Journal of Plant Pathology & Microbiology

Medicinal plants used in traditional medicine and their roles - in Indonesia

2^nd International Conference on Plant Science & Physiology

June 26-27, 2017 Bangkok, Thailand

Yusuf L Henuk

University of Sumatera Utara, Indonesia

Keynote: J Plant Pathol Microbiol

Abstract:

Indonesia�??s biodiversity is ranked 3rd after Brazil and Zaire. It is home to 30,000 out of 40,000 medicinal herbal plants in the world. Medicinal plants are known in Indonesia as �??Tanaman Biofarmaka�?�; defined as plants which are useful for traditional medicine. It is consumed from part of the plant, either in the form of leaf, fruit, tuber or root. The roles of medicinal plants as traditional medicine in Indonesia have always been a part of culture that has been passed down from generation to generation. By trial-and-error, the country�??s early inhabitants learned how to distinguish useful plants with beneficial effects from those that were either toxic or non-active used as traditional medicine. They picked, kept and used medicinal plants to satisfy their basic needs and even experimented on combinations of plants or processing methods to gain optimal results. Throughout the centuries, Indonesia�??s indigenous people developed traditional medicines from plants identified by their forefathers for curing illnesses and keeping their health. In general, there are about 30,000 species of medicinal plants owned by Indonesia, and potentially to develop herbal products which have equal quality with modern medicines. Currently, there are 15 important types of medicines plants and herbs in Indonesia. They are ginger, galangal, East Indian galangal, turmeric, Zingiber aromaticum, Java turmeric, black turmeric, Chinese keys, sweet root/calamus, Java cardamom, Indian mulberry, Phaleria macrocarpa, Verbenanceae, king of bitter, and aloevera. These types of medicinal plants can be divided into two groups: Rhizome and non-rhizome. There are three provinces which are the main producers of medicinal plants used for traditional medicine in Indonesia. In conclusion, medicinal plants and herbs in Indonesia has also contributed significantly in supporting the national economy, availability of food products, health and cosmetics, trades, construction of gross domestic product and absorption of workers.

Biography :

Yusuf L Henuk is a Professor in the Faculty of Agriculture at University of Sumatera Utara (USU), Medan, North Sumatera, Indonesia. He received a Bachelor’s degree (S1: ‘Sarjana’) from the University of Nusa Cendana in Kupang-Indonesia in 1984. He obtained Master’s in Rural Science (MRurSc) from the University of New England in 1995 and continued Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of Queensland in Australia from 1998–2001. He was a prolific Writer and has published many articles in either national or international journals within the field of Agriculture and mainly Animal Sciences. He also participated in many national and international seminars, e.g., The 25th World Poultry Congress (“Invited Speaker”: China National Convention Center, Beijing, 05-09 September, 2016); and the 1st Public Health International Conference (PHICo), Faculty of Public Health, University of Sumatera Utara (“Invited Speaker”: Grandhika Hotel, December 01-02, 2016).

Email: yusufhenuk62@live.com