Phytochemical content of traditional herbal medicines in South and Central Kalimantan
Abstract
The use of medicine derived from natural ingredients had already begun since ancestors and passed down from generation to generation. However, the properties of those various plants were not clinically been proven. This study aims to find out phytochemical content of medicinal forest plants based on information from the local communities. The study was conducted in two ecosystem types namely wetland ecosystem in peat swamp of Sungai Rasau, Sebangau National Park, Central Kalimantan and dryland ecosystem in Meratus Mountain slope, Peramasan Bawah village, South Kalimantan. Vegetation data in the field was collected by making line transect. Phytochemical analyses qualitatively was done in the Faculty of Math and Natural Science laboratory of Lambung Mangkurat University, while specimen samples were taken from some species that commonly used by the local communities for medicinal purpose as 100 to 150 g of gross weight of each plants. Then the plant specimens were tested for their secondary metabolites comprised steroids/triterpenoids, quinone, tannin, flavonoids, saponins, and alkaloids tests in the laboratory. The research results showed that medicinal plants used by local communities were still available in their natural habitat.