The Utilization of Plants as Medicine in Family Medicine: Potential

for Conservation of Traditional Knowledge and Nature

Fadly Husain

, Arif Purnomo

, Heri Tjahjono, Puji Lestari and Eka Yuniati

Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Sekaran Campus, Gunungpati Semarang, Central

Java, Indonesia

Keywords: Medicinal Plant, Semarang, Family Medicine, Traditional Medicine

Abstract: The use of medicinal plants as family medicine in society has been an important and long-standing component

of health care practices in various cultures. This research aims to understand the use of medicinal plants to

cure diseases in society. Apart from that, this research also understands the concepts of health and illness from

a societal cultural perspective. This research applies qualitative methods and uses interview, observation and

documentation techniques in data collection. The research was carried out in Mijen District, Semarang City,

Central Java. There were 50 informants who participated in this research who provided information related to

the concept of health and illness as well as knowledge and experience in applying medicinal plant treatments

to cure illnesses in the family. Research has found that people use various types of plants which are considered

to have medicinal properties in curing illnesses as part of family medicine. People consider that consuming

medicinal plants is very good because they do not have negative side effects for the body compared to

conventional medicines offered by allopathic medicine. These medicinal plants are formulated in such a way

that they are thought to be able to cure a disease. Providing plant materials can also be accessed in various

ways, namely by buying at the market, gardening in the yard or even having plants growing wild around the

house. The practice of using medicinal plants by the community in family medicine can not only maintain

cultural knowledge that has been acquired through generations, it can also be accessed easily and cheaply and

can maintain plant species with medicinal potential in the surrounding environment.

1 INTRODUCTION

In various cultures, the use of plants that growing

around the house has many positive effects on the

health body. The use of medicinal plants as family

medicine in society has been an important and long-

standing component of health care practices.

Although modern medical services are well

developed in Indonesia, many Indonesians still rely

on traditional medicine such as shamans, healers,

massage, blind massage, fracture massage, child

healers, and dental healers to cure diseases (Dilla et

al., 2024; Houghton & Howes, 2024; Mahendradhata

et al., 2017). Households subjects who were in urban

area, private employees, had low level of education

and high economic, knowing the availability of health

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0513-2750

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services were more likely to use of traditional health

care (Dilla et al., 2024). Unfortunately, not all

communities have succeeded in documenting

knowledge about traditional medicine well. This

knowledge is passed down orally from generation to

generation.

A medicinal plant is any plant which, in one or

more of its organs, contains substances that can be

used for therapeutic purposes or which are precursors

for the synthesis of useful drugs (Sofowora et al.,

2013). Knowledge about the use of plants has been

known by people in various regions in Indonesia. In

North Bengkulu, Battra

uses 64 species from 37

families of medicinal plants as traditional medicinal

ingredients (Fanisah et al., 2023). The most common

type of family is Fabaceae. In another places, there

Battra: is a person who has knowledge of traditional

medicine and is capable of concocting medicinal plants.

Husain, F., Purnomo, A., Tjahjono, H., Lestari, P. and Yuniati, E.

The Utilization of Plants as Medicine in Family Medicine: Potential for Conservation of Traditional Knowledge and Nature.

DOI: 10.5220/0013407000004654

In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Humanities Education, Law, and Social Science (ICHELS 2024), pages 147-157

ISBN: 978-989-758-752-8

147

were 117 species of medicinal herbs with 57 families,

while the most frequently used herb was Areca

catechu by the Malays in South Bangka Regency

(Henri et al., 2022). Traditional herbal medicine or

Jamu is considered a traditional medicine that arises

from past experiences and is embedded in the culture

of the community (Elfahmi et al., 2014).

Each culture has its own definition of health and

illness (Fietje & Stein, 2015; Langdon & Wiik, 2010;

Uskul, 2009). WHO (1948) defined health as a state

of complete physical, mental, and social well-being,

not merely the absence of disease and infirmity. The

definition is holistic, and it presents three major

interrelated components of health: physical, social,

and mental (Amzat & Razum, 2014). In Indonesia,

the definition about health and illness in very

different. The concept of illness was "not being able

to move as usual", and two metaphors for causing

illness, are "due to supernatural or magical things",

and "for violating taboos" (Amzat & Razum, 2014).

