THE MEDICAL USE OF GERMINATING PARTS OF PLANTS; MATA KUNYIT, SUNTI HALIA AND LEMUKUT IN MALAY MEDICAL MANUSCRIPTS

Abstract

Introduction: Germinating parts of plants are the beginning of the growth of a plant that can be seed, spore, or bud and it is usually used in the Malay community as a spice and traditional medicine. Correspondingly, this study reviews the utilisation of germinating parts of three materia medica locally known as ‘mata kunyit’ (Curcuma longa – Zingiberaceae), ‘sunti halia’ (Zingiber officinale – Zingiberaceae) and ‘lemukut’ (Oryza sativa – Poaceae) that are commonly used in the disease cure formulation recipes to treat certain diseases by traditional Malay practitioners. Their medical importance has been emphasized in certain manuscripts and has proven its potential as an enhancer in disease cures. Therefore, this study intended to outline germinating parts of the materia medica and the type of disease cures with their medicinal properties.  Methods: Their medical use of these germinating parts was searched in six different published transliterated Malay medical manuscripts namely MSS2999 Kitab Tib, Sari Segala Ubat, Al-Rahmah Fi Al-Tibb Wa Al-Hikmah, Tayyib Al-Ihsan Fi Tibb Al-Insan, Khazinat Al-Insan, and Rumah Ubat di Pulau Penyengat. Results: Collectively, mata kunyit, lemukut, and sunti halia were mentioned 13, 10 and 3 times respectively in these six manuscripts. The review found that mata kunyit and lemukut are repeatedly used in combination to treat diseases such as dysmenorrhoea, parturition, orthostatic hypotension, cough of bronchial asthma, backache, constipation, lethargy, leprosy, ulcers and oedema. Whereas sunti halia and mata kunyit was used interchangeably as the adding factors in formulations to treat diseases such as dysmenorrhoea and cough. Conclusions: This finding summarises the type of diseases that often utilises mata kunyit, sunti halia and lemukut in the ‘disease cure formulation recipes. Besides, this review deduced that future exploratory study concerning this germinating tip is highly beneficial.

KEYWORDS: Curcuma longa, germinating tip, Malay medical manuscript, Oryza sativa, Zingiber officinale