Orthosiphon Aristatus as a Link Between Traditional Medicine and Homoeopathy: An Evidence-Based Review

Orthosiphon aristatus has long history of medicinal use in Indonesia, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, this plant was initially recorded as a treatment for diabetes, kidney stone and hypertension. In the genus Orthosiphon (Lamiaceae), Orthosiphon aristatus, Orthosiphon pallidus, Orthosiphon thymiflorus, Orthosiphon stamineus are widely used in traditional medicine to prevent different diseases such as diabetes, kidney stone, edema, rheumatism, hepatitis, hypertensive and jaundice. A different variety of phytoconstituents has been isolated from the Orthosiphon species which include monoterpenes, diterpenes, triterpenes, saponins, organic acid and flavonoids compound. Antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, analgesic and nephroprotective activities have been reported in the plant extract and phytoconstituents. The use of java tea as a medicinal herb makes it a good potential in pharmaceutical world. Currently, people choose herbal remedies because they are rarely causing side effects and the price is lower than synthetic medicines. However, there are problems in the production of herbal medicines, such as availability and quality of raw materials, materials standardization, quality stability and control that are considered as challenging. Bioactive components contents of medicinal herbs vary widely depends on the species, variety, geographical origin, cultivation, harvesting method, and post-harvest processing. These variations may cause inconsistency in the efficacy, quality, and safety of the herbal products. Therefore, it is needed a serious control in the determination of specifications and parameters for raw materials. Homoeopathy employs plant-derived substances based on the principle of similia similibus curentur. While Orthosiphon aristatus is not extensively represented in classical materia medica, it has gained clinical importance due to its specific affinity for the urinary system and supportive role in renal conditions. Its inclusion in practice is largely empirical and pharmacologically supported.