BIOTROPIA Vol. 28 No. 1,2021: 54 - 63 DOI: 10.1 1598/btb.2021.28.1 .I055 

ETHNOBOTANICAL STUDY OF DIGESTIVE SYSTEMS 
DISORDERS IN BADUY ETHNIC, INDONESIA 

RIDA OICTORIDA IGIASTINI',', INDRIA WAHYUNI' AND IRMA SARASWAT13 

'Dqartment o f  Biology Education, FaculQ o f  Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirttdyasa, Kota Serang, Banten 
4 2  1 17, Indonesia 

'Center ofExcellencefor Food Sectin$ (ICEFORY), Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirtqasa, Serang, Banten 42163, Indonesia 
'Department ofElectrical Engineering, Faculo ofEngineering, Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirttdyasa, Ciltgon, Banten 42435, Indonesid 

Received 20 April 2018/Accepted 20 December 2019 

ABSTRACT 

Digestive disorders rank among the most commonly faced problems in Indonesia, particularly for the Baduy 
people in Banten Province. The Baduy population lives along water-rich areas, yet their lack of sanitation facilities 
and unawareness of disease prevention methods have resulted in high morbidity and mortality rates in their 
communities, largely due to digestive system disorders that they continue to treat with medicinal plants. Using 
quantitative ethnobotanical approaches this survey was undertaken to document the use of indigenous medicinal 
plants to treat and prevent different types of digestive system disorders among the Baduy communities. Ethnic 
knowledge o n  their medicinal plants were collected from 30 informants from the Baduy people. Quantitative 
approaches were used to determine the use value and informant consensus factor values of the collected data. 
The Baduy population currently uses 54 medicinal plant species belonging to 30 families, in treating digestive 
system disorders. Additional research is, however required, to validate the function of the medicinal plants and 
identity of their active compounds. 

Keywords: Baduy people, digestive disorders, medicinal plants 

INTRODUCTION 

Indonesia is a mega-&verse country with its 
flora composition particularly important in 
traditional medicine and agriculture and whose 
identity is deeply rooted among the indigenous 
groups throughout the Indonesian archipelago. 
More than 1,800 plant species inhabit several 
forest formations across Indonesia, 940 of 
which are used in herbal medicine by indigenous 
communities, yet only 300 species are used by 
the Indonesian pharmaceutical industry (LIP1 
2014). 

Indigenous knowledge is a product of 
generations upon generations of experience and 
constitutes a connection between indigenous 
communities and local natural resources (Davies 
& Kassler 2015). Among these resources are 
plants that indigenous community members 
gather for food, medicines, religious rituals, and 

*CorresponQng author, email: rida.khastini@untirta.ac.id 

other cultural activities. The indigenous Baduy 
communities in Banten Province, Indonesia, 
form part of the immense cultural diversity of 
humanity, and their collective knowledge, passed 
down from generation to generation, constitutes 
a source of immeasurable cultural wealth. 

The Baduy people have traditionally used 
medicinal plants in the treatment of various 
diseases. The communities continued use of 
ethno medicine stems from its cost- 
effectiveness, social acceptability, minimal side 
effects, and accessibihty (Chawla e t  al. 2013). 
Since the Baduy typically reside in mountainous 
areas where access to public healthcare systems 
remains limited, they have accumulated 
profound experience with treating and 
preventing diseases with medicinal plants, whose 
diversity in their environment is exceptionally 
high. 

Digestive system &sorders have recently 
gained considerable attention among scholars in 
ethno medicine. Such disorders are a major 



Ethnobotany of digestive system disorder among the Baduy People in Indonesia - Khastini e t  al. 

cause of morbidity both in Indonesia and 
around the world, particularly among indigenous 
people, includmg the Baduy, whose inadequate 
access to hygienic levels of sanitation 
exacerbates the transmission and prevalence of 
various digestive diseases. Only 34% of people 
in low-income countries have access to adequate 
sanitation, and that figure is roughly 2.6 blllion 
people worldwide (Mars e t  aL 2010). 

