Indonesian indigenous plants as a source of antioxidants to treat gastrointestinal disorders

Abstract

Gastrointestinal disorders are the most common illnesses that affect people nowadays. Its prevalence and incidence have increased over the last decades. The majority of the people in Indonesia are still using indigenous plants as medicine to treat these infections or diseases. This study was aimed to determine the potential of Indonesian indigenous plants in treating gastrointestinal disorders. The plants were inventoried through searching articles such as Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect and Indonesian medicinal plants books. The keyword search term used was “gastrointestinal,” “Indonesian,” “medicinal plants,” “antioxidant activity,” and “phenolic compound,”. A total of fifty-one species of indigenous Indonesian plants of 32 families were recorded as being used by the Indonesian population to treat gastrointestinal disorders. Gastrointestinal disorders that heavily utilize indigenous plants are diarrhoea, constipation, gastric ulcer and gastritis. Indonesian indigenous plants containing bioactive compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, steroids, terpenoids and phenolics that can serve as a source of antioxidants to treat gastrointestinal disorders. There were five Indonesian indigenous plants with the most potential as a source of antioxidants to cope with gastrointestinal disorders: Zingiber officinale L, Annona muricata, Phyllanthus niruri, Curcuma longa and Curcuma xanthorrizha.