Indonesia's Medicinal Plants, Knowledge Fall To Logging - Jakarta Post

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"On Siberut, in the Mentawai Islands regency, West Sumatra, a kerei depends on his herbal concoctions and magic powers when treating sick people. Although the island has a modern community health center, about 80 percent of the island's population of 25,000 people still rely on kerei for their medical treatment. Kerei, are still popular because they are knowledgeable about medicinal plants and can treat various kinds of ailments, ranging from headaches, influenza to malaria and wounds caused by snake bites and gashes. They also have special herbal concoctions that can be used as contraceptives.

Research conducted by the Center for the Study of Medicinal Plants of Andalas University in Padang has shown that while many kerei may believe what they are doing is magic, they are also using plants with properties recognized by modern medicine. In cooperation with the Siberut National Park authority, the center conducted pharmacological research in Rokdok, a hamlet in South Siberut on the outskirts of the park in October 2002.

With the help of several kerei and other locals, the researchers collected 209 species of medicinal plants, which kerei usually use to treat sick people. As many as 154 species have been identified, belonging to 53 plant families. "Interestingly, kerei have knowledge of the medical efficacy of about 85 percent or 176 species of these medicinal plants," center head Dr. Amri Bakhtiar, a pharmacologist, said.

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The 209 species of plants the team had collected were usually used to combat about 30 ailments. The most frequently used plants are rubiaceae (20 species), zingiberaceae (19 species) and euphorbiaceae (14 species). The most common illnesses that kerei deal with are colic, kidney stones and a number of female ailments -- period pain, menopause and illnesses connected with pregnancy. While some of these species are used individually, most are used to prepare herbal concoctions. The team also conducted tests of 56 species and found 28 species were active and that seven of these were highly active."

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http://forests.org/articles/reader.asp?linkid=31776