Artikel Review : Eksplorasi Etnobotani Tumbuhan Obat untuk Pengobatan Tradisional di Suku Tengger Lumajang

Abstract

Indonesia is known as a megabiodiversity country with high biological wealth, including a variety of medicinal plants that are traditionally used by various ethnic groups. One of them is the Tengger Tribe in Lumajang Regency, East Java, which until now still maintains traditional medicinal practices based on medicinal plants. This study aims to explore and document the types of medicinal plants used by the Tengger people, the parts of the plants used, the content of active compounds, efficacy, and pharmacological mechanisms of action based on scientific data. The method used is a literature study by searching for scientific articles through Google Scholar and PubMed in the period 2010–2024. The results of the exploration found at least 15 types of medicinal plants that are often used by the Tengger people, including Eucalyptus globulus, Curcuma longa, Zingiber officinale, and Psidium guajava. These plants have active compounds such as eucalyptol, curcumin, gingerol, and quercetin which work through anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant mechanisms. Some of them have been tested preclinically and clinically to support their traditional efficacy. This study emphasizes the importance of scientific documentation and validation of local ethnobotanical knowledge as a basis for the development of phytopharmaceuticals and the preservation of traditional Indonesian health culture.