Thursday, February 10, 2011

DUKUNG ANAK (PHYLLANTHUS NIRURI)



This morning I had a call from the Media teacher of SMK Pangkalan TLDM, she had called to ask me about a plant called Dukung Anak. The teacher, Puan Noraini, said that the daughter of her friend was suffering from eczema (a kind of skin disease) and someone recommended her to use this herb as a cure.

Actually, I am very familiar with this plant and it is also very easy to find as it grows wild. We have a lot of it growing in the Herb Garden and also many parts of the school grounds. In the above pictures, you can see some of the Dukung Anak plants growing in the Herb Garden. However, I insisted that Puan Noriani come see me in school so that I could show her the plant. Sometimes, some plants look similar, so I do not wish for the young girl to be treated with the wrong type of herb.

Anyway, I did suggest using the leaves of the Inai plant as another alternative herbal cure for the skin problem. From what I know the Dukung Anak Plant is more known to treat illnesses like hepatitis, urinary disorders and fevers. In Papua New Guinea, the fresh leaf juice or fresh root juice are taken orally for venereal diseases.

SOME INFO ABOUT THE DUKUNG ANAK
THE Malays call it pokok Dukung Anak. They believe drinking the juice of the plant (including its roots) can cure, among others, yellow fever, anaemia, asthma, dysentery and to a certain extent, diabetes.
While its effectiveness in curing these ailments has yet to be proven, one thing for sure is that the plant, which goes by the scientific name of phyllanthus niruri, can indeed cure Hepatitis-B.
Sources: http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/86021/novalab_invests_rm3m_on_herbal_cure_for_hepatitisb/index.html
http://www.pharmainfo.net/reviews/phyllanthus-niruri

1 comment:

JC said...

My mom would like to visit your garden. She has just came out from kidney stone surgery a few months ago and ask if you can point her to the right place to buy some Dukung Anak. She likes to plant at her backyard, I believe she will be trill to visit your garden too.