Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) De Wit.
Summary
Petai cina or lamtoro (Leucaena leucocephala) is a tree 10-20 meters tall of the Fabaceae family, originating from Mexico and Central America, brought by Spanish colonizers to the Philippines in the late 16th century before spreading widely across the archipelago. In Indonesia, its leaves are used as a wound remedy, while in China it is used to relieve swelling. Petai cina is also traditionally believed to be a menstrual stimulant and help address insomnia.
Agroecology
Petai cina prefers a warm tropical climate (daily temperature 25-30°C), rainfall 650-3,000 mm/year (optimal between 800-1,500 mm/year). Grows in lowlands up to elevations of 1,000 m above sea level.
Morphology
- Roots taproot, strong and sturdy.
- Stem has low, abundant branching, nodular, with lenticels. Twigs round, tip densely hairy.
- Leaves compound double-pinnate. 3-10 pairs of pinnae, 5-20 pairs of leaflets per pinna, opposite, surface finely hairy, fringed edges.
- Flowers compound in the form of a long-stalked head, gathered in a panicle containing 2-6 heads, each head composed of 100-180 blooms, forming a white ball.
- Fruit a straight ribbon-shaped pod, flat and thin, green and eventually dry brown when ripe containing 15-30 seeds.
- Seeds oblong and flat.
Cultivation
- Propagated by mature seeds.
- Planting can be done in the field in rows with a planting distance of 3-10 m
Chemical Content
Flavonoid-galloyl glycoside [myricetin 3-O(2',3'4'-tri-O-galloyl)-α-l-rhamnopyranoside] with 3 polyphenolic compound components (apigenin 7-O-β-d-glucuronopyranoside methyl ester), luteolin 7-O-β-d-glucuronopyranoside methyl ester, and 1,3,6-tri-O-galloyl-β-dglucopyranose, benzenedicarboxylic acid, mono(2-ethylhexyl) ester, β-sitosterol, 3 beta-hydroxy-5-cholen-24-oic acid.
Benefits
Worm remedy, menstrual stimulant, broken bones, bruises from impact, insomnia, swelling (edema), kidney inflammation, diabetes.
Simplisia
- Prepare mature petai cina seeds then dry with an oven at 50°C or in the sun for several days.
- Once dry, pound until fine.
- Pack in a clean, airtight container.
Local Names
Kemlandingan, Mètir, Lamtoro (Java), Peuteuy selong (Sunda).
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.
1. Roundworms
- Prepare 5 g petai cina seeds, boil with 2 glasses of water until it boils and 1 glass of water remains.
- Cool then strain.
- Drink the concoction 3 times a day, 1 glass each time.
Reference Sources
- Haggag EG, AM Kamal, MIS Abdelhady, MM El-Sayed, E.A. El-Wakil, S.S.Abd. El-hamed. 2011. Antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of polyphenolic compounds isolated from the leaves of Leucenia leucocephala. Pharmaceutical Biology 49(11): 1103–1113.
- Hindrawati Sri, Natalia H. 2011.Keunggulan Lamtoro Sebagai Pakan Ternak . Balai Pembibitan Ternak Unggul Sembawa, Palembang.
- Joko. 2009. Rahasia Herbal Penyembuh Diabetes. Bentang Pustaka, Yogyakarta.
- Thomas ANS. 1989. Tanaman obat tradisional 2. Kanisius, Yogyakarta.
- Zayed, MZ, A. Wu, S. Sallam. 2019. Comparative phytochemical constituents of Leucenia leucocephala (Lam.) leaves, fruit, stem bark, wood branches in Egypt using GC-MC method coupled with multivariate statistical approaches. BioResources 14(1): 996-1013.
- Zayed, MZ, B. Samling. 2016. Phytochemical consntituents of the leaves of Leucaena leucocephala from Malaysia. Int. J. Pharm. Pharm. Sci. 8(12): 174-179.
- Keputusan Menteri Kesehatan Nomor HK.01.07/MENKES/187/2017. 2017. Formularium Ramuan Obat Tradisional Indonesia ; Obat Cacing Gelang.
- National Parks. Flora & Fauna Web. Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit.https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/3/4/3471 18-01-2021.