Short Note on Asteraceae as Traditional Food and Medicinal Plants in Cihanjawar Village, Purwakarta Regency, West Java

Asteraceae is known as the largest family of flowering plants. Despite some species members being invasive plants, these species are often adopted and utilized by local community groups for food, traditional medicine, and other uses. In our ethno-botanical study of Asteraceae, we identified ways a local Sundanese community group in West Java utilizes a diverse range of species in the family for different purposes. Our study focuses on a Sundanese village called Cihanjawar, located in the regency of Purwakarta, using ethnobotany and ethnomedicine approaches. People of Cihanjawar utilize some species of Asteraceae for food as ‘ lalapan ’ and traditional medicinal purposes. In-depth, semi-structured interviews with the people of Cihanjawar were conducted to collect primary data regarding the utilization of Asteraceae species as food and traditional medicine. A total of eight species of Asteraceae were found during the field-guided exploration in Cihanjawar Village, which include Acmella paniculata, Ageratum conyzoides, Calyptocarpus vialis, Crassocephalum crepidioides, Dichrocepala integrifolia, Emilia son-chifolia, Erechtites valerianifolia, Sphagneticola trilobata , some of which are considered invasive alien species. The species of A. paniculata, C. crepidioides, E. sonchifolia, Er. valerianifoli a is eaten as a raw food (lalapan, Ind.). Then Ag. Conyzoides and C. crepidioides are utilized in traditional medicine. C. vialis, D. integrifolia , and Sphagneticola trilobata are not used by the people of Cihanjawar as food or as traditional medicine.

Asteraceae Bercht.& J.Presl (1820) or the sunflower Asteraceae Bercht.& J.Presl (1820) or the sunflower family is known as the largest plant family in Angiospermae family is known as the largest plant family in Angiospermae with 1,700 genera and 24,000 species that are well distribut-with 1,700 genera and 24,000 species that are well distributed worldwide except Antarctica [1].Due to their distribution, ed worldwide except Antarctica [1].Due to their distribution, species of Asteraceae are considered invasive alien species, species of Asteraceae are considered invasive alien species, which grow well outside their native range.According to which grow well outside their native range.According to Setyawati et al. [2] and Trjitrosoedirjo et al. [3], some spe-Setyawati et al. [2] and Trjitrosoedirjo et al. [3], some species of Asteraceae have been recorded as important alien cies of Asteraceae have been recorded as important alien species e.g., species e.g., Ageratum conyzoides, Austroeupatorium inulifo-Ageratum conyzoides, Austroeupatorium inulifolium, Bidens pilosa, lium, Bidens pilosa, and others.Invasive alien species rais-and others.Invasive alien species raises a certain issue on its impacts, including a threat to local es a certain issue on its impacts, including a threat to local biodiversity, human health, and economic interest [4].Apart biodiversity, human health, and economic interest [4].Apart from being invasive, local people still utilize Asteraceae daily from being invasive, local people still utilize Asteraceae daily for food and traditional medicine.This is particularly true for for food and traditional medicine.This is particularly true for Sundanese people who have unique habits of consuming fresh Sundanese people who have unique habits of consuming fresh plants as vegetables known as lalapan [5].Septiani et al. [6] plants as vegetables known as lalapan [5].Septiani et al. [6] recorded that Sundanese people in Naga Traditional Village, recorded that Sundanese people in Naga Traditional Village, Tasikmalaya Regency, consume various species of Asterace-Tasikmalaya Regency, consume various species of Asteraceae, including ae, including Conyza sumatrensis, Lactuca sativa Conyza sumatrensis, Lactuca sativa, and other , and other species.For medicinal purposes, Tahnia [7] also discovered species.For medicinal purposes, Tahnia [7] also discovered that the Sundanese people of Cireundeu Traditional Village, that the Sundanese people of Cireundeu Traditional Village, Cimahi City, utilize Cimahi City, utilize Blumea balsamifera Blumea balsamifera to treat diarrhea.to treat diarrhea.One of the Sundanese villages in West Java that are partic-One of the Sundanese villages in West Java that are particularly interesting due to their seclusion and traditional prac-ularly interesting due to their seclusion and traditional practices is Cihanjawar Village, located in the Purwakarta Regen-tices is Cihanjawar Village, located in the Purwakarta Regency, West Java.The people of Cihanjawar are mainly farmers.cy, West Java.The people of Cihanjawar are mainly farmers.However, they also utilize natural resources for their daily However, they also utilize natural resources for their daily needs due to their proximity to forests, rice fields, and farm-needs due to their proximity to forests, rice fields, and farmlands.People of Cihanjawar use a wide range of plants for lands.People of Cihanjawar use a wide range of plants for different purposes.For example, they grow paddy ( different purposes.For example, they grow paddy (Oryza sa-Oryza sa-tiva tiva), cassava ( ), cassava (Manihot esculenta Manihot esculenta), lima bean ( ), lima bean (Phaseolus lu-Phaseolus lunatus natus), common bean ( ), common bean (P.vulgaris P. vulgaris), winged bean ( ), winged bean (Psophocar-Psophocarpus tetranogonolobus pus tetranogonolobus), banana ( ), banana (Musa Musa spp.), tomato ( spp.), tomato (Solanum Solanum lycopersicum lycopersicum), scallion ( ), scallion (Allium fistulosum Allium fistulosum), and garlic chives ), and garlic chives ( (A. tuberosum A. tuberosum) for food and market crops.Various species of ) for food and market crops.Various species of Asteraceae are also found in Cihanjawar Traditional Village Asteraceae are also found in Cihanjawar Traditional Village and are utilized extensively despite being considered weeds and are utilized extensively despite being considered weeds in their farm.This study therefore aims to explore the rela-in their farm.This study therefore aims to explore the relationship between the species of Asteraceae and the people of tionship between the species of Asteraceae and the people of Cihanjawar through their use as food and traditional medicine.Cihanjawar through their use as food and traditional medicine.

