Rumput Mutiara (Hedyotis corymbosa)

Morfologi Rumput Mutiara Rumput tumbuh rindang berserak, agak lemah, tinggi 15 – 50 cm, tumbuh subur pada tanah lembab di sisi jalan, pinggir selokan, mempunyai banyak percabangan. Batang bersegi, daun berhadapan bersilang, tangkai daun pendek/hampir duduk, panjang daun 2 – 5 cm, ujung runcing, tulang daun satu di tengah. Ujung daun mempunyal rambut yang pendek. Bunga ke luar dari ketiak daun, bentuknya seperti payung berwarna putih, berupa bunga majmuk 2-5, tangkai bunga (induk) keras seperti kawat, panjangnya 5-10 mm. Buah bulat, ujungnya pecah-pecah. Rumput ini mempunyai khasiat sama seperti Hedyotis diffusa Willd. = Rumput Iidah ular = Baihua she she cao. Klasifikasi tumbuhan Divisi : Spermatophyta Sub Divisi : Angiospermae Kelas : Dicotyledoneae Orde : Rubiales Famili : Rubiaceae Genus : Hedyotis Spesies : Hedyotis corymbosa L c.Kandungan kimia Hentriacontane, stigmasterol, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid,

Beta-sitosterol, sitisterol-D-glucoside, p-coumaric acid, flavonoid glycosides, dan baihuasheshecaosu (kemungkinan analog coumarin). Kandungan flavonoid glycosides pada Hedyotis corymbosa (L.] Lamk. diduga mampu melambatkan proses karsinogenesis baik secara in vitro maupun in vivo. Penghambatan terjadi pada tahap inisiasi, promosi maupun progresi melalui mekanisme molekuler antara lain inaktivasi senyawa karsinogen, antiproliferatif, penghambatan angiogenesis, cell cycle arrest, induksi apoptosis dan antioksidan (Ren et al., 2003). Sebagian besar senyawa karsinogean seperti Polisiklik Aromatik Hidrokarbon (PAH) memerlukan aktivasi oleh enzim sitokrom P450 membentuk intermediet yang reaktif sebelum berikatan dengan DNA. Ikatan kovalen antara DNA dengan senyawa karsinogen aktif menyebabkan kerusakan DNA. Flavonoid dalam proses ini berperan sebagai blocking agent (Watternberg, 1985). Pengeblokan aksi karsinogen dapat melalui beberapa mekanisme antara lain melalui menginhibisi aktivitas isoenzim sitokrom P450 yaitu CYP1A1 dan CYP1A2 sehingga senyawa karsinogen tidak reaktif. Mekanisme yang lain melalui detoksifikasi karsinogen. Flavonoid juga meningkatkan ekspresi enzim Gluthation S-Transferase (GST) yang dapat mendetoksifikasi karsinogen aktif sehingga menjadi lebih polar dan dieliminasi dari tubuh. Mekanisme yang lain melalui pengikatan karsinogen aktif oleh flavonoid sehingga dapat mencegah ikatan dengan DNA, RNA atau protein target (Ren et al., 2003). Sifat antioksidan dari senyawa flavonoid juga dapat menginhibisi proses karsinogenesis. Fase inisiasi kanker seringkali diawali melalui oksidasi DNA yang menyebabkan mutasi (Kakizoe, 2003) oleh senyawa karsinogen. Karsinogen aktif seperti radikal oksigen, peroksida dan superoksida, dapat distabilkan oleh flavonoid melalui reaksi hidrogenasi maupun pembentukan kompleks (Ren et al., 2003). Kegunaan dan khasiat Rumput biasanya hanya dimanfaatkan untuk makanan ternakan. Berbeda dengan rumput mutiara. Kandungan zat kimianya mampu merangsang atau menstimulasi aliran darah dan bermanfaat untuk mengatasi keluhan kesehatan lain. Hampir setiap orang rasanya pernah