ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ANTI-INFLAMMATORY PLANTS IN THE CIMENYAN REGION, BANDUNG, WEST JAVA, INDONESIA

Inflammation is a physiological process that serves as a defense mechanism for the body against foreign substances, bacteria, or irritants. Inflammation can be cured with anti-inflammatory drugs. This research aims to document and preserve the use of ethnomedicinal to treat hyperuricemia by communities in the Cimenyan Region, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. Fieldwork was carried out from May to June 2025 using direct interviews, questionnaires, and discussions. Plant species are identified based on standard taxonomic methods, flower morphological characteristics, and where possible, using samples for comparison, as well as consultation with experts and the literature. The plant types obtained were grouped into families according to the Cronquist classification system. Plant names were checked against the Plant List (www.plantlist.org) and the International Plant Name Index (www.ipni.org). This research reports that 30 plant species are commonly used by people in the Cimenyan Region to treat inflammation. Among the various plant parts used, leaves (56.7%) are most frequently used in making medicines, followed by rhizomes (20.0%), seed (10.0%), fruit (6.7%), stem, and rind (respectively 3.3%). Meanwhile, the most frequently used preparation methods were decoction (80.0%) and infusion (20.0%). The results of this research confirm that people in the Cimenyan Region still rely heavily on medicinal plants for their health care system, especially for the treatment of inflammation with the most frequently used parts of the leaves and their use in decoctions and infusions.