Methodology
The study was conducted in Cihanjawar Village, Purwakarta Regency, West Java in May 2017.In-depth, semi-struc- tured interviews with two key informants which are also farmers in Cihanjawar were conducted to collect primary data regarding the utilization of Asteraceae species as food and traditional medicine.In addition to this, an exploration was also carried out using the field guide method, during which we observed the surrounding paddy fields and farmlands with of a local guide from the Cihanjawar Villagers.The species of Asteraceae which have been collected during the field-guided exploration were then identified using the 'A Guidebook of Invasive Plant Species in Indonesia' [2], '75 Important Invasive Plant Species in Indonesia' [3], and 'Weeds of Rice in Indonesia' [8].The maps and environment of Cihanjawar is shown in figure 1 and 2, respectively.

Diversity and Traditional Uses of Asteraceae in Cihanjawar Village
A total of eight species of Asteraceae were found during the field-guided exploration, mainly in the paddy fields and farmlands in Cihanjawar Village, Purwakarta Regency, West Java, of which only five species are utilized as food or medicinal plants.The five species are Acmella paniculata, Ageratum conyzoides, Crassocephalum crepidioides, Emilia sonchifo-lia, and Erechtites valerianifolia.Three species, i.e., A. paniculata, E. sonchifolia, and Er.valerianifolia are only used as food.In addition, Ag. conyzoides is the only species used for medicinal purposes, while C. crepidioides is the only species used for food and medicinal plants.The people of Cihanjawar do not utilize the other three species.This includes Calyptocarpus vialis, Dichrocephala integrifolia, and Sphagneticola trilobata.The complete result of Asteraceae species including traditional uses in Cihanjawar Village is shown in Table 1.

Table 1. List of species and utilization of Asteraceae in Cihanjawar Village, Purwakarta Regency, West Java
In the context of traditional food, the way people of Cihanjawar consume A. paniculata, C. crepidioides and E. sonchifolia are by eating them raw or known as lalapan as the Sundanese habit and then sautéed as vegetables.A. paniculata is the only species which both the leaves and inflorescence are consumed.For C. crepidioides and E. sonchifolia, leaves are the only part eaten.For the traditional medicinal aspect, the people of Cihanjawar believe that Ag. conyzoides can heal an external wound.The crushed leaves of Ag. conyzoides are rubbed onto the wounded skin surface.Another plant used for traditional medicine, C. crepidioides, is believed to treat headaches and hypertension by consumption of the leaves, although further implementation was not fully explained.Some species of Asteraceae are shown in Figure 3.