mengalami kesemutan, nyeri, dan kaku di bagian badan, tangan, dan kaki. Tak heran, gangguan itu seringkali dianggap sebagai hal yang normal. Benarkah? Kesemutan secara medis kedokteran merupakan gejala gangguan pada fungsi saraf atau aliran darah seseorang. Tangan dan kaki tertekuk atau tertindih dalam waktu lama, misalnya, dapat memicu timbulnya kesemutan. Selain adanya gangguan fungsi saraf, kesemutan sangat mungkin dipicu oleh gangguan aliran darah yang menimbulkan terjadinya hambatan pemberian oksigen maupun "makanan" ke saraf. Akibatnya, timbul sensasi kesemutan. Atasi Kesemutan Apa yang perlu dilakukan biia kita mengalami kesemutan? Cukup dengan menstimulasi dan memperbaiki aliran darah bagian tubuh yang kesemutan. Boleh dengan cara memijat atau melepaskan bendungan yang jadi penghambat aliran darah. Bisa juga dengan mengasup suplemen atau obat untuk mengembalikan fungsi saraf, sehingga rasa sakit itu dapat dikurangi. Tentu saja, langkah berikutnya agar kesemutan tidak sering berulang adalah dengan memperbaiki aliran darah. Salah satu caranya adalah dengan memanfaatkan khasiat rumput mutiara, seperti diungkapkan Mawardi (35 tahun). Pegawai di perusahaan makanan ini mengaku, tidak lagi tersiksa karena kesemutan. Awalnya ia tak begitu peduli, meski mengalami kesemutan hampir setiap hari, terutama setelah bangun tidur. Untunglah setelah mencoba minum ramuan rumput mutiara, ia mengalami perubahan berarti. Setidaknya gangguan kesemutan yang sering dialami sudah jauh berkurang. Kalaupun kambuh, rentang waktu sakitnya tidak terlalu lama. Lain lagi pengalaman Imron (23 tahun), yang merasa terbantu dengan bobokan ramuan rumput mutiara ketika tanpa sengaja kakinya menyentuh knalpot motor yang masih panas. Setelah ditumbuk, bobokan rumput mutiara tersebut dioleskan di kakinya yang terluka. Sebaiknya ramuan digunakan untuk luka baru. Tumbukan bernama Latin Hedyotis corymbosa (L) Lamk atau Oldenlandia corymbosa L. ini sudah sejak lama dimanfaatkan untuk merangsang atau menstimulasi sirkulasi darah. Dengan menanam bijinya, tumbuhan ini bisa hidup subur di mana saja, asal mendapatkan sinar matahari yang cukup. Di Indonesia, kata Bambang Sudewo, herbalis dari Yogyakarta, rumput mutiara sering disebut rumput siku-siku. Rumput ini tumbuh subur di tanah yang lembab, di kebun kosong yang basah, halaman rumah, pinggir jalan, dan selokan. Rumput mutiara mempunyai percabangan yang banyak, tumbuh rindang berserok, batang bersegi dan agak lemah, letak daun berhadapan bersilang, tangkai daun pendek, bunga berwarna putih keluar dari ketiak daun yang bentuknya seperti payung, berupa bunga majemuk. Bunganya berujung pecah-pecah. Kata pemilik Klinik Sekar Kedaton, Yogyakarta ini, sampai sekarang rumput mutiara belum dibudidayakan secara massal. Bagian yang digunakan sebagai obat adalah seluruh bagian tanaman (herba) dalam bentuk segar atau telah dikeringkan. Di Cina, menurutnya, rumput mutiara dinamakan shui xian cao. Diduga mempunyai khasiat sama dengan rumput lidah ular (Hedyotis diffusa Willd). Tanaman ini memiliki kemampuan meredakan radang usus buntu, kanker, sumbatan saluran sperma, radang