Medicinal plants for gastrointestinal ailments among the Toraja people, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
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Abstract. Mangalik ES, Susandarini R. 2025. Medicinal plants for gastrointestinal ailments among the Toraja people, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Asian J Ethnobiol 8: 301-311. South Sulawesi, a province in Indonesia, is facing a significant health challenge with high rates of gastrointestinal disorders, potentially leading to fatal outbreaks. The Toraja people, a community in South Sulawesi, have a long-standing tradition of using medicinal plants to address various health issues, including gastrointestinal disorders. This study aims to document their local resources and preserve their traditional knowledge. Data were collected from October 2024 to January 2025 through semi-structured interviews with 42 informants, comprising 23 males (54.76%) and 19 females (45.24%), using snowball and purposive sampling methods. Plant specimens were collected during field exploration for the subsequent process of herbarium preparation and identification. Qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods were performed, including Use Value (UV), Fidelity Level (FL), and Informant Consensus Factor (ICF). The study identified 53 medicinal plant species from 43 genera and 29 families, with Zingiberaceae, Asteraceae, Amaranthaceae and Euphorbiaceae being the most common families. These plants are traditionally used to treat gastrointestinal issues, including diarrhea, abdominal pain, appendicitis, acid reflux, and gastritis. Herbs comprised 55% of the species, with leaves (46%) being the most used plant part, and boiling was the primary processing method. Ageratum conyzoides had the highest UV (0.83). The highest FL (100%) was found in Acorus calamus, Corchorus capsularis, and Psidium guajava for treatment of abdominal pain, while Amaranthus spinosus and Boehmeria nivea were reported for curing appendicitis. The highest ICF values were observed for abdominal pain with P. guajava, having an ICF of 0.75, and gastritis was treated with A. conyzoides, with an ICF value of 0.66. This study represents the first systematic ethnobotanical investigation of medicinal plants used by the Toraja community to treat gastrointestinal ailments, highlighting their diversity and contributing to the preservation of traditional knowledge, supporting species conservation, and offering potential pathways for pharmaceutical development.
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