Researches on local knowledge about 
medicinal plants is becoming increasingly 
important in defining strategies for the 
conservation management of biological 
resources (Jeruto e t  aL 2008). Fortunately, 
through extension activities, these 
ethnobotanical studes have become increasingly 
useful in developing healthcare and conservation 
programs (Vandebroek e t  aL 2010). Given those 
trends, valuable information about the 
importance of mekcinal plants and indigenous 
knowledge disseminated orally warrants its 
collection, documentation and quantitative 
evaluation in order to guide future researches 
and prevent knowledge loss and erosion during 
its transmission from generation to generation. 

Although some ethnobotanical surveys have 
been conducted among the Baduy (Iskandar & 
Iskandar 2017), there was no comprehensive 
report on the use of medicinal plants to 
specifically treat digestive system disorders. 
Hence, this paper aims to assess the traditional 
uses of medcinal plants among the Baduy and 
to compile profiles of the plants by applying 
quantitative methods. The information that 
would be generated could not only expand 
ethno medicinal knowledge but also support 

general awareness on conserving indigenous 
medicinal plants in Indonesia. 

MATERIALS A N D  METHODS 

The workflow contained the following 
specific steps: data collection and data 
processing analysis (Fig. 1). 

Study Site 

The study was conducted at Inner Baduy, 
Cibeo hamlets, I<anekes village, and 
Leuwidamar sub district, in Lebak, Banten 
Province, Indonesia (Figure 2). Geographically, 
the d a g e  is located at longtude 6°27'27'1 - 
6"30'07' S and latitude 108°3'911 - 106°4'5" E at 
an altitude of 300 - 600 m asl. The region is 
located roughly at 172 krn west of Jakarta, 
Indonesia. The region experiences an average 
temperature of 20 OC, and the average rainfall is 
4,000 mm/year. Generally, three types of soil 
are available in the region: dark latosol, brown 
alluvial, and andosol. Ethnographically, the 
Baduy community inhabits 5,101.85 ha, of 
which 2,101.85 ha constitutes the residential area 
and roughly 3,000 ha of which are protected 
forest areas. The Baduy speak their ethnic 
language Sunda, and as indigenous people, they 
depend on immediate natural resources in their 
vicinity for their livelihood, which they 
supplement with production from the primary 
sectors such as agriculture, horticulture, and 
livestock. 

Data Collection Data Processing Analysis 

Plants for treating and 

Figure 1 Flow chart of Ethnobotanical Study in the Baduy Ethnic Community 



BIOTROPIA Vol. 28 No. 1,2021 

Legends G v r n g K s n d a g  
. . . . . . . . . . . Village boundary 

lnner Baduy E!33l Study site 
I Outer Baduy 
- - - Footpath Inner Baduy hamlets 
7 River Outer Baduy hamlets O- km 

Figure 2 Map of the study site. Baduy area of the IGnekes Village, Leuwidamar Subdistrict, Lebak, Banten Province 
(Iskandar & Iskandar, 2017) 

Data Collection 

Prior to documenting ethno pharmacological 
data, semi-structured interviews and focus group 
discussions, personal conversations with locals, 
and field surveys (Martin 1995) were conducted 
in September 2016 until July 2017. A total of 30 
household heads from the Cibeo hamlet with 
age ranging from 20 to 40 years with an average 
age of 35 years, participated in the study as 
informants. All informants were ethnic Baduy 
and were born and raised in their respective 
villages. The names and ages of the informants, 
the local names of plants and plant parts used, 
the method of preparation, and the medicinal 
uses, were recorded. Prior to the field survey, 
several textbooks of plant diversity were 
consulted for identification purposes including 
the Flora Malesiana series (van Steenis 1972) 
and Flora of Java (Backer & van den Brink 
1965). Medicinal plants were photographed and 
made into herbarium specimen for complete 
identification by the botanist at the Laboratory 

of Biology Education, Faculty of Teacher 
Training and Education, University of Sultan 
Ageng Tirtayasa, Indonesia. The observed plant 
morphology included the characters of the 
roots, stems, leaves, flowers, seeds and fruit. 