This research aims to understand the use of

medicinal plants to cure diseases in society. Apart

from that, this research also understands the concepts

of health and illness from a societal cultural

perspective.

2 METHODS

This research applied in qualitative approach. The

qualitative approaches were chosen with the aim of

studying the social phenomenon and understanding of

individuals' culture (Creswell, 2014; Kalu & Bwalya,

2017).

Figure 2: Maps of Mijen subdistrict, Semarang City.

Source: https://mijen.semarangkota.go.id

This research was conducted in Mijen district.

Mijen is one of the districts in Semarang City, Central

Java. Administratively, Mijen district borders directly

with Ngaliyan district in the north, Gunungpati

district in the east, and Kendal regency in the south

and west.

This research applies qualitative methods and

uses observation, interview, and documentation

techniques in data collection. Observation was

conducted by selecting 5 subdistricts in Mijen.

researchers conducted interviews with 10 informants

from each subdistrict. There were 50 informants who

participated in this research who provided

information related to the concept of health and

illness as well as knowledge and experience in

applying medicinal plant treatments to cure illnesses

in the family. Documentation is carried out to obtain

information about traditional medicine, the use of

medicinal plants, the conservation of medicinal

plants, theoretical frameworks, and supporting

research data.

3 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

The results of this research will be divided into three

parts. First, a description of the concept of health and

illness according to the people in Mijen district.

Second, a list of medicinal plants used for family

medicine, an explanation of processing methods, and

the parts of the plants used. Third, this section will

describe medicinal plants that have potential for

conservation of traditional knowledge and nature.

3.1 Health and illness concept

The concepts of health and illness are viewed from

various different angles. Based on the results of

interviews conducted with 50 informants from the

Mijen district community, here are several concepts

related to health and illness.

3.1.1

Health, illness, and access

It is often, illness is identified by symptoms of not

feeling well and you have to consume lots of

traditional concoctions regularly in the morning and

evening. In the treatment process, everything is

carried out based on the concept of access and

affordability of treatment resources.

If someone experiences pain, there are two

treatment options. The first is to look for medicinal

plants around the house. If there are none, then the

second option is made, namely buying at a shop.

Warung is believed to be a place that now sells

various medicines for disease complaints.

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148

3.1.2 Health, illness, and conventional

medicine

The emergence of disease complaints causes a

person to choose treatment in two ways, namely

conventional or modern medicine. In Mijen, many

people still use traditional medicine. Traditional

medicine using plants around the house. The choice

of traditional treatment cannot be free from side

effects. People in Mijen think that conventional

medicine tends not to have bad side effects for the

body.

Conventional medicines are widely available in

stalls. Someone will come to the shop according to

the detection of their illness complaints. Then, buy

the conventional medicine that you usually buy.

People's fear arises when they consume conventional

medicine too often.

Conventional medicine is widely consumed in

Asian society, especially Indonesia. Felicilda-

Reynaldo et al. (2020) researches the use of

complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in

Asia. This could be a form of medical pluralism, a

mixture of Eastern and Western health approaches.

Significant predictors included age (≥65 years),

associated with being female, having higher

education, and having a chronic medical condition

(Mehta et al., 2007). Sociodemographic factors were

also significant predictors within Asian subgroups.

3.1.3 Health, illness, and traditional

medicine knowledge

Traditional medicine is defined by the community

as treatment that can be done alone through the use of

medicinal plants around. This knowledge is passed

down from generation to generation. This proves that

there is a strong relationship between humans and

nature, since its origins, humans have discovered the

benefits of the plant kingdom (Šantić et al., 2017).

The concept of traditional medicine is related to two

things, suitability and taboo. Suitable means that

Even though traditional medicine is

conceptualized as the lightest and simplest treatment,

there are some people who are not suitable for this

method of treatment. There are types of plants that are

considered healing, some are not.

