Medicinal Plants

Brucea javanica (L.) Merr.

Kwalot

Simaroubaceae

Location in the garden Main
Photo 1 of medicinal plant Brucea javanica (Kwalot) Photo 2 of medicinal plant Brucea javanica (Kwalot) Photo 3 of medicinal plant Brucea javanica (Kwalot)

Summary

Kwalot (Brucea javanica) is a shrub 0.3-10 meters tall of the Simaroubaceae family, widely distributed from Sri Lanka and India to Southern China, Northern Australia, and parts of Maluku and Papua. Its bitter seeds are used as a natural insecticide as well as an ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Its root has traditionally been believed to address ringworm, tinea, malaria, and dysentery.

Agroecology

Generally found in lowlands up to an elevation of 500 m above sea level, in open areas such as light secondary forest and shrubland, forest edges, and even places with full sun. Grows well in sandy and limestone soil, in wet or dry, monsoon, and humid climates with rainfall of 900-2,000 mm/year.

Morphology

  • Stem cylindrical, 10 cm in diameter.
  • Leaves compound, opposite, blade ovate-lanceolate, pointed base and tip, finely toothed margins, green, hairy upper surface, main vein prominent on the underside, secondary veins pinnate.
  • Flowers unisexual/bisexual, emerging from the leaf axils, panicle-shaped, purplish-green, elongated ovate calyx.
  • Fruit ovate, uneven surface, 2-6 mm in diameter, reddish-brown to black when ripe.
  • Seeds dark brown, dense, and wrinkled.

Cultivation

Generative propagation (by seed), taken from a healthy, large, ripe fruit. The seed is then sun-dried until dry, then sown.

Chemical Content

Alkaloids (brucamarine, yatanine), glucosides (brucealin, yatanoside), phenol (bruceno, bruceolic acid), tetracyclic triterpene quassinoids, oleic acid, linoleic acid, stearic acid, palmitoleic acid, brusatol, bruceine A,B,C,E,F, G,H.

Benefits

Treats internal ailments, ringworm, tinea, boils, ulcerated sores, scorpion stings, hemorrhoids, bloody stool, blood in urine, malaria, vaginal discharge, diarrhea, dysentery, fever; anticancer; treats lower back pain, diabetes.

Simplisia

  • Take fresh kwalot fruit and wash thoroughly.
  • Sun-dry or use an oven at 40 °C until the moisture content is below 10%.
  • Once dry, grind into a powder using a blender.
  • Store in a closed or airtight container.
     

Local Names

Buah makasar, Malur (North Sumatra), Berul (Lampung), Kuwalot (Java), Trawalot, Walot (Sunda), Tambara marica (Sulawesi), Nagas (Maluku).

Traditional Recipes

The following recipes reflect traditional knowledge passed down through generations, not a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or advice. Consult a healthcare provider before use.

Traditional recipe Amoebic Dysentery from Kwalot

1. Amoebic Dysentery

  • Grind 10-15 kwalot fruits until fine, then place in capsules.
  • Take the capsules 3 times a day after meals for 7-10 days.
Traditional recipe Malaria from Kwalot

2. Malaria

  • Grind 10 kwalot fruits until fine. Place in capsules.
  • Take the capsules 3 times a day for 3 days.
  • Then reduce the dose by half to 5 fruits and take for 5 days.

Reference Sources

  1. Remaja Kerokhanian Sapta Darma Sragen. 2014. Daftar Tanaman Obat Indonesia. sragen63.
  2. Sirait Midian dkk. Cara Pembuatan Simplisia. Departemen Kesehatan Republik Indonesia. 1985. Jakarta30.
  3. Flora Fauna Web. Brucea javanica (L.) Merr.. https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/8/3/8348 15-01-2021.
  4. Stuartxchange. 2020. Balaniog. http://www.stuartxchange.org/Balaniog. 15-01-2021.
  5. Bachtiar TSP. 2010. Potensi ekstrak buah makasar (Brucea javanica (L.) Merr) sebagai antihipertensi. Skripsi. Fakultas Matematika dan Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam. Institut Pertanian Bogor. Bogor.
  6. Chen M, Chen R, Wang S, Tan W, Hu Y, Peng X, Wang Y. 2013. Chemical components, pharmacological properties, and nanoparticulate delivery systems of Brucea javanica. Int. J. Nanomed. 8: 85–92.
  7. Ganesya N. 2010. Aktivitas fraksi kloroform buah makasar (Brucea javanica (L.) Merr) sebagai inhibitor enzim α-Glukosidase. Skripsi. Fakultas Matematika dan Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam. Institut Pertanian Bogor. Bogor.
  8. IP Biotics. Tumbuhan obat. http://ipbiotics.apps.cs.ipb.ac.id/index.php/tumbuhanObat/45 12-12-2019.
  9. Organisasi Asgar. Khasiat Obat dan Manfaat dari Tanaman Kwalot . https://asgar.or.id/health/makanan-dan-minuman-sehat/khasiat-obat-dan-manfaat-dari-tanaman-kwalot/. 07-07-2020.
  10. Webcite. Detil data Brucea javanica Merr. https://www.webcitation.org/6FE0u6KWN 07-07-2020
  11. Ji ZQ, Huang XE, Wu XY, Liu J, Wang L, Tang JH. 2014. Safety of Brucea javanica and Cantharidin Combined with Chemotherapy for Treatment of NSCLC Patients. Asian Pacific J. Cancer 15(20): 8603-8605.
  12. Subeki, Matsuura H, Takahashi K, Nabeta K, Yamasaki M, Maede Y, Katakura K. 2007. Screening of Indonesian medicinal plant extracts for antibabesial activity and isolation of new quassinoids from Brucea javanica. J. Nat. Prod. 70(10): 1654–1657.
  13. Zhang H, Yang JY, Zhou F, Wang LH, Zhang W, Sha S, Wu CF. 2011. Seed oil of Brucea javanica induces apoptotic death of acute myeloid leukemia cells via both the death receptors and the mitochondrial-related pathways. Evid. Based Complement Alternat. Med. 2011; 2011:965016. doi: 10.1155/2011/965016. Epub 2011 Jul 2.