Jakarta (ANTARA) – The sun’s dedication to shining light on all creatures on earth is almost over that day. The light slowly began to disappear below the western horizon line.
That afternoon at around 17.00 WIB, in a rice field, in Tebing Batu Village, Sebawi District, Sambas Regency, West Kalimantan, a farmer, Ali, was seen still busy with his work. Trim grass, various types of weeds, which interfere with the growth of rice.
In between the stretches of rice plants spread across one hectare of rice fields, you can see many meniran plants (Phyllanthus urinaria). . The farmer without hesitation uprooted the meniran stems and threw them away.
According to him, the plant which is shaped like a shy princess grows well at the tip of Borneo, West Kalimantan. Even though it has often been removed and given grass poison, meniran still grows very well in rice fields, plantations, and even people’s yards.
He said that meniran is a weed that really disturbs the plants, because it can grow anywhere, just like grass in general.
Meniran is a type of plant that has a round, upright stem shape, the height of the plant is usually two inches for an adult, but can also reach more than one meter in fertile soil conditions.
The leaves of this plant are even pinnate, each stalk has compound leaves that are small and oval in shape. The flowers of this plant are found in the axils of each leaf and facing the bottom.
This plant is usually not maintained, and is even thrown away by the community because it is considered a weed and can interfere with the growth of other plants that are deliberately planted and maintained.
However, who would have thought that this plant has many benefits for the health of the human body. Including Ali, a farmer who encounters this plant almost every day in his village, does not know the benefits of meniran at all.
Benefits of meniran
Even though it is often considered a weed, the Indonesian Association of Doctors for the Development of Traditional Medicine and Herbal Medicine (PDPOTJI) says that meniran has health benefits, especially for increasing the body’s immunity.
The General Chair of PDPOTJI, Inggrid Tania, said that meniran has a multitude of benefits for the human body which can modulate the immune system.
The meniran plant, with its relevant immunostimulating activity, is used in infectious diseases through a number of main compounds contained in it, namely flavonoids, phyllanthin, hypophyllanthin and gallic acid.
Meniran has been clinically proven to cure several infectious diseases such as influenza, acute respiratory infections (ARI), pulmonary tuberculosis, hepatitis B, shingles, varicella, and even vaginal candidiasis.
Apart from that, it can also help cure and treat high blood pressure, diabetes, stones in the urinary system and bladder, improve liver function, inflammation and gallstones.
The way the plant’s contents work is by stimulating the cellular and humoral immune system which can modulate immune system components, one of which is pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Proinflammatory cytokines are essential for coordinating cell-mediated immune responses and play an important role in modulating the immune system.
This component generally regulates growth, cell activation, differentiation, and placement of immune cells to sites of infection with the aim of controlling and eradicating intracellular pathogens, including viruses.
Meniran does not only have to be used when someone is sick, but can also be consumed when the body is in good health so that it has better immunity so that it is not easily attacked by viruses and bacteria that cause various types of diseases.
When consumed when sick, meniran can function to speed up the healing process and relieve the symptoms of the disease itself.
Therefore, Ingrid regrets that many people do not know the benefits of meniran, which is categorized as a wild plant because it grows easily anywhere. “Meniran has a lot of benefits, if it grows accidentally in a nearby yard, don’t destroy it,” he said.
Meniran can be trimmed or trimmed, but not just thrown away, but used and consumed daily, because it is good for the health of the human body.
Processing meniran
PDPOTJI also shares tips for cultivating meniran plants yourself from home which are rich in benefits. Simply take 10-30 grams of meniran leaves, then boil them in 400 milliliters of boiling water for 15 to 30 minutes, then they are ready to drink.
This dose applies to one drink, if you need to drink two or three times a day then the amount can be adjusted.
The rules for drinking meniran extract boiled water are adjusted to your needs. If you drink it when you are healthy, then just one to two times a day. Meanwhile, for treatment or to help the healing process of an illness, it is best to drink it two to three times a day.
Apart from boiling, processing meniran at home can also be done by brewing it like making tea. Just put the meniran in a glass, then pour boiling water over it, let it sit for 15 minutes with the glass closed.
Of these two steps, boiling meniran is the best way because the water produced is thicker, and the working power of the meniran extract will be stronger too.
Abroad, meniran is made by dissolving it in alcoholic drinks. However, this method is not commonly used in Indonesia, because the majority of the Muslim population prohibits or prohibits alcoholic drinks.
Not only the leaves, all parts of the meniran plant can be used to maintain a healthy body. The best type of leaf is recommended to use leaves that are not too young but also not too old.
Meniran is not recommended for consumption by pregnant women, because until now there has been no further research on this group. It is feared that the use of meniran in pregnant women could trigger miscarriage and disrupt fetal growth and development.
The benefits of meniran have also been proven through various clinical trials conducted. One of them is research conducted in 2007 by Dr Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM) on 410 Hajj pilgrims to show the efficacy of meniran extract, with a therapy duration of 40 days while performing the Hajj.
Giving meniran extract has been proven to reduce the incidence of influenza-like illness (ILI) by 17.13 percent. The ILI suppression rate was greater when meniran extract was combined with multivitamins, reaching 36.2 percent.
Apart from that, it was also clinically tested in supportive therapy for the treatment of Varicella zaster virus infection at the Tangerang Regional General Hospital in June 2004. A total of 60 patients infected with varicella aged 14 to 60 years, both men and women, were given menriran with a therapy duration of six days.
Meniran extract combined with acolovir three times a day. On the eighth day after administration of meniran extract, the presence of vesicles, the size of the lesions and the severity of the scars tended to be better compared to patients who were only given acyclovir, thereby speeding up the healing process.
Thus, there are many benefits contained in meniran. This plant lives well and is widespread in Indonesia. This seems to prove that Indonesia is a fertile country and rich in medicinal plant resources. Abundant in quantity, easy to obtain, and has a multitude of benefits for human health.
Reporter: Cahya Sari
Uploader: Aang Sabarudin
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2023-11-13 00:03:32
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