amandel, bronkitis, gondong, hepatitis, kanker payudara, radang panggul, infeksi saluran kemih, bisul dan borok. Selain itu, kata Mas Dewo, demikian ia biasa disapa, rumput mutiara berkhasiat antiradang, diuretik, menyembuhkan bisul, meredakan panas, serta melancarkan peredaran darah. Kandungan kimia rumput mutiara antara lain hentriacontane, stigmasterol, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, beta-sitosferol, sitisterol-D-glucoside, P-coumaric acid, flavonoid glycosides, dan baihuasheshecaosu. Namun, Mas Dewo menyarankan untuk tidak mengonsumsinya berlebihan karena dapat berefek samping, seperti mulut dan tenggorokan jadi kering. Suntikan infus dengan dosis tinggi menyebabkan penurunan sel darah putih ringan, meski akan kembali normal setelah 3-5 hari. Pemakaian aman yang dianjurkan adalah 15-60 gram sekali rebus atau sekali konsumsi. Rumput mutiara biasa dipadukan dengan beberapa tanaman obat lain untuk melawan penyakit kanker. Kini, tanaman ini juga sudah dibuat tablet, butiran (granule), dan obat suntik. Di pasaran bisa ditemui produk rumput mutiara yang sudah diolah dalam beragam bentuk, yakni kapsul, serbuk, dan rumput keringnya. Rumput mutiara dalam bentuk serbuk dan kapsul maupun rumput keringnya bisa diperoleh di toko obat tradisional. Meramu Shui Xian Cao Tidak banyak orang yang tahu rumput mutiara memiliki nama lain dalam bahasa China, yakni Shui Xian Cao. Ini bukti bahwa tanaman herba ini populer dalam pengobatan tradisional di Negeri Tirai Bambu. Berikut contoh ramuan dan manfaatnya: Menstimulasi aliran darah Siapkan 100 gram rumput mutiara. Cuci bersih lalu rebus dengan lima gelas air (ukuran gelas minum = 250 ml)) sampai mendidih dan tersisa dua gelas. Agar tidak terlalu tawar, Anda dapat menambahkan gula batu atau madu secukupnya. Namun, bila Anda memiliki gangguan kadar gula darah, sebaiknya minum tanpa mencampur apa pun. Meredakan memar dan terkilir Ambil daun rumput mutiara secukupnya, cuci hingga bersih. Lumatkan seluruh bagian tanaman dan bubuhkan di bagian tubuh yang sakit. Tak ada salahnya menambahkan param atau minyak oles untuk memberikan manfaat lebih. Sebagai minuman antioksidan Ambil 50-60 gram rumput mutiara segar, lalu cuci bersih. Campurkan jahe secukupnya. Rebus dengan 3 gelas air hingga tersisa 2 gelas. Dinginkan dan saring, diminum dua kali sehari masing-masing segelas. Tambahkan madu bila suka. Obat bagi luka akibat tersiram air panas Ambil tanaman segar (daun dan batang) rumput mutiara, cuci bersih. Rebus seluruh bagian rumput dengan air secukupnya. Gunakan air rebusan itu untuk mencuci bagian tubuh yang tersiram air panas. Setelah itu, olesi dengan getah lidah buaya setiap setengah jam sekali agar luka cepat kering dan tidak terjadi infeksi Rasa manis, sedikit pahit, lembut, netral, agak dingin. Menghilangkan panas, anti-radang, diuretik, menghilangkan panas dan toxin, mengaktifkan circulasi darah, Tonsilis, Bronkhitis, Gondongan, Pneumonia, Radang usus buntu; Hepatitis, Radang panggul, Infeksi saluran kemih, Bisul, Borok; Kanker: Lymphosarcoma, Ca lambung, Ca cervix, kanker payudara, rectum, fibrosarcoma, dan Ca nasophar.

