Pharmacological Potential and Utilization of Various Indonesian Medicinal Plants: A Comprehensive Review

Indonesia is a country with high biodiversity and has various medicinal plants that have been used traditionally. This study aims to compile a scientific synthesis of the pharmacological potential of various Indonesian medicinal plants based on 60 national journal articles. The method used was a narrative literature review by grouping articles based on plant type and reported biological activities. The results indicate that most medicinal plants contain flavonoids, polyphenols, tannins, alkaloids, and saponins that act as antioxidants, antibacterials, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, immunomodulatory, antidiarrheal, and wound healing agents. In addition, various plant extracts have been successfully developed into pharmaceutical preparations such as gels, lotions, nanoparticles, and phytosomes. Indonesian medicinal plants have great potential to be developed into phytopharmaceuticals, but still require further clinical research and standardization. Overall, turmeric, ginger, and noni exhibit the broadest range of pharmacological activities with the strongest supporting evidence, while plants such as Peperomia pellucida, Physalis angulata, and Kalanchoe pinnata show promising but underexploited potential, indicating the need for further human clinical trials and standardization to support their development into registered phytopharmaceutical products for widespread public benefit.