Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Mutiara Grass, the "little" with great benefits


Mutiara grass (Hedyotis corymbosa (L.) Lamk) is a wild grass plant belonging to the family Rubiaceae. This grass thrives in moist soil, wet in an empty garden, driveway, curb, and gutter. Famous pearl grass as a medicinal plant which is used to treat various types of diseases.

Mutiara grass grow upright or inclined, often branched from the base of the stem to the height of 0.05 to 0.6 m. This grass stems quadrangular, bald or with very short scales, branched, with a thickness of 1 mm and brownish-green to grayish green. The leaves are relatively small with a length of leaves 2-5 cm, pointed tip, leaves a bone in the middle. Pointy tip and base of leaves, pale green, with small scales along the edge of the leaves with petiole very short and have short hair on end. The roots of this herb is a root crop riding with an average diameter of 1 mm with thread-shaped root branch.

Mutiara grass contain two active compounds, namely ursolic acid and uleanolat acids that are proven to prevent the development of cancer cell division into a more malignant stage. All parts of plant can be utilized in a way dried first. Besides cancer, mutiara grass can also be used to cure tonsillitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, mumps, appendicitis, hepatitis, and cholecystitis. Furthermore, this grass can be used to cure diseases such as boils out, and wound infection.