The Fact about Figs

The Reasons Why You Need for Growing Figs Trees in Your Backyard :

Fig trees are native to the Mediterranean region and its fruits have been part of the regular diet of the people that for centuries have settled on the shores of the Mediterranean sea. Drawings representing growing figs trees and fig harvests have been found in Egypt, specifically in the pyramid of Giza (year 4,000-5,000 BC). In the Book of Exodus, they are part of the fruits that the people of Canaan presented to Moses. Figs were also an essential food for Greek people. Fig trees were always dedicated to Dionysus, the God of renewal and when a city was built, a fig tree was planted on the path from the Agora to the Forum to mark the place where the elderly would meet. Figs were Plato’s favorite delicacy; in fact figs are known as the “fruit of the philosophers”. Galen recommended its consumption to the athletes participating in the Olympic Games. Composition of figs per 100 grams of edible portion 1. Calories 66 2. Carbohydrates 16 grams 3. Fiber 2.5 g 4. Vitamin C 3.5 mg 5. Pro-vitamin A 25 mcg (micrograms) 6. Potassium 235 mg 7. Magnesium 20 mg 8. Calcium 38 mg

Reasons why it is worth to have a fig tree handy 1.Figs contain a large amount of water which helps to avoid dehydration. 2.They are rich in carbohydrates (sucrose, glucose, and fructose), a reason why they are relatively high in calories. Figs are recommended in particular for those people who need extra energy such as pregnant and lactating women, growing children, adolescents, and for people who use a lot of physical and intellectual energy. 3.They are rich in fiber, which improves bowel movement. Figs are digested very well and serve as softeners of the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. They are considered a laxative fruit because of their high fiber content. The soluble fiber retains water, increasing the volume of stools by making them more fluid while facilitating intestinal transit and speed of evacuation. This fact makes them a good tool to combat constipation. 4.They reduce cholesterol. The soluble fiber in figs attaches to the bile and excretes it along with the feces. Since part of the bile goes out along with the soluble fiber in figs, the liver needs to reach for more cholesterol from the blood to produce more bile. The result: less cholesterol in your arteries. In addition, fiber protects against cancer of the colon, by decreasing the time of contact of carcinogenic substances with the mucosa of the large intestine. 5. They are rich in minerals such as potassium. Potassium is necessary for the transmission and generation of nerve impulses, for normal cell activity, and to balance the fluids inside and outside the cell. Because they are high in potassium and low in sodium, they are highly recommended for people suffering from high blood pressure and heart disease. However, people suffering from kidney failure and those who require special diets with controlled potassium should not include this fruit in their diets. 6.Magnesium. This mineral is essential for normal cell activity, proper functioning of the intestine, transmission of nerve impulses, formation of bones and teeth, and to improve immunity. It is basic to maintain a normal blood pressure. 7.Calcium. Besides being needed for the formation of bones and teeth, calcium is essential for the proper functioning of body cells. Be aware, however, that the calcium in figs is harder to absorb than the one found in dairy products 8.Antioxidants. Figs have antioxidant activity although not as high as other fruits. They contribute a moderate amount of pro-vitamin A with antioxidant action which our body uses to manufacture vitamin A as needed. Vitamin A is essential for vision, healthy skin, hair, mucous membranes, bones, and for proper functioning of the immune system. Antioxidant substances such as pro-vitamin A neutralize the damaging action of free radicals which help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Fig trivia : Medical use. It is known that Hippocrates recommended this fruit for fever. Popular traditions of different cultures have used products made with figs to cure colds and to relieve sore throat for hundreds of years. Half a dozen of figs cooked in boiling milk are a good remedy to soften coughing, especially if honey is added. Until the arrival of sugar, figs were used to preserve cooked fruit and even as a substitute for bread. Figs as cheese coagulant. Latex is a milky white liquid that comes out when figs are taken from the tree. It can irritate the skin and it is capable of clotting milk, making it for years a great plant coagulant in the manufacturing of cheeses. This tradition is still continued in Mallorca, Spain. In our diet. Fresh figs are delicious; it is the best way to eat them since you profit from all their vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. In countries like Italy and France, they are accompanied with ham or served as a dessert.