Analysis 

The use values (UV) of the medcinal plant 
species were analyzed based on Galeano e t  al. 
(2000) and according to the equation UV = U /  
V, in whch U is the number of mentions per 
species, and N is the number of informants. UV 
is a quantitative parameter that indicates the 
relative importance of species known by the 
locals. 

The Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), 
initially developed by Trotter and Logan (1986), 
was used to identify the relative importance of 
medicinal plants in ailment categories in a 
particular culture. ICF was calculated according 
to the equation ICF = Nur - N t  / Nur - 1, in 
which Nur is the number of uses mentioned in 



Ethnobotany o f  digestive system disorder among the Baduy People in Indonesia - IUlastini e t  al. 

each category, and Nt is the number of species 
indicated in each category. ICF values range 
from 0 to 1; values closer to 1 indicate a higher 
proportion of informant consensus on plant 
species used against a disease category, whereas 
values closer to 0 indicate the opposite, a lower 
informant consensus on plant species used as a 
cure. 

RESULTS A N D  DISCUSSION 

A total of 54 species belonging to 47 genera 
and 30 families were recorded for the treatment 
of dgestive system disorders (Table 1). For each 
species, the scientific name with voucher 
number, family, vernacular name in Sundanese, 
ailments treated, parts used, forms of 

preparation, and uses were documented. The 
reported plant families included Arecaceae, 
Fabaceae, Zingiberaceae (four species each), 
Acanthaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Moraceae, Pipera- 
ceae (three species each), Apocynaceae, 
Convolvulaceae, Melastomataceae, Menisperma- 
ceae, Poaceae, Rubiaceae, Solanaceae (two 
species each), Amaranthaceae, Begoniaceae, 
Compositae, Dilleniaceae, Gnetaceae, Lamia- 
ceae, Liliaceae, Magnoliophyta, Malvaceae, 
Meliaceae, Mimosaceae, Myristicaceae, 
Myrtaceae, Palmae, Phyllanthaceae, and 
Verbenaceae (one species each). All the reported 
plants were commonly used in treating digestive 
system disorders by the Baduy community 
because they are readily cultivated or grow as 
wild plants that can be harvested from the 
nearby forest where the Baduy live. 

Table 1 Medicinal Plants Used t o  Treat Digestive System Disorders in Baduy Communities 

Ailments treated or Parts Forms of Local name Use value 
Family Species Culti- preparation 

(Sundanese) vated plant uses used 
and use (uv) 

Acanthaceae Strobilanthes n'spus B1. Pecah beling C Hemorrhoids Leaf Decoction 0.50 
Staurogyne elongata PI.) O.I< 

- 
Reundeu W Stomach ache Leaf Edible 0.47 

Andrographispaniculata Purm.f.) S a d o t o  W Diarrhea Leaf Decoction 0.83 
Wall. ex Nees 

Amaranthaceae Celosia azentea L. Gamet W Appetite stimulant Leaf Crushed 0.43 
Apocynaceae Qlophora n'ssioides B1. Areuy peujit W Stomach ache Latex Infusion 0.23 

I<otok 
Alstonia scholaris R. Br. Lame W Intestinal worm Latex Infusion 0.17 

infection 
Arecaceae Areca catechu L. Jebug W Toothache Root Crushed 0.60 

Ageratum cony~oides L. Babadotan W Flatulence Leaf Decoction 0.53 
Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. Capeu W Appetite stimulant Leaf Decoction 0.33 . . 
Cocos nucifera L. var. uiridis l<alapa hejo C Flatulence Bark Peel Decoction 0.87 

Begoniaceae Begonia isoptera Dryand Areuy W Stomach ache Leaf Decoction 0.20 
bingbiringan 

Compositae Mikania cordata (Burm.f.) B.L. Areuy W Jaunchce, Stomach Whole Decoction 0.27 
Rob. caputuher ache plant 