“Ya kalau menurut saya ya

menyembuhkan tapi itu kan cocok-

cocokan ada orang yang nggak cocok

kalau pakai daun jambu lah,atau kunir

jadinya orang tersebut mending minum

obat dokter atau obat warung,terus kalau

saya tahu tamanan tersebut bisa dijadikan

obat itu turun temurun karena kan zaman

dahulu sangat jarang sekali ada obat-

obat sekarang jadi kebanyakan orang

zaman dahulu sering menggunakan obat-

obat tradisional.”

"Yes, in my opinion, it's healing, but it's

suitable, there are people who don't like

using guava leaves, or turmeric, so that

person would be better off taking doctor's

medicine or shop medicine, and if I knew

that this plant could be used as a medicine,

it's been passed down from generation to

generation bec ause "In ancient times,

there were very few medicines nowadays,

so most people in the past often used

traditional medicines."

This assumption is based on the experience felt

when consuming herbal medicine. The formation of

suitability and incompatibility with herbal medicine

is related to experience, hereditary knowledge, and

the effects felt after consuming it. Beliefs about the

suitability and incompatibility of medicinal plants

used are then continuously implemented in everyday

life.

Apart from that, the concept of taboos has

emerged when consuming plants. Some medicinal

plants even contain myths when consuming them.

Such as loss of power or other dangers. However, in

the Mijen community there are no plants that are

considered taboo.

“Tidak ada, ramuan ini herbal dan tidak

ada pantangan di desa ini. Mungkin jika

di desa lain hal seperti itu dipantangkan

karena dianggap tidak sesuai dengan

budaya mereka, tapi disini tidak ada.”

“No, this concoction is herbal and there

are no taboos in this village. Maybe in

other villages things like that are

prohibited because they are considered

not in accordance with their culture, but

here it doesn't happen."

The absence of these restrictions means that

people have more opportunities to explore plants for

benefits in their daily lives, especially for alternative

family medicine.

The Utilization of Plants as Medicine in Family Medicine: Potential for Conservation of Traditional Knowledge and Nature

149

3.1.4 Health, illness, and disease

Healing of disease is usually adjusted to the

complaints felt, whether choosing traditional

medicine or modern medicine.

In the selection of traditional medicine, the

selection of plants used as medicine is based on the

illness they are suffering from (see Table 1), such as

coughs, body aches, tonsils, gout, and others.

Likewise, modern medicine adapts to the drugs they

usually consume. Each plant has its own benefits for

healing.

In Southern Ethiopia, there are 57 species of

medicinal plants belonging to 31 families have been

collected in the research area and local residents use

them to treat various diseases in humans and livestock

(Megersa & Woldetsadik, 2022).

3.2 Traditional and modern medicine

concept

The concept of healing pain that has developed in

the Mijen community is divided into two, namely

traditional and modern medicine. Some people still

maintain the concept of traditional treatment, but

other people have shifted and believe more in modern

medical treatment.

People who maintain traditional medicine choose

this method as the main choice. The choice of

medicine is also not arbitrary, it follows what they are

used to consuming. Traditional herbal medicine is the

main choice, peoples can make it by themselves or

buy it at a shop.

“Iya sering membuat jamu tradisional,

karena saya tensinya tinggi jadi buat jamu

dari bahan-bahan yang ada di kebun.”

"Yes, I often make traditional herbal

medicine, because I have high blood

pressure, I make herbal medicine from

ingredients found in the garden."

Traditional medicine is considered more

effective for family medicine, as shown in the

following interview excerpt.

“Ya kalo pas asam lambung itu ya kaya

minum obat biasa aja, tapi lebih cepat itu

ya. ya pokoknya rasanya udah sakit banget,

jadi kalo udah minum itu rasanya adem,

enak. lain kalo minum obat di medis, ga

langsung banget. saya kan minumnya sudah

dari promag, antasida, sudah sampai saya

minum yang sirup, saya agak lupa. tapi

masih aja, ya mungkin kondisinya. kalo

disini nyari kunyit si tinggal ambil, kalo kota

disana kan susah harus ke pasar dulu, saya

biasanya suka stok.”