Al Quraan and Genetics - Dr Ahmad Khan

An Extract of an Interview between Sameer Al Choudhawary and Dr Ahmad Khan....... Upon arriving at Dr. Ahmad Khan's laboratory, I can tell from the boisterous way he says salaam that it is not going to be a typical interview. Dr. Khan, to say the least, is glowingly euphoric, and he seems to be consciously trying to lower the level of excitement in his voice. By all accounts this is the same Dr. Khan known to his geneticist colleagues as soft-spoken and shy- given to a calm, straight-faced demeanor. As he offers me some piping hot chai (tea), and bades me strenuously with his hands to sit within his office chambers, I begin to wonder if in fact I had heard correctly what he, to my utter consternation, had thought brought me to see him. Dr. Khan begins to tell me that he had not only found evidence of the Holy Qur'an's authorship, but, in fact, the authorship of mankind. Little did I know before walking into the sleek mirrored-face "GenLab"on the campus of the University of New Mexico, that on the fifth floor I would find a scientist, who by the sheer scope of his findings may very well end up as familiar a name as a Galileo, Newton, or Einstein. I thought quite simply that I was going to be interviewing Dr. Khan about his book in development, which I was told previously was to be a synthesis of genetics and Islam. I figure, hey, a little about the morality of cloning here, another little bit about genetic engineering there, and badaboom badabang - a simple little volume which puts genetics in its proper perspective. My expectations exponentially surpassed, I ask my first question with my mouth agape - "You're kidding? Right?" "Nehi! Subhan Allah! Nehi!" He laughs, the largest conceivable grin on his face, as he brushes aside a few of the sundry piles of papers clogging his pigsty of a desk. I cast a glance at the wall behind his desk, bare save for a framed ayat-ul-kursi and a family portrait of his former beardless self along with his wife Nur, and their two small children. I don't find any evidence of the ostentation one might expect from some one who graduated summa cum laude from Duke University. I distinctly get the impression that despite his status as a young (31 years of age) and up and coming geneticist, that his love remains solely for Allah and his research. Diplomas and awards are nothing more than clumps of paper to him. My list of questions made irrelevant by Dr. Khan's revelation, I begin to try to ascertain what exactly he had discovered and how, asking him just to divulge a little of his research and how he had come about it. "For a few years now I have mused during my Ph.D. training that there was the possibility for information other than that for the construction of polypeptides to be encoded by individual codons or nucleotides of DNA. But it was only after a Jum'ah khutbah where I heard the Imam mention a verse in the Holy Qur'an where I put two and two together." Ahmad, as I now call him, rises up from his seat and reaches to the top of the massive bookshelf to the left of his desk, grasping hold of the Qur'an, by its looks very worn. An interesting combination I think to myself- a lab coat and a white kufi. But I have little more time for such musings on the fashions of the day, as he kisses the Qur'an and opens it to his selected verses. "Audhu billahi min ash-shaytan ir-rajeem. Bismillah Ir-Rahman Ir-Raheem. Sanureehim ayatinaa filafaaqi wafi anfusihim Hatta yatabayyana lahum annahu ul-Haqq, awalam yakfi birabbika annahu 'ala kulli shayiin shaheedoon." He pauses for a breath, and his index finger moves over to the English text: "Soon will We show them Our Signs in the furthest regions of the earth, and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that your Lord witnesses all things?" "Which Sura is that?" "It is from the forty-first Sura, Fussilat, the fifty-third ayat." "Shukriyya, go on..." "You may have heard of a study by a non-Muslim scientist by the name of Keith Moore?" "Yes, but if you could refresh my memory..."

"Quite simply Keith Moore is the world authority on embryology, and after having read the Holy Qur'an he came to see that there was a remarkable correspondence of the Qur'an's description of embryos with the descriptions of modern science. So we can see from this that indeed the Holy Qur'an has shown us a sign in our own souls, our own selves, by relating information that due to its microscopic nature could not have been known fourteen hundred years ago." "What I've come to realize is that the Holy Qur'an has many levels of meaning, some of which are known only to Allah subhana wa t'ala himself. "But what I recognized is that if we look at the Arabic, the ayat in question uses the same word for Qur'anic verses- 'ayaat.' And it says as you read along, that those same verses are 'fi anfusihim'- are in themselves- in the human beings. Coming as I do from the specialty of genetics, I realized that the verses of the Qur'an could indeed be within each human being-coded within our DNA." "But aren't you just speculating that the meaning of the ayat is that ayaat from the Qur'an appear in some form or another within the genome?" "Yes, at first....At first it was speculation, but then I began to piece together more indications that there was a possibility that verses of the Holy Qur'an could be a part of the genome. What you must realize is