"Daun Gatal" A Powerful Natural Leaf for Tired

Hengky Yafata, standing in his Daun Gatal Tree, Photo: Andrew Ingles, 2009

It was the long tired trip in November 2009 to explored the Kensi villages hill and learn about how community in this village managing their non forests timber product. About 2 hill and 1 valley we went with Mr. Hengky Yafata the chief of Kensi to gets the pohon lawang "Melaleuca" and Masohi "Criptocarpa, sp" the two main product community in this village was confirmed has contributed to their cash income. Yeah, the rough way crossing rock and small river made our big tired appear when we reached the villages. We were definitely then thinking on something that we can consume or uses to helps cure our big tired. So 'Daun Gatal" or in english we can say itchy leaf is one of the recommended medicine we had and its also recommended by the community to have this leaf massage our body our having a long tried trip or works. Finally after taking a bath and shaking Daun Gatal in our body the chemical reaction that fell like be massaging has provoked our eyes and body to laying down in the bed with relax and fluent blood flood. We were hypnotized by this leaf and slept in the deep.

For me 'Daun Gatal" has familiar since i had interact with this leaf since i was child. Almost of the people in my tribe always using this leaf for their natural medicine. My father even almost every day used this leaf to keep his body relaxing and recover from long tired days of works. Same with my tribe community in Kensi also known this leaf and has used for century as their herbal medicine. Hengky explained to us the function and used of this leaf when he took us to the forests that this plant are growing. Not only for man, the leaf can also be used by the woman. Beside for tired, I know that the leaf is also powerful for our muscle problems or injury. Daun gatal is widely growing in Papua Natural forests, and its also a fast growing species with only simple technical if you want to plant it in your gardens. For sure it need shades.

Why is "Daun Gatal" or ecology scientist call it Laportea decumana, Wedd have this therapist uses and has widely and for generation used Papua Indigenous Papuan for their local medicine? What are the chemical contain that this leaf has so it makes our body relax? Several chemical extraction researched explain this facts. On of the recent study was conducted by Eva Simaremare, pharmacy student at Chendrawasih University confirmed the chemical content of this leave that consist of onoridin, tryptophan, histidine, alkaloid, flavonoid, Acid formiat and authraguinones . Formiat acid is hidden on it little spiny that then injected to human skin when we shake for messaging, the chemical reaction of this injection is the opening of skin pores and then stimulate blood reaction and muscle stretching. This is why relax feeling and recovery of our body as experienced in Kensi.

Daun Gatal, Medicine to cure your tire, Photo: Andrew Ingles, 2009
Even though the uses and medical function of the leaf has been confirmed by the scientist about "Daun Gatal" power but it not yet well extracted for medical products that massively produced. Until today most of the green daun gatal are only selling in local markets by Papuan. Almost in all traditional markets in Papua mainly Biak, Jayapura, Manokwari, Sorong, Kaimana and Fakfak we can easily found this leave. The price is also cheap between 5000-10,000 rupiah per bundles containing more that 15 leafs. Prospect of Daun Gatal as alternative natural medicine needs to be developed and facilitated by the government and other relevant actors to brings this traditional Papuan products as herbal option and at the same time support increase the economic income of IPs community.