used externally to wash swollen feet, for prolapse of the rectum
and to treat colds and nervous disorders. Datura metel has also been reported to possess
analgesic activity.18 A preparation of equal parts of Datura metel and Cannabis sativa in
wine provide a narcotic anesthetic, usually used during the course of small operations
and cauterizations to mitigate pain.
Elephantopus scaber plant is used as a traditional medicine in many countries of
Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa. Methanolic extracts of E. scaber are reported
to exhibit anti-tumor activity.9 The roots of the plants are scraped, mixed in the betel
quid and chewed to arrest vomiting. A decoction of the leaves is consumed to treat
venereal disease in women. A decoction of the whole plant is used as a drink to treat
hepatitis, bronchitis and to relieve pain in the chest.3 The pounded or boiled root is
used to treat leucorrhoea and anaemia in women and children. The heated leaves are
rubbed on the throat to relieve a bad cough. A decoction of the stem and leaves is
drunk to treat menstrual disorders.
Powdered cloves of Eugenia aromatica are rubbed on the abdomen after confinement
and used to treat toothache. The essential oil is used as an anesthetic35, and to treat
rheumatism, the limbs of beri-beri patients and abdominal pain. The fruit is considered
as an aphrodisiac as well as an appetizer. The fruit is also used to treat flatulence and
colic. The flower buds are reported to have the following properties: carminative,
stomachi, antimetic, antinauseant, febrifuge and vermifuge. It is also used in treating
disease of the arteries, as a general stimulant and excitant of digestive functions, to
cleanse foul breath and to treat diarrhea, colic, pallid complexion, swollen abdomen,
vomiting after meals and cholera.
Eurycoma longifolia locally known as Tongkat Ali is regarded as a potent aphrodisiac
for men29. Since it is reported to increase male virility, research has been carried out to
investigate this property using sexually experienced male rats2. Roots and bark are also
consumed to treat diarrhea, fever, glandular swelling, bleeding gums, dropsy, persistent
cough, hypertension, impotence, to relieve pain in the bones, as an aphrodisiac, antidote,
febrifuge and post partum tonic. Over the years, the plant has been claimed to possess
antimalarial, cytotoxic, anti-ulcer and anti-pyretic properties.10
APBN • Vol. 11 • No. 2 • 2007 107
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Disclaimer
The authors compiled this article based on the information provided in the published
literature. The authors accept no liability or no responsibility whatsoever for any loss
to any person resulting from reliance upon the materials contained in this article. The
contents of this article are not meant to constitute professional, health or other advice
and readers should seek their own competent professional, health and other advice.
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