Keberagaman Tumbuhan Obat Tradisional di Batam, Kepulauan Riau

Abstract

Traditional medicinal plants are still widely used by the coastal community of Batam City, Riau Islands, particularly to manage hypertension, diabetes, digestive disorders, fever, and postpartum recovery. This study aimed to map the diversity of medicinal plants used by the Batam community and to synthesize the scientific evidence supporting their pharmacological potential. A narrative literature review was carried out on 20 plant taxa identified from a community-based survey, supported by 60 national and international research articles published within the last five years and retrieved from PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Garuda. Articles were extracted for plant identity, secondary metabolite content, mechanism of action, pharmacological activity, and level of scientific evidence (in vitro, in vivo, clinical trial). Data were analyzed descriptively-narratively through grouping, comparison, and synthesis of findings. Results show that noni, soursop, and Gynura procumbens were most frequently reported for antihypertensive and antidiabetic activity, guava leaf for antidiarrheal use, Moringa leaf as a lactagogue, and turmeric (kunyit) for gastroprotective and anti-inflammatory activity, largely mediated by flavonoid, tannin, alkaloid, and saponin compounds. In vivo animal evidence dominated the reviewed corpus, while clinical trials remained limited, indicating the need for further human studies to strengthen the scientific evidence base of these traditional remedies.