Convolvulaceae Lepistemon binectan$mm (Wall.) Areuy W Stomach ache Leaf, resin Decoction 0.40 
I<untze plumpung 
Merremiapeltdta (L.) Merr. Areuy W Flatulence Leaf Decoction 0.17 

palungpung 
Dilleniaceae Tetracera indica Merr. Areuy asahan W Stomach ache Bark juice Drink 0.10 
Euphorbiaceae Acabpha caturus B1. I<i lauk W Appetite stimulant Juvenile Edible 0.53 

leaf 
Macaranga tanarius (L.) Muell.Ai-g. Mara W Gastric ulcer Leaf Decoction 0.13 
Eubhorbia hirta L. Patikan kebo, W Mouth ulcer Latex Rubbed 0.60 

Nanangkaan 
Fabaceae Eytbrina litho.pemza Miq. Dadap W Stomach ache Leaf Crushed 0.47 

Abmsprecatorius L. Saga W Mouth ulcer Leaf, root Crushed 0.60 
Pterocapus indicus Wdld. Angsana W Toothache Resin Crushed 0.77 
Mimosapudica Duchass. & Walp Gehgeran, W Mouth ulcer Leaf Crushed 0.70 - 

Putri malu 
Gnetaceae Gnetum neglecturn B1. Ihsungka C Intestinal worm Stem juice Decoction 0.67 

infection 
Larniaceae Orthosiphon starnineus (Blume) I<umis ucing C Flatulence Leaf Decoction 0.80 

Miq. 
Ldtaceae Cordilnefisticosa (L.) A.Chev. Hanjuang C Hemorrhoids Rhizome, Decoction 0.53 

leaf 



BIOTROPIA Vol. 28 No. 1,2021 

Table 1 (continued) 

Ailments treated or Parts 
Forms of 

Local name 
Culti- 

Use value 
Family Species preparation 

(Sundanese) vated plant uses used 
and use (uv) 

Magnoliophyta Villebrzmea mbescens (Bl.) B1 Nangsi W Toothache Stem juice Edible 0.63 

Malvaceae Durio +bethinus Murr. Icadu C Toothache Nectar Edible 0.43 

Melastomataceae Melastoma mlabathricum Auct. Harendong W Diarrhea, Leaf Crushed 0.60 
toothache, mouth 
ulcer 

Bellucia amnanthera Triana Harendong W Stomach ache Fruit Edible 0.43 
leuweun~ 

Meliaceae Sandoricum koe$ape (Burm.f.) Icecapi C Diarrhea Leaf, bark Edible 0.43 
Merr. 

Menispermaceae Arcangeliisaflava Merr. Areuy ki W Diarrhea, jaundice Root, bark Decoction 0.20 
koneng 

Tinospora nnspa (L.) Diels. Martawali W JaunQce, intestinal Bark, leaf Decoction 0.57 
worm infection 

Mimosaceae Pitbecelobim lobatum Benth. Jengkol C Appetite stimulant Juvenile Edible 0.77 
leaf 

Moraceae Ficus hispida L. f. Bisoro W Diarrhea, stomach Juvenile Edible 0.27 
ache, jaundice leaf, fruit 

Ficus sagittutu Vahl. Areuy h baok W Mouth ulcer, Latex Decoction 0.27 
stomach ache, 
jaundice 

Ficzls racemosa Roxb. Walen W Stomach ache Juvenile Edible 0.63 
leaf 

Myristicaceae HorsfZeldiaglabra Warb. I(I beo, C Toothache Fruit, leaf Edible 0.77 
Icalapa ciung 

Mvrtaceae Psiditm pl~aiava L. Tambu batu C Diarrhea Fruit. leaf Edible 0.27 

Palmae Arengapinnata (Wurmb) Merr. Icaung W Constipation Root Decoction 0.83 

Phvllanthaceae Phvllanthus acidus Skeels. Cereme W A ~ ~ e t i t e  stimulant Fruit Edible 0.87 

Piperaceae Piper betle L. Sereh C Toothache, mouth Leaf Crushed 0.83 
ulcer 

Piper sulcatum B1. Areuy rinu W Flatulence Fruit Edible 0.27 
Pipar aduncum L. Gedebong W Nausea Seed Crushed 0.63 