“Yes, if you have stomach acid, it's like

taking ordinary medicine, but it's quicker.

Yes, basically it feels like I'm really sick, so

when I drink it, and feels cool, good. On the

other hand, if you take medication at a

medical facility, it's not very immediate. I've

been drinking promag, antacids, I've been

drinking syrup, I kind of forgot. but still,

maybe it's the condition. If you're looking

for turmeric here, just pick it up, in the city

there it's difficult, you have to go to the

market first, I usually like to stock up."

Traditional herbal medicine is one of the most

familiar forms of alternative family medicine options

for the public, especially for disease prevention.

“Kalau sakit ringan itu biasanya kita

merebus jahe, kunyit dan serai. Anget-anget

diminum pagi dan sore. Kalau untuk

pencegahan saya kan udah sekali flu mba,

gampang sekali, jadi kalo dengar orang

bersin-bersin saya langsung wah ini untuk

mencegah, jadi daya tahan tubuhnya kuat,

soalnya kalo kita mengkonsumsi obat terus

kan ada efeknya ke ginjal, pokoknya sebisa

mungkin dengan jamu. Tapi untuk anak-

anak itukan namanya remaja ga suka kaya

gitu, saya kasih kunyit yang kental sama

asem jawa sama gula aren di rebus, jadi kan

seger ituma mba, kalo pas menstruasi itu

kan kebanyakan sakit, kalo minum itu rutin

jadinya perutnya ga sakit kan masih

remaja.”

“When we have a minor illness, we usually

boil ginger, turmeric, and lemongrass. Drink

it warm in the morning and evening. As for

prevention, I once had the flu, it was really

easy, so when I heard someone sneeze, I

immediately thought, oh this is for

prevention, so that the immune system is

strong, because if we keep taking medicine,

it will affect the kidneys, the important thing

is to use herbal medicine as much as

possible. But for the children, they are

teenagers, they don't like that, I give them

ICHELS 2024 - The International Conference on Humanities Education, Law, and Social Science

150

thick turmeric, tamarind, and boiled palm

sugar, so it's refreshing, Mom, when they are

menstruating, they are usually sick, if I drink

it regularly, my stomach doesn't hurt

because they are still teenagers.”

From the description above, it can be concluded

that traditional medicine is very important for society

and is chosen as family medicine. Based on several

sources, family medicine is defined as that specialty

of medicine which is concerned with providing

comprehensive care to individuals and families and

integrating (Al Gelban et al., 2013; WHO, 2003).

“Penghangat tubuh menggunakan jahe atau

minuman rempah bir pletok yang berisi

berbagai tanaman obat seperti, kapulaga,

kayu manis cengkeh, jahe, serai dan daun

pandan.”

"Body warmers use ginger or the spice drink

bir pletok which contains various medicinal

plants such as cardamom, cinnamon cloves,

ginger, lemongrass and pandan leaves."

However, many people prefer modern medical

treatment. Modern medical treatment is carried out in

3 ways, namely: a) buying at a shop; b) come for a

check-up at the community health center; and 3) go

to the doctor.

At the start of an illness, usually the first thing that

comes to mind is to buy medicine at the shop. People

already have their own preferences regarding the shop

medicines chosen for treatment.

“Kalau saya cuma pusing itu mungkin obat

warung terlebih dahulu, kalo belum sembuh

baru ke puskesmas. karena saya sering

sakitnya itu pusing ya jadi ya ga obat obatan

yang lain.”

"If I just have a headache, maybe I'll take

medication at the shop first, if it doesn't heal,

then go to the community health center.

"Because I often get sick, I get dizzy, so I

don't need any other medicine."

Apart from that, there are also people who choose

to go for a check-up at the health center, if the shop

medicine does not have the effect of curing the pain

they are suffering from.

