European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

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

Wida Nurhamidah, Kirana Azzahra Emil Musa, Kamelia Risna, Chaerunnisa, Yeni Ari Safitri Dalimunthe, Riana Ardianti, Depita Nurapni, Erisa Mindawati, Siti Solihat, Adiva Nafila Zulfa, Nurhalimah, Neni Nurlelah,
Astriani Nurjanah, Khoirul Haniatin, Novita Andriyani and Maulana Yusuf Alkandahri*

ABSTRACT

Diabetes mellitus, characterized by hyperglycemia, is a genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of disorders
with the common feature of glucose intolerance. Currently, researchers are starting to look for new antidiabetic
compound candidates derived from natural ingredients that have been empirically proven to have antidiabetic
effects. This research aims to document and preserve the use of ethnomedicine to treat diabetes mellitus by people
in the Wanayasa Region, Purwakarta, 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 Wanayasa Region to treat diabetes. 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 Wanayasa Region still rely heavily on
medicinal plants for their health care system, especially for the treatment of diabetes with the most frequently used
parts of the leaves and their use in decoctions and infusions.

Keywords: Traditional medicine, Ethnomedicinal plants, Wanayasa Region, Diabetes Mellitus.