Seagrass of Enhalus Acoroides as a Traditional Body Scrubs in Preventing Malarial Bites by Pahawang Island Community in Indonesia

Abstract

Finfish, mollusks, crustaceans, marine bacteria, and even sea plants are found in abundance in Indonesia's oceans. The seagrass ecosystem is one of them, and it serves as a nursery or spawning site for aquatic animals. Despite the fact that functional qualities vary widely, there has been little research on the use of seagrass as a medicinal ingredient. The goal of this study is to investigate the usage of seagrass Enhalus acoroides as an anti-malarial chemical based on local knowledge from the ancient inhabitants of Pahawang Island, Lampung, Indonesia. The study was conducted using a survey, an interview, and a laboratory experiment. In the past, the ancient people of Pahawang Island utilized E. acoroides as a traditional scrub to avoid mosquito bites, according to the interview. Phytochemical research found that the active chemicals contained flavonoid, tannin, terpenoid, steroid, triterpenoid, and saponin, with yields ranging from 3.21 to 8.63 percent for ethanol solvents and 0.21-0.76 percent for n-hexane solvents.