| dc.description.abstract | The archipelagic country of Indonesia is inhabited by 300 ethnic groups, including the
indigenous people of Tengger. Based on the reported list of medicinal plants used by the Tengger
community, we have reviewed each of them for their phytochemical constituents and pharmacological
activities. Out of a total of 41 medicinal plants used by the Tengerrese people, 33 species were
studied for their phytochemical and pharmacological properties. More than 554 phytochemicals
with diverse molecular structures belonging to different chemical classes including flavonoids,
terpenoids, saponins and volatiles were identified from these studied 34 medicinal plants. Many of
these medicinal plants and their compounds have been tested for various pharmacological activities
including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, wound healing, headache, antimalarial and hypertension.
Five popularly used medicinal plants by the healers were Garcinia mangostana, Apium graveolens,
Cayratia clematidea, Drymocallis arguta and Elaeocarpus longifolius. Only A. graviolens were previously
studied, with the outcomes supporting the pharmacological claims to treat hypertension. Few
unexplored medicinal plants are Physalis lagascae, Piper amplum, Rosa tomentosa and Tagetes tenuifolia,
and they present great potential for biodiscovery and drug lead identification. | en_US |
