Traditional Practitioner’s Knowledge of Malay Post-Partum Herbal Remedies in Malaysia

Abstract

Herbal remedies are often used in traditional postpartum care among Malay women in Malaysia, closely guided by traditional women practitioners. Due to the diversity of plant species in Malaysia, the use of herbal remedies is often localized and may differ from one place to another. Unfortunately, with the lack of proper documentation, there is a risk of losing information on the practice and common plants used by women traditional practitioners in post-partum management. This work aimed to identify the common plants used in post-partum care among female Malay traditional practitioners in Perak, Malaysia. A researcher-assisted questionnaire of traditional practitioners’ knowledge of plants for post-partum remedies was employed. A total of 36 female traditional practitioners were included. There were 139 different plant species used for post-partum management. Leaves were the most common plant part used (n=86, 62.3%). Overall, the most common plants used by the traditional practitioners were fragrant lemongrass ( Cymbopogon nardus L. Rendle (Poaceae) (n=18, 50%), noni ( Morinda citrifolia , L. (Rubiaceae) (n=15, 41.7%) and screwpine ( Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb. (Pandanaceae) (n=14, 38.9%). External preparations in the form of baths were reported as the most common use (n=78, 44.1%), whilst powders were the most common oral forms (n=57, 32.2%). Clearly, Various plants are used in different preparations of herbal remedies for post-partum care. As such, official documentation of various medicinal plants that are used by traditional practitioners for post-partum care among Malay women is urgently required so as to preserve the traditional knowledge and practice.