“Kalau saya cuma pusing itu mungkin obat

warung terlebih dahulu, kalo belum sembuh

baru ke puskesmas. karena saya sering

sakitnya itu pusing ya jadi ya ga obat obatan

yang lain.”

"If I just have a headache, maybe I'll take

medication at the shop first, if it doesn't heal,

then go to the community health center.

"Because I often get sick, I get dizzy, so I

don't need any other medicine."

Finally, if healing through drug stores or

community health centers is not effective, then the

final option is to go directly to the doctor for

examination.

“Biasanya obat warung atau ke dokter

periksa.”

"Usually, it's a drug store or a doctor's

check-up."

From research findings, modern medical concepts

were chosen as a healing method of treatment. This is

different from traditional medicine which tends to

prevent disease.

3.3 Medicinal plants used by the Mijen

community for treatment

Below is a variety of knowledge regarding the types

of plants chosen by the people of Mijen for treatment.

From the table above, there are several medicinal

plants that are often used by the community. The

contribution of medicinal plants and the uses of

medicinal plants in treating diseases, as prevention, or

health care. The use of medicinal plants for treatment

is flexible and adapts to human needs. If the disease

is felt to be cured, then the treatment using this

medicinal plant will be stopped. According to

interviews with the Mijen community, there are 23

types of medicinal plants and some of the ones that

are often used, namely: ginger, Chinese betel,

turmeric, Dewa tubers, pineapple, and lemon. Further

explanation regarding its use can be explained as

follows.

3.3.1 Ginger

Ginger is usually used for sore feet. There are four

ways to process it, namely by boiling, roasting,

crushing, or grating.

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151

“Jahe itu biasanya untuk keluhan kaki

pegal. Itu diolah dengan diparut, bisa juga

untuk minuman kalau sedang serak

suaranya. Cara membuatnya dengan

disangrai terlebih dahulu, di geprek, lalu

diberi air panas, dan ditambahkan gula

batu. Setahu saya cuma itu, untuk yang lain-

lain saya tidak tahu.”

“Ginger is usually used for complaints of

sore feet. It is processed by grating it, and

can also be used as a drink if your voice is

hoarse. How to make it by roasting it first,

crushing it, then adding hot water and

adding pure sugar. That's all, I know, I don't

know about the others."

Table 1: List of medicinal plants

No Plants/

Local

Name

Scientific

Name

Family Part of

Plants

Benefits for Healing

Diseases

Processing Method

1 Serai/

sereh

Cymbopogon

citratus

Poaceae stem masuk angin boiled

2 Ginger/

jahe

Zingiber

officinale

Zingiberaceae tubers cough, body aches,

masuk angin

boiled, grated, roasted,

crushed

3 Chinese

betel/

sirih cina

Houttuynia

cordata

Saururaceae all part gout all parts of the plant

are washed, bent or

cut, given boiling hot

water, one glass is a

minimum of 2 trees

4 Bay leaf/

salam

Syzygium

polyanthum

Myrtaceae leaf high blood pressure,

cholesterol, body

aches, gout

boiled, added with

honey and lemon

5 Turmeric/

kunyit

Curcuma longa Zingiberaceae tubers gastric acid, stomach

ache, vaginal

discharge, gastric

pains, sore

grated

6 Aromatic

ginger/

kencur

Kaempferia

galanga

Zingiberacea tubers cough, fever boiled

7 Dewa’s

tuber/

umbi

dewa

Gynura

divaricata

Asteraceae tubers,

leaf

tonsils, antiseptic grated, filtered

8 Pineapple

/ nanas

Ananas

comosus

Bromeliaceae fruit tonsils cut

9 Java tea/

kumis

kucing

Orthosiphon

aristatus

Lamiaceae flower diabetes boiled

10 Betel/sirih

/ sereh

Piper betle Piperaceae leaf body aches, cleaning

the feminine area

boiled

11 Tamarind/

asam

jawa

Tamarindus

indica

Fabaceae fruit stomach ache,

cleaning the feminine

area

boiled

12 Lemon /

lemon

Citrus limon Rutaceae fruit eliminate fat from

food consumed,

soothe the throat

squeezed

13 Moringa/

kelor

Moringa

oleifera Lam.

