ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ANTIPYRETIC PLANTS IN THE SUKASARI REGION, PURWAKARTA, WEST JAVA, INDONESIA

Muhammad Sopyan Nur, Anastasya Refaliana Putri, Asshasyfa Ibrahim, Cindy Audiny, Dhivira Azfari Pratama Hidayat, Dine Julianti, Elma Tiana, Lianto Ajeng Prabowo, Mega Septiani Rahayu, Nabila Tsabitah Susanto, Nurhaliza Putri, Putri Ramadhani, Riza Khaila Azalia, Sella Siti Nur Azizah, Rizal Iskandar, Winda Widi Astuti and Maulana Yusuf Alkandahri*

ABSTRACT

Almost all current antipyretic drugs irreversibly inhibit COX-2 with high selectivity, so they are toxic to liver cells, glomeruli, and brain cortex and heart muscle. Currently, researchers are starting to look for new antipyretic compound candidates derived from natural ingredients that have been empirically proven to have antipyretic effects. This research aims to document and preserve the use of ethnomedicinal to treat fever by communities in the Sukasari 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 Sukasari Region to treat fever. Among the various plant parts used, leaves (53.3%) are most frequently used in making medicines, followed by rhizomes (20.0%), stem, fruit, and seed (respectively 6.7%), rind, and flowers (respectively 3.3%). Meanwhile, the most frequently used preparation methods were decoction (80.0%) and infusion (20.0%). The results of this research confirm that people in the Sukasari Region still rely heavily on medicinal plants for their health care system, especially for the treatment of fever with the most frequently used parts of the leaves and their use in decoctions and infusions.

Keywords: Traditional medicine, Ethnomedicinal plants, Sukasari Region, Antipyretic.