Turkey berry plant is a shrub that is often found growing wild in the embankment, garden, or in the yard. The plant was thought to have come from the United States and spread throughout the tropical regions of the world. In Indonesia, this plant is known by the name "Tekokak" or "Terung pipit" Besides being used as a medicinal plant, the Indonesian people consume more Turky berries as vegetables.
This plant grows in areas with at least 1000 mm rainfall per year and able to survive to a height of 2000 m. Turkey berry is a small shrub, growing upright with a height of 1-3 meters. Leaves single, located intermittently, shape broad ovate, 6-30 cm long leaves, pointed, grooved edge pinnate, light green color and has a stalk rather long-haired, often with a few thorns paste. Flowers have 5 petals green, trumpet-shaped with a single crown fork five, white with colored slightly yellow bone line. The young fruit is light green, if the old dark green fade black, sleek and diameter of approximately 1 cm.
Turkey berry plant have a characteristic spicy flavor, cool, and somewhat toxic. Furthermore, the plant is also able to expedite the circulation, remove blood clots, relieve pain (analgesic) and eliminate the cough (antitussive). This plant contains chlorogenin, sisalogenone, torvogenin, vitamin A, neo - chlorogenine, panicolugenin, and jurubine.
This nutritious plant to treat stomach pain, toothache, cataracts, do not come menstruation, hemorrhoids, breast inflammation, influenza, heat in, swelling, ulcers, ulceration, pain, high uric acid, bone loss, heart palpitations, neutralize poison in the body, blood circulation.
For external use using fresh leaves that have been washed, and finely ground and then placed on the sick. While in use in, used Turkey 10-15 grams or 30-60 grams of dried berries fresh herbs, boiled with enough water to boil and then drink the water and the fruit eaten.
Meanwhile, Turkey berry can be used as a contraceptive for the fruit and leaves contain steroidal alkaloid type solasodin 0.84%, which is the raw material of sex hormones for contraception. According Suriawiria (2004), content in the seeds and slime solasodin Turkey berry fruit reached 5.5 percent. Men can consume more or less continuously for 45 days for sperm can not be fertile. However, fertile sperm will come back if you stop taking Turkey berry.
