ETHNOBOTANICAL SURVEY OF MEDICINAL PLANTS USED TO TREAT HYPERTENSION IN THE KIARAPEDES REGION, PURWAKARTA, WEST JAVA, INDONESIA

Muhammad Farijul Hamim, Rafsody Ramadani, Rara Pertiwi Putri Riyadi, Farras Farisha Maghfira, Putri Disza Tsalsabilla, Zahra Ardelia, Ivan Yusup Bastian, Nazwa Aprilia Wijaya, Salma Ghina Nabillah, Nurhabibah, Lusi Maratullatifah, Mauludi Khairani, Intan Ayu Permatasari, Nazla Nursyifa, Nazreva Arovia, Rian Ahmad Zaenudin and Maulana Yusuf Alkandahri*

ABSTRACT

In the management of hypertension (cardiovascular disease) with herbal medicines, efficacy and safety are major concerns. Currently, researchers are starting to look for new antihypertensive compound candidates derived from natural ingredients that have been empirically proven to have antihypertensive effects. This research aims to document and preserve the use of ethnomedicinal to treat hypertension by communities in the Kiarapedes Region, Purwakarta, and West Java, Indonesia. Fieldwork was carried out from March to April 2024 using direct interviews, questionnaires, and discussions. Plant species are identified based on standard taxonomic methods, flower morphological characteristics, and where possible, using samples for comparison, as well as consultation with experts and the literature. The plant types obtained were grouped into families according to the Cronquist classification system. Plant names were checked against the Plant List (www.plantlist.org) and the International Plant Name Index (www.ipni.org). This research reports that 30 plant species are commonly used by people in the Kiarapedes Region to treat hypertension. Among the various plant parts used, leaves (63.3%) are most frequently used in making medicines, followed by rhizomes (13.3%), fruit (6.7%), flowers (6.7%), stem, rind, and seed (respectively 3.3%). Meanwhile, the most frequently used preparation methods were decoction (76.7%) and infusion (23.3%). The results of this research confirm that people in the Kiarapedes Region still rely heavily on medicinal plants for their health care system, especially for the treatment of hypertension with the most frequently used parts of the leaves and their use in decoctions and infusions.

Keywords: Traditional medicine, Ethnomedicinal plants, Kiarapedes Region, Hypertension.