Moringaceae leaf vertigo cooked as vegetables

14 Bengle /

bengle

Zingiber

cassumunar

Zingiberaceae rhizome myth, sawan made a bracelet

ICHELS 2024 - The International Conference on Humanities Education, Law, and Social Science

152

15 White

betel/

sirih putih

Piper betle Piperaceae leaf headache, beauty

care, mask

drunk, applied

topically

16 Coriander

seeds/

ketumbar

Coriandrum

Sativum

Apiaceae seed diabetes boiled

17 Garlic /

bawang

putih

Alliumsativum Amaryllidaceae rhizome influenza boiled

18 Lime/

jeruk

nipis

Citrus

aurantifolia

Rutaceae fruit cough, antioxidant boiled

19 Shallot /

bawang

merah

Alliumcepa L. Liliaceae tubers fever, cough smeared

20 Cabai

puyang /

cabe

puyang

Piper

retrofractum

Vahl

Piperaceae flower sore boiled, the water ratio

for one consumption is

one glass

21 Screwpin

e/ pandan

Pandanus

amaryllifolius

Roxb

Pandanaceae leaf sore boiled, the water ratio

for one consumption is

one glass

22 Star

anise/

bunga

lawang

Illicium verum Schisandraceae flower sore throat boiled

23 Bidara

leaves/

daun

bidara

Ziziphus mauri

tiana L

Rhamnaceae leaf diabetes boiled

(Source: Fieldwork, 2021)

Ginger is processed in various ways, such as

grating or crushing. In the interview excerpt above, it

can be seen that there are various benefits of ginger,

such as curing sore feet, and hoarse voice.

In the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

concept, consumption of ginger also has beneficial

effects on diabetes, obesity, hypertension, cancer,

heart disease, osteoarthritis and bacterial infections.

Ginger is an herbal, easily available, cheap

medication which is associated with low risk can be

substituted for chemical, scarce and expensive drugs

(Shahrajabian et al., 2019).

Ginger, in particular, possesses a range of

pharmacological activities including antioxidant,

anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-bacterial, and

anticoagulant properties (Megersa & Woldetsadik,

2022).

3.3.2 Chinese betel

Chinese betel is used as a gout medicine. Unlike other

types of plants which are processed by boiling, this

plant is processed by simply soaking it in boiling hot

water.

“Kalau sirih cina itu gak direbus, cuma

dikasih air panas setelah mendidih 1 gelas

minimal 2 pohon seakar nya, rasanya ya

hampir sama kayak sirih biasa itu, baunya

agak kayak mint-mint semriwing-semriwing

gitu. Caranya dicuci bersih terus ditekuk

atau dipotong-potong juga boleh terus

masukin gelas kasih air panas, karena kalau

di rebus nanti jadi lembek, warnanya nanti

ijo-ijo gitu kalau terlalu lembek nanti agak-

agak coklat, khasiatnya mungkin nanti beda

kalau terlalu lembek sama enggak. Kalau

salam direbus sampai mendidih bisa, karena

daunnya kan keras.”

"If you don't boil Chinese betel, you just add

1 glass of hot water after boiling, at least 2

tree roots, the taste is almost the same as

ordinary betel, the smell is a bit like

semriwing-semriwing mint like that. The

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method is to wash it clean, then bend it or

cut it, you can also keep putting it in a glass

of hot water, because if you boil it, it will

become soft, the colour will be green, so if it

is too soft, it will be a little brown, the

benefits may be different if it is too soft or

not. If you boil the bay leaves until they boil,

you can, because the leaves are tough."

Chinese betel is a medicinal plant that uses all

parts of the plant. In the phytochemical screening test,

Chinese betel leaves showed positive results for

saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, and steroids.

Chinese betel I a plant that has many health benefits

even though it is often considered a weed (Megersa

& Woldetsadik, 2022).