Poaceae Imperata ylindrical (I,.) P.Beauv. Eurih W Mouth ulcer, Root Decoction 0.50 
Pharyngitis 

Andropogon nardus L. Sereh C Appetite stimulant Leaf Decoction 0.57 

Rubiaceae Morinda citrz@lia L. Mengkudu C Jaundice Fruit Edible 0.67 
Nauclea orientalis L. Gempol W Nausea Root Decoction 0.67 

Solanaceae Physalis minima L. Cecenet W Intestinal worm Root Decoction 0.80 

Pbsalir angulata L. 
infection 

Cecendet W mouth ulcer, gastric Fruit Edible 0.67 
ulcer, stomach ache 

Verbenaceae Clerodendmm serratum (L.) Moon Singugu W Intestinal worm Leaf Decoction 0.67 
infection 

Zingberaceae Zingiber oficinale Roscoe Jahe C Flatulence Root Decoction 0.93 
Zingiber xemmbet (L.) Roscoe ex Lempuyang C Appetite stimulant Root Decoction 0.67 
Sm. 
Zingiber amaricans B1. Lampuyang C Stomach ache Leaf Decoction 0.67 
Costus speciosus Smith Pacing C JaunQce Stem juice Decoction 0.83 

Different plant parts were used for the The UVs of the plants ranged from 0.1 to 
treatment of various digestive system disorders 0.733. The interview results revealed that the 
(Fig. 3). The kaves Were the most commonb three most selected species were Zingiber oflknale 
used (430/0), the (150i0), fruit (0.73) that had the Reatest UV among all plants, 
(13%), resin (lOO/o), bark (~OO), stem substance followed by Cocos nac@ra L. var vir;;dis and 
(5%), whole plant (2%), nectar (2%), and seed 

Pblantas kdas Skeels (Table 1 ) .  A high U V  value 
(2%). In most cases, the medicinal plants were 
prepared in the forms of juice, decoction, for a particular plant indcated a high number of 

infusion, paste, and powder. uses reported by informants. 



Ethnobotany of digestive system disorder among the Baduy People in Indonesia - Khastini e t  a l  

Q O L  Leaf 

Root 

Fruit i43: Resin 
4 Bark 

' Stem substance 

I Whole plant 

Nectar 

Seed 

Figure 3 Use patterns of the documented medicinal plant parts 

Table 2 Category of Ailment Treated and Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) 

Ailments treated or plant uses Number of taxa Number of use report ICF 

Constipation 2 26 0.96 
Gastric ulcer 2 12 0.91 
Nausea 2 11 0.90 
Hemorrhoid 2 8 0.86 
Diarrhea 6 28 0.81 
Intestinal worm infection 5 21 0.80 
Flatulence 6 25 0.79 
Appetite stimulant 7 25 0.75 
Mouth ulcer 6 18 0.71 
Toothache 6 16 0.67 
Pharyngitis 2 4 0.67 
Stomach ache 13 20 0.37 
Jaundice 7 10 0.33 

ICF was determined for 13 ailments or plant 
uses: appetite stimulant, constipation, diarrhea, 
flatulence, gastric ulcer, hemorrhoids, intestinal 
worm infection, jaundice, mouth ulcer, stomach 
ache, toothache, pharyngitis, and nausea. ICFs 
ranged from 0.33 to 0.96, with a mean value of 
0.733 (Table 2). The ailment treated with the 
most use reports was constipation (0.96). The 
ICF values for disease treatment depended upon 
the availability of the medicinal plant species in 
the area of the studied Baduy community. 

