Daun Salam (Syzygium polyanthum) Rempah Khas Indonesia dengan Berbagai Manfaat Farmakologi: Literature Review

Syzygium Polyanthum is a typical Indonesian plant with a lot of benefits that are often used to treat various diseases. Indonesia is an agrarian country that is famous for the biodiversity of spice plants, supported by its fertile geographical conditions and tropical climate. One of Indonesia's typical spice plants is bay leaf (Syzygium polyanthum), which is commonly used as a cooking spice and has various health benefits. The purpose of this literature study is to make a literature study related to Indonesian spice bay leaves with a myriad of pharmacological benefits. This study uses a literature review method by reviewing 35 national scientific articles published from 2019 to 2024. Data was collected from national journals through Google Scholar using the keywords bay leaf, pharmacology, and medicinal effects. The results of this literature study show that bay leaf is effective because it has a lot of secondary metabolic content that has the potential to be an antihypertensive The main content of bay leaf, such as flavonoids, has an important role in lowering blood pressure by stimulating the secretion of bile fluid. Saponins and alkaloids help prevent fat absorption and increase excretion through the urine, thus supporting cholesterol management. Flavonoids act as antioxidants that are able to fight free radicals, inhibit the enzyme xanthine oxidase, and help lower uric acid levels. Tannins function as astringents and have antibacterial properties.