3.3.3 Turmeric

Turmeric is used as an ingredient for treating stomach

acid. The processing is very simple.

“Kalau saya biasanya sakit asam lambung

itu paling memarut kunyit dicampur kuning

telur ayam kampung. Biasanya saya obati

dengan minum kunyit sama telur. Itu lebih

cepat sembuhnya untuk sakit asam lambung

yang saya alami. Untuk obat-obatan yang

lain saya belum pernah mengkonsumsi.”

"When I usually have stomach acid, I just

grate turmeric mixed with free-range

chicken egg yolk. Usually, I treat it by

drinking turmeric and eggs. It heals faster

for stomach acid pain that I experience. I

have never taken other medicines."

Apart from that, turmeric is used to treat stomach

aches.

“Kadang kalau kita sakit perut lalu minum

kunyit asem. Kadang membuat sendiri,

kadang beli kalau lagi males bikin sendiri.

Kunyit biasanya direbus. Kalau saya beli

kunyit kental itu, sama suruh. Diminumnya

seminggu tiga kali, beli dua hari sekali, ada

yang datang ke sini, ada pemasok, ada

penjual jamu langganan saya. Saya minum

ini tidak ada efek samping sama sekali.

Kalau obat-obatan dari dokter itu kan ada

efek sampingnya, kalau ini tidak ada.

Sebelum minum ini tidak ada pantangan-

pantangan khusus dan langsung saja

jamunya diminum.“

“Sometimes, if we have a stomach ache, we

drink turmeric (asem). Sometimes I make it

myself, sometimes I buy it if I don't feel like

making it myself. Turmeric is usually

boiled. If I buy thick turmeric, please tell me.

I drink it three times a week, buy it every

other day, someone comes here, there is a

supplier, there is my regular herbal medicine

seller. I drink this without any side effects at

all. If the medicine from the doctor has side

effects, there are none. Before drinking this,

there are no special restrictions and you can

just drink the herbal medicine straight

away."

Another benefit of turmeric is to treat vaginal

discharge that often occurs in women.

“Kalau kita keputihan itu minumnya kunyit

kental, atau kalau perut nggak nyaman sakit

itu kalau saya. Ini murni tidak ada

campuran lain, kalau mau campur mungkin

sama madu atau lemon.”

"If we have vaginal discharge, drink thick

turmeric, or if we have stomach discomfort,

that's my problem. "This is pure, there are no

other mixtures, if you want to mix it maybe

with honey or lemon."

In the pharmacological studies, turmeric has

various beneficial properties with antioxidant activity

and is useful in conditions such as inflammation,

gastric ulcers, and cancer. It also has antifungal,

antimicrobial, renal, and hepatoprotective activities.

Therefore, it has the potential to fight various cancers,

diabetes, allergies, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, and

other chronic and intractable diseases (Megersa &

Woldetsadik, 2022).

3.3.4 Dewa tubers/ umbi dewa

Dewa tubers are a type of plant that has benefits for

treating tonsils. Apart from that, Dewa tubers also

have other antiseptic benefits by using the leaves.

Dewa tubers are shaped like ginger and are slightly

yellowish white in color.

“Kalau sakit amandel itu dulu anak saya

diobatinnya pakai umbi dewa. Itu diparut,

disaring, dan nanti diminum dengan nanas

muda. Itu kata dokter, dikasih ubi dewa.

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Alhamdulillah kempes. Soalnya kan umbi

dewa lumayan mahal 1 kg nya Rp 80.000.

Daunnya dimanfaatkan untuk antiseptic.”

“When my child had tonsillitis, he used to

treat it using tubers of Dewa. It is grated,

filtered, and later drunk with young

pineapple. That's what the doctor said, he

was given sweet potatoes. Thank God it's

deflated. The problem is that Dewa tubers

are quite expensive, 1 kg costs IDR 80,000.

The leaves are used as an antiseptic."

This plant is a type of plant that only grows in

certain areas and is used as traditional medicine by

local people.