Increasing access to medicinal plants in 
Indonesia, a country with one of the world's 
most highly diversified plant species, has greatly 
benefited the locals, especially members of 
Indonesia's indigenous communities. Many 
studies conducted among indigenous 

communities elsewhere in Indonesia. For 
instance, among the Dayak communities in West 
Kalirnantan @iba e t  al. 2013) and Sundanese 
communities in West Java (Roosita 2008), have 
documented not only the plant parts used (e.g., 
leaves, wood, fruits, roots, and flowers) and 
their processing techniques but also their 
beneficial effects. This current study 
documented that information on the uses of 54 
plant species in treating 13 different aliments 
among the Baduy people were collected from 
reliable informants and were based on their 
personal experience. The commonly used plants 
that the Baduy have a b s t e r e d  to treat and 
prevent digestive disorders were readily available 
and had healing properties. 



BIOTROPIA Vol. 28 No. 1,2021 

To obtain extracts used for medicine, the Ginger has the greatest UV, its rhizomes are 
informants collected the fresh or dried plant 
materials from the entire plants or their parts. 
Of all the plant parts used, the leaves were the 
most commonly prepared part as medicines 
(43%). Leaves contain a myriad of secondary 
metabolites or phytochemicals that play a vital 
role in the treatment and prevention of various 
digestive disorders (I<umar et al. 2009). The 
Baduy typically use fresh leaves by boiling these 
in water for decoctions, as they also d d  with 
other plant parts used for medicinal materials. 
Such preparation usually involved reducing the 
water volume by a third. Studies conducted in 
other indigenous communities around the world 
have shown that leaves were also the most used 
plant part for medicine at rates of 51.39 O/O in the 
Turgo hamlet of Yogjakarta, Indonesia (Nahdi et 
al. 2016), 47.65% in Argentina (Teves et al. 
2015), and 34% in the Limpopo &strict of 
South Africa (Semenya & Maroni 2012). The 
current results also supported the findings of 
Handayani (2015), that leaves were the most 
frequently used parts in plant-based medcines. 
Leaves and other plant materials, including 
rhizomes, were also prepared for medicines by 
pounding and squeezing. According to the 
informants, the Baduy also mixed some plants 
with other plants depending on their intended 
uses. Single and mixed medicinal plant 
preparations may have different effects, for a 
mixed-medicinal plant formula may contain 
several hundred times the natural constituents 
that numerous single-medicinal plants contained. 

Quantitative analysis was performed to 
authenticate and project the relative importance 
of medicinal plant species in their traditional 
use. Plants with high UV were also used among 
other indigenous communities throughout 
Indonesia (Nulfitriani et aL 2013). The plants 
with the first three largest UV among the 
medcinal plants documented in Baduy area 
were; Ginger (Zingiber o@cinale Roscoe), Coconut 
(Cocos nucfera L.), and Pkyllanthus a d u s  Skeels. 

- - 

used not only as a component in medical 
treatments but also as an additive in numerous 
foods and daily beverages (e.g., bandrek and 
b.jigur) of the Baduy people (Figure 4). Due to 
its aromatic compounds, Ginger is a valuable 
rhizome that releases a spicy, pungent, pleasant 
smell. The effectiveness of using ginger in the 
preparation of reme&es against various digestive 
problems, including loss of appetite, flatulence, 
indgestion, diarrhea, and dysentery, was also 
reported by Sidhu & Pannu (201 0). 

Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) registered the 
second-greatest UV among the Baduy who 
cultivate the plant and use all of its parts in one 
way or another for diverse purposes in their 
daily lives. The parts of the fruit, including the 
coconut kernel and tender coconut water, have 
numerous medicinal properties, including 
antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiparasitic, 
and immunostimulant properties, that are 
effective against digestive system disorders 
(DebMandal & Mandal, 2011). The medcinal 
properties of coconut emanating from its 
constituents, include vitamin B, nicotinic acid 
(B3, 0.64 pg/mL), pantothenic acid (B5, 0.52 
pg/mL), biotin (0.02 pg/mL), riboflavin (B2, 
<0.01 ng/mL), folic acid (0.003 pg/mL), and 
trace quantities of vitamins B1, B6, and C, as 
well as pyridoxine, thiamine, amino acids, L- 
arginine, plant hormones (auxin, 1,3- 
diphenylurea, and cytokinin), enzymes (acid 
phosphatase, catalase, dehydrogenase, diastase, 
peroxidase, and RNA polymerases), and other 
growth-promoting factors (Solangih & Iqbal, 
2011). Other studies conducted in several 
countries have also reported the use of coconut 
in treating digestive system disorders. People in 
Brazil have used the extract from the husk fiber 
of C. nucifera to treat diarrhea (Akinyele et al. 
201 I), which people in Ghana have treated with 
coconut milk (Lima et al. 201 5). 



