Ethnopharmacology properties of medicinal plants used by the community in Gunung Halimun Salak National Park, West Java, Indonesia

The community in Gunung Halimun Salak National Park (GHSNP) uses several plants as alternative medicine in their daily life. Those medicinal plants were sorted from the highest to the lowest value based on Index Cultural Significance (ICS). Thirteen selected native plants from GHSNP were investigated for their antimicrobial and antioxidative potential using DPPH scavenging. Their phytochemical compositions were profiled by phytochemical screening and GC-MS analysis. Staurogyne elongata (ICS= 351) and Blumea balsamifera (ICS= 228) were the most widely used plants in the five hamlets in Cikaniki Resort. Phytochemical screening produced a different color reaction (alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, and terpenoids) and the presence of foam (saponins) for several species. Plantago major had the highest total phenol and flavonoid content, not significantly different from Turpinia montana. Aquadest extract from Heptapleurum fastigiatum had the highest antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ 14.24mg/L). The study showed the highest inhibitory activity for T. montana against Staphylococcus aureus. Meanwhile, the ethanolic extract of S. elongata and Lophatherum gracile inhibited both S. aureus and Escherichia coli's growth. The GC-MS analysis of the ethanolic extracts showed a wide chemical diversity, including 79 compounds from five species, distributed by fatty acids, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, alkanes, and other organic compounds. Interestingly, GC-MS analysis enabled to identify of several compounds with antioxidant and antibacterial activity in their extracts, such as (-)-Globulol, alpha-cadinol, spathulenol, longifolene, octadecamethyl-cyclononasiloxane, gamma-muurolene, tetracosamethyl-cyclododecasiloxane, and trans-calamenene. The thirteen native species of GHSNP have potential health properties to be utilized and developed as traditional medicine.