Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 May;14(5):1185-1196.
doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2021.1185-1196. Epub 2021 May 17.

Phytochemical composition and health properties of Sembung plant (Blumea balsamifera): A review

I Gede Widhiantara  1   2 , I Made Jawi  3
Affiliations
Review

Phytochemical composition and health properties of Sembung plant (Blumea balsamifera): A review

I Gede Widhiantara et al. Vet World. 2021 May.

Abstract

Indonesia's mindset has been focusing on the use of natural medicines, food, and healing practices widely recognized by the nation's culture. Traditional medicines and herbs used in traditional medicine can often lead to the discovery of drugs against certain diseases. The aim of this review was to study evidence-based data on the importance of Sembung plant, Blumea balsamifera, as a potential traditional medicine. The distribution, ethnopharmacology, secondary metabolites, and bioactivity against several diseases are focused in this review. Information and research related to Sembung plant were searched using the terms "B. balsamifera," "phytochemicals," and "pharmacological activity" on ResearchGate, Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, and scientific information-based databases up to 2020. Several ethnomedical articles recommend B. balsamifera for the treatment of sinusitis, colic pain, cough, kidney stones, flu, or as a diuretic. This knowledge has already been applied in several countries in Southeast Asia. B. balsamifera has been reported to contain several phytochemicals both volatile (terpenoids, fatty acids, phenols, alcohol, aldehydes, ethers, ketones, pyridines, furans, and alkanes) and non-volatile (flavonoids, flavanones, and chalcones). Extracts and phytochemicals of B. balsamifera contain several biological capacities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, anti-infertility, hepatoprotective activity, antidiabetic, gastroprotective, antitumor, anticancer, and immunomodulatory agent against Coronavirus disease-19 infection. This review provides essential data for the potential application of B. balsamifera as a nutraceutical or in future medicinal preparations.

Keywords: Asteraceae; Blumea balsamifera; future medicine; medicinal uses; phytochemical constituents.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure-1
Figure-1
Sembung plants (Blumea balsamifera). (a) Leaves and (b) Flowers.
Figure-2
Figure-2
Summary of the potential of natural products from the Sembung plant (Blumea balsamifera).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Ansori A.N.M, Fadholly A, Hayaza S, Susilo R.J.K, Inayatillah B, Winarni D, Husen S.A. A Review on medicinal properties of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) Res. J. Pharm. Technol. 2020;13(2):974.
    1. Peltzer K, Pengpid S. Utilization and practice of traditional/complementary/alternative medicine (T/CAM) in Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states. Stud. Ethnomed. 2015;9(2):209–218.
    1. Wannes W.A, Tounsi M.S. Phytochemical composition and health properties of Lycium europaeum L.:A review. Acta Ecol. Sin. 2020;2(10):1–12.
    1. Wannes W.A, Tounsi M.S, Marzouk B. A review of Tunisian medicinal plants with anticancer activity. J. Complement. Integr. Med. 2018;15(1):52. - PubMed
    1. Wink M. Evolutionary advantage and molecular modes of action of multi-component mixtures used in phytomedicine. Curr. Drug Metab. 2008;9(10):996–1009. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources