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Senduduk Putih

Senduduk putih  
Scientific Name Melastoma decemfidum
Common Name Senduduk, Senduduk putih, white singapore rhododendron
Synonyms Melastoma decemfidum Roxb
Family Melastomataceae
Order Myrtales
Description Medium sized shrub that grows up to 8 feet tall. The stem bear simple, opposite and exstipulate leaves. The leaves shape are ovate lanceolate to lanceolate with a glabrous surface. This plant has white flowers with  a pinkish lilac colour and the occasionally 3 flowers in a cyme. The calyx tube is covered by long stiff bristles, spreading to the base.
Senduduk Putih  

Malaysia, Madagascar, India, Australia and South East-Asia.


M. decemfidum contains active properties such as kaempherol, naringenin, quercetin, quercitrin and flavonoids in their leaves analize used gas chromatography.  However the PCR method was used to detect the  present of farnesyl pyrophoshate  (FPP) (Deny Susanti et. al, 2007). H.Jamalnasir et. al, 2012 reported the flower of this plant contains naringenin and kaempferol-3-O-(2”,6”-di-O-p-trans-coumaroyl glucoside).


The leaf and root extracts are used to treat diarrhea, dysentery, epilepsy and rheumatism (Noraslamiah Sarju et. al., 2010). People in Laos mixed the roots  with stemwood of Dio som (Laos herb) and soaked with water  method of used is for drinking and bathing for jaundice remedy (A.Libman et.al, 2006). Shoots are ingested to treat puerperal infections, high blood pressure and diabetes while juice can be used as a mouthwash to relieve a toothache or to treat leucoorhea. The barks are used for skin disease treatment and flowers are used for cancer treatment while the seeds for diarrhea treatment (H.Jamalnasir et.al., 2012).


Antioxidant DPPH radical-scavenging assay used to compared the correlation between antioxidant and cytotoxicity of methanolic leaf in the human cervical cancer cell lines and founds that the more cytotoxic with high content of kaempferol and naringenin extracts the better of antioxidant effect (Noraslamiah S. et. al., 2010).

Anti cancer In human cervical cancer cell lines of cytotoxicity study used MTT assay treated with methanolic leaf extracts of M.decenfidum which high with naringenin and kaempferol may serve as anticancer agent (Noraslamiah S. et. al., 2010).  Cytotoxicity study indicated that naringenin and kaempferol-3-O-(2”,6”-di-O-p-trans-coumaroyl glucoside) were found to be active in inhibiting cell proliferation of human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) with IC50 values of 0.28µM and 1.3 µM, respectively (Deny S. et. al., 2007).


Deny S., Hasnah M. S., Farediah a., Rasadah M. A., Norio A., Mariko K. 2007.  Antioxidant and cytotoxicity flavonoids from the flowers of Melastoma malabathricum  L. Food Chemistry. 103:710-716.

Noraslamiah S., Maaruf A. G., Salehhuddin H., Azman A. S. 2010. Antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity of the leaves of Melastoma decemfidum Roxb. Ex. Jack. www.biotek.gov.my.

A.Libman, S. Bouamanivong, B. Southavong, K. Sydara, D.D. Soejarto. 2006 . Medicinal plants : An important asset to health care in a region of Central Laos. Journal of Ethopharmacology. 106:303-311.

H. Jamalnasir, A. Wagiran, N.A. Shaharuddin, A. Abd Samad. 2012 . Isolation of chalcone synthase (CHS) gene from Melastoma decemfidum Roxb ex. Jack.UMT 11th International Annual Symposium Science and Management.1132-1137.

Manuscript prepared by Zaleha Md Toha.

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