A Review of Medicinal Plants from the Anak Dalam Tribe of Jambi: An Evaluation of Their Potential for Diabetic Wound Healing Effects—Current Status and Future Perspectives

Adjeng Pratiwi Djatmiko,1,2 Anis Yohana Chaerunisaa,3 Miski Aghnia Khairinisa,4 Alfi Khatib,5 Muhaimin Muhaimin2,6 1Magister Program in Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, 45363, Indonesia; 2Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, 45363, Indonesia; 3Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, 45363, Indonesia; 4Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, 45363, Indonesia; 5Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, Pahang, 25200, Malaysia; 6Center for Herbal Studies, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, 45363, IndonesiaCorrespondence: Muhaimin Muhaimin, Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, 45363, Indonesia, Tel +6281394014688, Email [email protected]: The Anak Dalam tribe, popularly known as Suku Anak Dalam (SAD), is an indigenous community in the Jambi Province of Indonesia. The traditional knowledge within this group is deeply intertwined with forest resources, particularly regarding medicinal plants utilized for wound healing. Significantly, diabetic wounds are a severe complication of diabetes mellitus. These wounds are typically characterized by delayed healing processes, high susceptibility to infection, and an elevated risk of amputation. Accordingly, this review summarizes medicinal plants traditionally employed by the Anak Dalam community for various wound-related conditions. Beyond simple documentation, the study evaluates the potential relevance of these species as candidate sources for diabetic wound-healing research. In this study, a narrative literature review was conducted utilizing databases such as Scopus, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate, covering publications released between 2015 and 2025. Altogether, 40 medicinal plants were examined. Specifically, several species (ie, Anredera cordifolia, Centella asiatica, Psidium guajava, and Piper betle) demonstrated pharmacological activities directly relevant to wound-healing processes. The primary phytochemical constituents identified across these studies are flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, and phenolic compounds. Crucially, these compounds are reported to exhibit potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities. Furthermore, these substances support vital biological processes associated with tissue repair, such as fibroblast proliferation, collagen synthesis, angiogenesis, and re-epithelialization. Most existing evidence, however, is derived from in vitro assays, animal models, or indirect pharmacological investigations. Therefore, the findings of this review should be viewed as a basis for generating potential candidates rather than as definitive proof of established clinical efficacy. This review highlights the necessity of integrating ethnobotanical knowledge with rigorous pharmacological validation. Ultimately, such integration is essential to support future research into evidence-based herbal approaches for the management of diabetic wounds. A diagram showing medicinal plants leads to diabetic foot ulcer with foot sore which further leads to skin cross-section.Keywords: diabetic wound healing, Anak Dalam tribe, medicinal plants, herbal medicine, traditional medicine