Indonesia, with all its tropical islands, is one of the world’s wealthiest countries in bio-diversity. Papua is one of those plushest islands with countless numbers of endemic vegetation with potentials for biopharmaceutical functions. The indigenous people across Papua and West Papua have used them as traditional medicinal plants even since ancient times.
The Heritage of Local Wisdom
The island of Papua, dubbed as the second-largest island on Earth, holds today’s approximate 38% remaining primary forest in Indonesia. According to WRI-Indonesia (World Resource Institute), Papua is the home to the highest-level biodiverse forests on this planet. The native people depend on those forests for their traditional sources of livelihood.
As for flora diversity, there are as plenty as 20,000 plant species across the provinces of Papua and West Papua. Researches have shown that numerous forest vegetation species are raw materials or herbal plants useful for medicines. In harmony with the natural wealth, of more than 300 tribes on this island, each has their local wisdom in traditional medicines.
One of the most prominent examples is the Dani tribe who has used the plants available in the forests as a source of treatments. They maintain this ancient high medical value when using the mixtures of herbal ingredients to cure various illnesses.
A Research on Traditional Medicinal Plants in Papua
A 2012 research by Obed Lense (State University of Papua) reported the local tradition of using medicinal plants in the Manokwari District of West Papua Province. The results stated that Manokwari indigenous people have used approximately ninety-nine (99) plant species (most of them are in the Araceae family) as sources of traditional medicines.
The study also grouped common health problems or medical conditions into some categories, such as:
- Gastrointestinal disorders (diarrhea, dysentery, and stomachaches)
- Dermatological diseases (scabies and abscesses)
- Illnesses associated with pain and/or fever (commonly malaria, ear pain, and headaches)
- Respiratory problems (coughs, bronchitis, and asthma)
- Medicines for women (during delivery and menstruation problem)
- To neutralize bites by a venomous animal (snake bites)
- Wounds and burns
- Chronic and infectious eye remedies (inflammation, irritation, and infection of the eye surface)
The natives mostly gather those plants from the nearest tropical rainforests. They have used nearly all parts of the medicinal plants (leaf, root, stem, bark, shoot, juice, etc.) for treatment purposes, but leaf extract is the most frequent one. They prepare it by crushing or grinding the leaves and simply applying it freshly on the affected body part. Another preparation is by brewing it like a tea of infusion and then drink it.
Traditional Medicinal Plants as Antimalarial Agents
The people of Papua Island depends highly on their traditional knowledge and medical practice by using endemic medicinal plants, especially for malaria treatment. It is most likely due to the remoteness of areas and the high cases of malaria in two major provinces of Papua and West Papua.
Of 35 ethnicities in Papua, they have reported the use as antimalarial agents of 72 species from 40 families of medicinal plants. The most two common ones are:
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Alstonia scholaris of the Apocynaceae family
Plants that belong to this species have a wide diversity in each district of Papua. In their local names are Arasue, Pohon susu, Kayu susu (milkwood), Igeii, Epalom, Yede, Aikahahe, Ibuong, and Yepaa. The people use the leaves, stems, and barks as traditional antimalarial medicines.
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Carica papaya of the Caricaceae family
It includes Peceren, Eteradado, Monofo, Pepaya, Labseren, Ogoseren, Cacaveka, Mbikin, Senene ranau, and Pepaya bllah. The local people usually use their leaves, root, and flower for antimalarial treatment.
Today’s Traditional Medicinal Plants in Papua
The lush forests in Papua are home to abundant biodiversity. It includes countless endemic plants highly beneficial for traditional medicines. During this pandemic time, some of the medicinal plants can maintain or even improve our body immune system and endurance.
According to the Head of West Papua Regional Research and Development Agency, academics, especially the University of Papua (Unipa) Manokwari, have conducted recent researches. The purpose is to study the use of Papuan endemic plants to kill bacteria and fungi.
He continues that milkwood and akwai (Drymis sp.) are good examples for treating malaria and increasing body vitality. Meanwhile, benali, kebar grass (Biophytum petersianum K.), red fruit juice and ant-nest plants (Myrmecodia pendens) are great for enhancing our body immunity.
Unfortunately, a number of those traditional medicinal plants is increasingly rare or difficult to find. They even enter the IUCN Redlist (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Some of them are as follow:
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Least concern, having a relatively low risk of extinction (not critical, precarious or vulnerable):
- Bunga Meri Muda (Burmannia disticha L),
- Kowi (Cupressus sempervirens L)
- Sarampah (Persicaria glabra (Wild) M. Gómez)
- Erbeska (Sundacarpus amarus (Blume) C.N. Page)
- Illis Forest (Hanguana malayana (Jack) Merr)
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Endangered (high risk of extinction): Pala Hutan (Virola surinamensis (Rol. Ex Rottb.).
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Near Threatened: Kobera (Nepenthes ventricosa Blanco)
The above IUCN red list leads us to a heart-breaking question: Are the Papua and West Papua medicinal plants and heritage traditions of their utilization experiencing extinction. Our task is to prevent or remove several factors that cause scarcity, such as over-exploitation, deforestation, damaged habitats, and natural plant diseases.
