Lempuyang is a kind of fragrant spices have medicinal. Rhizome of this plant is used as a mixture of drugs. This plant is one of the main ingredients of herbal medicine is quite popular in Indonesia.
This herb is boned low to high, perennial, native stems form roots under the ground, a height of more than 1 m. Stem of this plant is a pseudo stem (a collection of alternate leaf midrib), on the ground, a few rods in colonies, and green. Rhizome creeping, fleshy, plump, aromatic. Lempuyang single leaf, has a midrib, sit down turns, and pseudo-midrib forming rods, strands of narrow lancet-shaped leaves, broad at the middle or above middle, length 3-7 times width, base tapering or blunt, very pointy tip or pointed, hairy on upper surface, leaves or bones at the base, 14-40 x 3 to 8.5 cm, the stem-haired, 45 mm.
Lempuyang compound interest compound, oval shape, appear above ground, upright, smooth-haired, thick slender, 9-31 cm, 2 to 2.5 times the width, spire rather wide, flat leaves with the tip protector, size 1.54 x 1.54 cm., scales grain stalks 4-6, lanceolate, blunt, haired, red-3 to 6.5 cm. Leaves protective lempuyang greater than petals, equal in length to the tube crown. Grain size from 3.5 to 10.5 x 1.75 to 5.5 cm. Petals: 13-17 mm. Crown bright yellow flowers, dark green, or white, tube 2-3 cm, rounded ovate lobes elongated, tapered or pointed tip, the greatest posterior corolla 1.5 to 2.5 x 1-2 cm, ovate lip or rounded, orange or lemon yellow, 12-20 x 15-20 mm. In the stamens, anthers elongated shape ellipse round, bright yellow, 8-10 mm, 7 mm connector. Ovaries or 3 rooms, many of the ovule, the position of axillary, forked pistil stalk free. Inverted egg-shaped fruit, red, 12 x 8 mm. Round seed balls elongated shape, the average 4 mm.
This plant found in tropical Asian regions, can grow in areas with an altitude of 1-1200 m above sea level, much as the plant grows wild in wet places in lowland and high. In general, multiplication with a cutting edge piece of rhizome buds or young seedlings with at least one bud. Naturally cut pieces that have sprouted rhizome will reproduce itself by seed.
Rhizome of this plant contain essential oils which are composed of a-kurkumen, bisabolen, zingiberen, kariofilen, seskuifelandren, zerumbon, limonene, camphor. In addition, the pungent substance gingerol, sogaol, zingeron, paradol, heksahidrokurkumin, dihidrogingerol. Other information mentioned resin, tannins, resins, starch, sugar.
Essential oils contained in the rhizome lempuyang can inhibit the growth of Streptococcus alpha in vitro. Juice, infuse and rhizome essential oils have the power lempuyang fragrant antibacterial against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli. Potential antibacterial power succession is essential oil, lemon, infuse. Rhizome extract with a concentration of 100% capable of killing the dog hookworm. The increase in uterine contractually resulting from the provision infuse rhizome irritation is expected because of the nature and possible effects of decreased uterine contractually presumably because of the direct effects of essential oil on uterine muscle. Fraction of water-soluble extract lempuyang fragrant rhizome can cause stimulatory effect humoral immune response, suppress cellular immune response in mice.
In society, the roots of this plant are usually used in the form of steeping for asthma drug, stimulates appetite, stimulate gastric mucous membranes, reduce pain, blood cleansers, appetite enhancer, reduced fertility in women, pregnancy prevention, relief spasms, also often is also used to treat gall disease, jaundice, arthritis, whooping cough, cholera, anemia, malaria, neurological diseases, abdominal pain, overcome intestinal worms, colds. In external use is used to relieve pain.
