Medicinal plant utilization for hypercholesterolemia by traditional healers in Java island

Abstract

This ethnomedicinal study aimed to reveal the medicinal plant utilization as traditional medicine for preventing as well as treating hypercholesterolemia by traditional healers in Java Island including Banten, Yogyakarta, DKI Jakarta, West Java, East Java and Central Java Province of Indonesia. Data was collected based on purposive random sampling among five selected traditional healers in each ethnic in 2015. The results exhibited as of 38 medicinal plant species distributed in 24 families showed to have a pharmacological effect on treating hypercholesterolemia whereas Guazuma ulmifolia Lam. and Zingiberaceae were identified as the most prominent medicinal plant and family used by traditional healers. The most frequent plant part used was leaves (34.5%) followed by rhizomes (17.3%), fruits (12.7%), and others. Most medicinal plants were gained from house yard (37.6%) with planting efforts as of 45.9%. The most prescribed method by traditional healers was by drinking the formula (97.2%) as many as two times a day (59.63%). The study clearly demonstrated whether traditional healers had a pivotal role in overcoming ailments and disease especially hypercholesterolemia in Java Island.