3.3.5 Pineaple

Pineapple has benefits for treating tonsil pain.

"Jadi nanas dikupas direndam dan

dibersihkan pake air garam terus dimakan.

Itu bisa buat amandel."

"So, soak the peeled pineapple and clean it

with salt water and then eat it. That can make

the tonsils worse."

In Traditional Chinese Medicine pineapple is a

yin tonic (Boudreaux & Lake, 2011). It clears heat

and damp, regulates water and disperses wind.

Specifically, it is good for wind—damp. Ancient

Chinese medical texts suggest it enters the stomach,

spleen, and bladder. For the best medicinal results,

pineapples should be eaten alone.

2.3.6 Lemon

Lemon is used for consumption after eating oily food,

it is believed to be able to remove the oil.

“Kalau habis makan, saya minum air yang

sudah dikasih perasan jeruk. Kadang kan

kita makan berminyak, maka minum air

putih dan dikasih seiris lemon di gelas. Yang

penting kita kan makan jaga keseimbangan,

kalau saya gitu.”

“When I finish eating, I drink water with

orange juice added to it. Sometimes we eat

something oily, so we drink water and put a

slice of lemon in the glass. "The important

thing is that we eat to maintain balance, if

that's the case for me."

Lemon is a characteristic of traditional medicine

in the current era. Infusion water is an example of one

of them. Even though it tastes sour, the use of lemon

combined with other types of fruit is its own

attraction.

Lemon is another citrus fruit that is an excellent

source of vitamin C (ascorbic acid); providing about

88% of the recommended daily intake. In addition,

lemon is a source of soluble and insoluble dietary

fiber that helps reduce the risk of cancer, various

chronic diseases such as arthritis, and obesity and

other coronary heart diseases (Megersa &

Woldetsadik, 2022).

3.3 Conservation of Traditional

Knowledge and Nature

The practice of using medicinal plants by the Mijen

community in family medicine can not only maintain

cultural knowledge that has been acquired through

generations, it can also be accessed easily and cheaply

and can maintain plant species with medicinal

potential in the surrounding environment.

The sate of conservation of cultural heritage is

impacted not just by environmental aggressiveness,

but also by domestic and industrial activities and the

level of cultural and environmental knowledge of

citizen (Nugroho & Hardilla, 2020). The producer

(jamu seller) utilizes the home yard and gardens

around the house to plant the herbs. By planting these

plants around the house, the jamu sellers not only

obtain benefit economically and get fresh ingredients,

but also have implications to the conservation of

medicinal plants for the purpose of sustainable use

(Husain et al., 2019, 2021; Yuniati et al., 2021)

In the end, collaborative work between

indigenous groups and the outside agencies remains

the key means toward improving the indigenous

economies and relations with external actors while

also serving as a means to care for the environment

across geo-political boundaries (Boudreaux & Lake,

2011). Strengthening Indigenous knowledge and

values can lead to effective, locally owned, equitable

and cost-effective conservation outcomes and

contribute to global development goals (Boudreaux &

Lake, 2011).

3 CONCLUSIONS

For the. people use various types of plants which are

considered to have medicinal properties in curing

illnesses as part of family medicine. There are 19

The Utilization of Plants as Medicine in Family Medicine: Potential for Conservation of Traditional Knowledge and Nature

155

types of plants that used for medicine. People

consider that consuming medicinal plants is very

good because they do not have negative side effects

for the body compared to conventional medicines

offered by allopathic medicine. These medicinal

plants are formulated in such a way that they are

thought to be able to cure a disease. Providing plant

materials can also be accessed in various ways,

namely by buying at the market, gardening in the yard

or even having plants growing wild around the house.

The practice of using medicinal plants by the

community in family medicine can not only maintain

cultural knowledge that has been acquired through

generations, it can also be accessed easily and cheaply

and can maintain plant species with medicinal

potential in the surrounding environment, especially

in Mijen district.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to thank all informants involved in this

research. We also express our appreciation to the

village and sub-district officials who recommended

permission for us to conduct research in their

administrative areas.

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