Hello I’m back with new fascinating topic. Today, I will share about “Malaysian Herbal Heritage”. I will share about Tonic plant in Malaysia Herbal Heritage. Okay! Let’s get start it!
Plants have used in many cultures to improve body tone, invigorate, refresh and give an overall sense of well-being. These plants are often referred to as tonic plants and they usually consumed to obtain that energizing effect. They are used either on their own or together with other plants.
Do you know what is tonic plants mean? A tonic, on continuous use, usually gives a person a general feeling of overall wellness without any adverse side or after-effects. There are many type of tonic addressing the toning up of different organs. They are usually divided into different classes according to the organs they tone up. There are lung (Pulmonary) tonics, nerve (Nervine) tonics, liver (Hepatic) tonics, muscle tonics, digestive tonics, heart (Cardiac) tonics, tonics for women and men and also general (Prophylactic) tonics.
Misai Kucing
Orthosiphon aristatus or locally known as misai kucing, is a herb that can grow up to 2m tall. It has ovate leaf with serrate margin while the flower forms a slender tube with white or pale violet corolla attached on the raceme. The misai kucing is derived from the far exerted white and purplish filaments that resemble cat’s whiskers.
This plant can be found at forest margins but is widely cultivated nowadays.
The flower
Parts used
The parts used in plants are leaves or entire plant. The leaves of misai kucing are used as diuretic in tea.
The leaves as tea
Ø Help in cases of various kidney ailments, catarrh of the bladder and gout
The decoction of the leaves or whole plants
Ø Used in the treatment of hypertension, dropsy, eruptive fever, influenza, rheumatism and hepatitis.
Tips
Soak two to three pieces of leaves in hot water. Leaves until lukewarm before drinking to reduce high blood pressure.
Pegaga
The “Pegaga” or Centella asiatica (L.) Urb, is a small creeping perennial herb, with long stolons up to 2.5 m long. Other vernacular name of its are Asiatic pennywort, Indian pennywort and gotu-cola. It has orbicular-reniform leaves arranged in rossetes with crenate or crenate-dentate margins. Its inflorescence is a simple umbel with the middle flower sessile and the lateral flowers on short stalks, greenish or pinkish.
The flower of pegaga
Range area
It is commonly found in open and slightly shaded areas, in damp and fertile soils with organic matter especially along stream banks and in open grassland throughout Peninsular Malaysia.
Parts used
The parts that being used are leaves and entire plants. The whole plants is used as a tonic and cooling drink to relieve heatiness.
The dry leaves as herbal tea
Ø Help to stimulate blood circulation
Ø Help boost mental activity by hence to strengthen memory
Fresh leaves eaten raw as salad (Ulam)
Ø Can prevent aging
Ø Healthy food
Lada pahit
The scientific name of this herb is Brucea Javanica (L.) Merr and are from Simaroubaceae family. This herb is a shrub or small tree that can grow up to 10 m.
It has imparipinnate leaves that are spirally arranged with 3 to 15 pairs of ovate-oblong to ovate-lanceolate leaflets with bluntly serrated or crenated margins.
The structure of leaves
Its inflorescence is a panicle, composed of small cymes bearing small, greenish-red or purple flowers. The fruit is a drupe, ovoid, green and turning purplish black when mature. The seed is ovoid.
The mature fruit
Range area
It can be found in open country throughout Peninsular Malaysia but is more common in the north. It is often found in wastelands together with secondary vegetation, at forest edges and near villages.
Parts used
The parts used are seed, root and leaves.
Decoction of root
Ø Help to reduce high fever
Ø Help to alleviate pain on the body for women after childbirth
Seed
Ø Treat the haemorrhoids and dysentery by swallow it
The powdered ripe fruit
Ø To aid stomach problems and constipation by mixing into herbal drink
Decoction of Seed
Ø Help to stop bleeding in the stomach and intestine
Ø Help to kill louse and various parasites on the skin and in the hair.
The pounded leaves
Ø Used to treat boils, swollen spleen and itchiness caused by parasites and ringworm
Tips
Paste thee seed poultice on the affected area to heal wound on animals
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