that much of the DNA in our genome doesn't code for the production of proteins at all. The non-coding regions- introns- are often called junk DNA. Mashaa Allah. As it turns out, it is the farthest possible thing from junk, it is the words of our Creator, a great sign that it was Allah who gave us the breath of life." "So how did you test your hypothesis, and who else have you consulted?" "GenLab had a government grant to study the genetic roots of intelligence, and at the time this idea struck me, we were focusing on mapping the central region of chromosome 19. I talked with my younger brother, 'Imran, who is a systems analyst, and consulted with him about developing a way to see if any Qur'anic ayat could be found within the intron regions of chromosome 19 that had been mapped." "It was quite a project, because we had to figure out what Arabic letter each different possible codon stood for, by iterating each possible coding system through the introns and seeing if any of those combinations resulted in ayaat from the Holy Qur'an." "January 2nd, 1999. Two o'clock in the morning we found our first ayaat. Alhamdullilah! Audhu billahi min ash-shaytan ir-rajeem. Bismillah Ir Rahman Ir Raheem. Iqra bismi rabbika ladhi khalaq. Read in the name of your Lord who created! Region p38q!" "The first ayat revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, Sal Allahu Alaihi wa Salaam!?" "Yes, I was just as astonished as you are now. But the thing is, with each ayat we found, finding the next ayat came faster and faster, as we began to compile the full coding system. After that it has been a breeze. Our only trouble with finding more ayat has been that not enough of the genome has been mapped by geneticists to be searched. So far we only have found 1/10 of the Qur'an." "Although we obviously want to make our findings known to the greater Muslim- greater world in general, we are taking precautions to make sure our heads are screwed on right...you can never be too careful. In the past few weeks I've been talking with individual Muslim scientists, just so I could get some feedback, and make sure that our findings are ready to be published come next fall." "But I am confident that we've found a phenomenon of great interest, such that I am willing to put my entire career on the line. I've revealed my findings to my fellow geneticists here at GenLab, and believe me- this has been the first time I've found Martin or Clive [two of his co-workers] even willing to discuss religion or Islam. I've also written to two non-Muslim skeptics inviting them to analyze my findings: Dan Larhammar of Uppsala University in Sweden, and Aris Dreismann at the Technical University of Berlin. I doubt they'll remain skeptical for long..." "There is such a tremendous amount of data that we're going to have to be analyzing it over the next few months, but I hope to create both a book for popular consumption as well as submit an abstract to Science very shortly." "I'm speechless! Subhan Allah! But can you show me some of the verses you've found?" Just then I find out what some of the sheets of paper are on his desk. He hands two sheets to me, one covered with four roman letters, T, C, G, and A, sprawling across the sheet, separated in columns of three letters. The other in Arabic script is clear as day- after many 'lam's, and a couple of random 'ayn's and 'qafs' I see what looks like a sentence. I ask him the meaning. "From Sura al baqarah, the sixth ayat. In English it says: 'As to those who reject faith, it is the same to them whether you warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe.'" "The other page is a listing of the actual sequence of nucleotides, of which there are four types. Every three code for an Arabic letter." He pulls out a laminated table, with Thymine, Adenine, Cytosine, and Guanine written vertically for the first nucleotide, then horizontally across the top for the second, and horizontally again for the third." "Instead of amino acids, as you can see from this table there are two codons for every Arabic letter, as well as for the ta' marbuta and hamza. There is also a code for the end of each ayat, just like there would be codons which would stop gene transcription." "Subhan Allah. I just feel so blessed to find such a miracle at such a young age- I can only marvel at what else we might find inshaa Allah, you know.. I can only hope that within our lifetimes other Muslim scientists find out the meaning of the other 'ayaat' in nature that Allah makes reference to." "Would you happen to have any last words for our readers?" "I just hope that after the publication of my book 'The Holy Qur'an and Genetics' that Muslims begin to better understand how Allah has made Islam a complete way of life. We cannot compartmentalize our religion, keeping Islam out of our politics, education, arts, and sciences without grave detriment to ourselves, and loss of the true meaning of the Final Revelation to the Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace." "I also hope that non-Muslims see that there is no need for the controversies between religion and science, although no doubt some of them will ignore the evidence even if it is right before their very eyes." I take one last sip of my chai, looking intently at Dr. Khan's dark brown eyes and olive complexion, knowing full well, that inshaa Allah I am looking at the face of the Ummah's future.