Ethnobotany of digestive system disorder among the Baduy People in Indonesia - Khastini e t  al. 

Figure 4 The third largest UV medicinal plants used by Baduy Ethnic. a. Zingiber oflcinale Roscoe. b. Cocos nxn9m L. var. 
viridis. c .  PbylZannthxs acidas Skeels. 

Plylkantbzts acidus Skeels has the third largest 
UV in this study. This species is not only 
functioned as edible fruit, but also is known to 
cure wide spectrum of diseases in Asia, the 
Carribean region, as well as Central and South 
America (Tan et al. 2020). Several studies 
showed that this plant is abundant in a number 
of phytochemicals, such as flavonoids, alkaloids, 
lignans, terpenes, steroids, and essential oil 
(Chakraborty e t  aL 2012; Nisar et ak201 8), which 
have remarkable health benefits. 

Among the study plants, Tetrdcera indim, has 
the lowest UV. Most informants were unfamiliar 
with the medicinal plant species and had little 
knowledge about its ethnobotanical uses. 
Species in the genus Twrscera have also been used 
as medicinal plants by the Ehotile people near 
Aby Lagoon in C6te d'Ivoire, Africa. However, 
these plants containing the sought-after exudate 
are found only in old marshlands that are scarce 
and difficult to access (Malan et al. 2015). 

According to one key informant, most of the 
raw materials of these medicinal plants were 
difficult to find along the village periphery, as 
the original habitats of the cultivated plants were 
in the wild and were located in the forest. Based 

some areas in the forest are considered to be 
sacred, and entry is forbidden. 

Forests and other types of habitat provide a 
wide range of medicinal plant resource-base for 
primary healthcare, especially in rural areas 
(Lindborg e t  al.2012). This study has identified a 
fairly large number of plants used to treat 
various ailments, particularly among the Baduy 
community. The high diversity of species 
reported to be readily available for medicinal 
purposes could indicate not only a dependency 
on plants in the treatment of ailments among 
the Baduy but also an immense amount of local 
knowledge about herbal medicines in the 
community. Despite the widespread use of those 
plants, however, no pharmacological studies 
have been conducted to determine their efficacy 
and safe use. Hence, the identity of the 
medicinal plants used by the Baduy provided a 
platform for formulating further preclinical and 
clinical studies to determine the efficacy and safe 
use of herbal preparations in Indonesia and 
elsewhere. 

CONCLUSIONS 

on vegetation structure, the Baduy forest lands 
can be divided into two categories-numa which In Summary, the showed that the 

is developed from fields that have long been B a d u ~  people Banten Indonesia, 
abandoned, and are covered with dominant Use immediate natural resOurces namely, 54 
plants growing on the land, and leuwet/ng kokot as plant species, both as a whole plant and in part 
protected areas, forbidden from entry or use as a and as fresh and dried materials, and that they 
field. Both of these contain a high diversity of possess indigenous knowledge to treat digestive 
plant sources for medicinal purposes. However, system disorders in their community. 



BIOTROPIA Vol. 28 No. 1,2021 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

The study was conducted with financial 
support from the Islamic Development Bank 
arranged by the Universitas Sultan Ageng 
Tirtayasa (No. 356/UN43.9/PL/2017). The 
authors would like to express their gratitudes to 
the Baduy community for participating in this 
study as well as for sharing their indigenous 
knowledge and hospitality. The authors would 
also like to acknowledge all of the students of 
Biology Education at the Universitas Sultan 
Ageng Tirtayasa who contributed to this study 
in various ways. 

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