Muntingia calabura L.

Kersen (Muntingia calabura) is a tree up to 12 meters tall of the Muntingiaceae family, native to tropical America, brought to the Philippines at the end of the 19th century before spreading throughout tropical Asia including Sumatra and Java. Its small, sweet fruit is commonly eaten directly or processed into jam. Kersen is traditionally believed to help control high blood pressure, cholesterol, and gout.

Generally, kersen grows well at elevations of 0-1,000 m above sea level, with soil pH 5.5-6.5, rainfall 1,400-2,000 mm/year. Grows wild in open places, roadsides, riverbanks, prefers sandy loam soil texture.

• Stem horizontal branching forming a shady canopy.
• Leaves ovate, serrated edges, pointed tip, alternate horizontal arrangement, light green, densely hairy underneath.
• Flowers have an ovate-shaped white corolla, green sepals, long-stalked.
• Fruit a berry, round, sweet, green (young) and red (ripe), long fruit stalk.
• Seeds small, numerous, yellow in color.

• Propagated generatively (seed).
• Seeds come from physiologically ripe fruit (red color).

Cytotoxic flavonoids (chrysin, 2′,4′-dihydroxychalcone; galangin 3,7-dimethyl ether; 5,7-dihydroxy-8-methoxyflavone, flavonoid glycosides, tiliroside, buddlenoid A), chalcones, phenolic, sesquiterpene, furanoid, saponin, tannin, steroid.

Has antioxidant, antitumor, antidiabetic, antibacterial, anticancer, antiseptic activity, addresses headache and colds, controls high blood pressure, cholesterol, and gout.

• Choose fresh kersen leaves, not too young and undamaged. Wash thoroughly with running water.
• Cut the leaves into small pieces, then dry the leaf pieces in a drying machine (oven) at 40-50°C until evenly dry.
• Once dry, grind the leaves into powder.
• Store in an airtight plastic bag.

Ceri (Jakarta), Talok (Java), Kersen baleci (Madura), Japanese cherry.