Breadfruit Leaves With Longevity

Leaves can also be used as traditional medicine for kidney disorders and liver disease.

Indonesia's natural wealth, especially the plant is a source of bioactive compounds that have the potential to be developed as a drug or medicine. One of them, breadfruit leaves.

After testing the properties by the Chemical Research Centre LIPI together with specialists of other researchers, it is known that the breadfruit leaf extract (of Artocarpus altilis) contains flavonoids and sitosterol are nutritious for a healthy heart and blood vessels.

By DR. Tjandrawati M. Ozef from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said, good efficacy testing in vitro (using the media) and in vivo (involving living cells) of plant extracts have shown very good results.

In conclusion, breadfruit leaves can protect the heart, because they can lower blood cholesterol levels significantly and could inhibit the accumulation in the aortic blood vessel walls.

"The research we've done since 2004, and has passed the preclinical testing. This plant is very potential to be further developed into drug synthesis, "he said when met at the event Tjandrawati 'Day Seminar on Preventive Efforts to Overcome Difficulties and Promotion of Blood Circulation' R & D in the Hall of the Ministry of Health, State Printing Road, Central Jakarta, Wednesday, April 14, 2010.

Not only nutritious prevent cardiovascular disease, but the breadfruit is also a traditional medicine that is able to cope with kidney problems, liver disease, inflammation and itching.

"All parts of this plant contain flavonoids and sitosterol in different amounts. But usually, many people eat breadfruit leaves the cooking water to get its benefit, "he explained.

Currently according to him, Indonesian medicinal raw materials industry is still very weak, where 95% is still imported drugs are imported, causing relatively high prices of some drugs that are difficult to reach the public. As a result, many people switch to using traditional medicinal plants. "By doing this preclinical testing, it is not impossible, breadfruit leaf extract in the future will be developed into a herbal medicine," he said.