The Validation on Traditional Food Uses
Some species of Asteraceae are found and utilized by people of Cihanjawar and other Sundanese people in Naga Traditional Village, Tasikmalaya Regency.According to Septiani et al. [6] people of Naga also consume E. sonchifolia and A. paniculata as 'lalapan', which are eaten directly without any process.People of Cihanjawar utilize the leaves, the same plant part as Naga's.However, the people of Naga only consume A. paniculata leaves, unlike those of Cihanjawar who consume both leaves and flowers.
Besides in West Java, the Sundanese in Banten or well known as Baduy Tribe, utilized Asteraceae as food plants.The study from Iskandar & Iskandar [9] discovered that Sundanese Baduy Tribe consume Er.Valerianifolia as vegetables.Other than the Sundanese people in West Java & Banten, research conducted by Kurniawan et al. [10] in Dieng Plateau, Central Java, found 18 species of Asteraceae, most of which are also used as food and medicinal plants.Some of the species in the Dieng Plateau can also be found and consumed by people in Cihanjawar Village, such as A. paniculata and C. crepidioides.In Dieng Plateau, the leaf is also the plant part which is consumed.Besides, study from Fauziana & Susandarini [11] in Tawangmangu, Karanganyar Regency, Central Java, showed that other than being utilized as medicinal plants, E. sonchifolia is also consumed as vegetables.
Leaves are the most utilized plant part, particularly in food uses.It is mainly because leaves are the part that has the highest regeneration rate, in a sense that it can sprout repeatedly and therefore will not impact that much the growth of the plant regardless of the photosynthesis taking place inside the leaves [12].Leaves possess a plenty of metabolites from photosynthesis [13,14].In addition, leaves are rich in vitamin B9, vitamin K, and carotenoids [6,15].Leaves are the most accessible plant part and can grow faster than others [6].

The Validation on Traditional Medicinal Uses
In an ethnobotanical study, the utilization of plant for traditional medicine by local people can be validated by conducting research regarding the chemical compounds or secondary metabolites which possesses bioactivity of the plant.A study carried out by Dash & Pn [16] showed that methanol and aqueous extracts of Ag. conyzoides leaves showed a faster rate of wound healing in wounded rats.According to Fitriani [17], leaves of Ag. conyzoides possess secondary metabolites, such as alkaloid compounds.This secondary metabolite could be the reason why treatment using its leaves will recover faster.
According to Adjatin et al. [18], C. crepidioides is utilized for blood pressure regulation by local people of Benin (in Africa region).From this, people of Cihanjawar also use C. crepidioides as a treatment for hypertension and headache.In terms of the chemical compounds and secondary metabolites, C. crepidioides contains tannin, flavonoid, and phenols also possesses the potential as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, anti-tumour, and anti-diabetic [19].
Another Sundanese people in West Java, particularly from Banceuy Traditional Village, Subang Regency, utilize some species of Asteraceae as medicinal plants, according a study from Weking et al. [20].For example, they utilize, Ag. conyzoides and C. crepidioides which are also found and applied in Cihanjawar Village are used to treat external wounds and hypertension, respectively.

A Note on The Invasiveness of The Eight Species
Out of the eight species of Asteraceae that we have found during our field exploration, A. paniculata, Ag. conyzoides, C. crepidioides, E. sonchifolia, Er. valerianifolia, and S. trilobata are considered invasive alien species [2,3], while D. integrifolia is the only native species commonly found in their natural habitat in West Java.In addition, C. crepidioides, Er. valerianifolia, and S. trilobata were recorded as 75 Important Invasive Plant Species in Indonesia [3].Since most the Cihanjawar people have livelihood as farmers and live next to the ricefield, some of the Asteraceae species which found were also recorded as a weed of ricefield by Soerjani et al. [8], such as Ag conyzoides, C. crepidioides, and E. sonchifolia.
These invasive species have been known to cause problems in different places with a few control has been implemented.In conservation sites, some Asteraceae species are commonly found such as in Cibodas Botanical Park [21], Masigit-Kareumbi Hunting Park [22,23], and in plantation site like corn plantation [24], ricefield [25], and pine & sweet potato plantation [26], and sugarcane [27].The invasive species we found in Cihanjawar, on the other hand, is not particularly controlled, but due to active weeding and their use as both food and medicine, their population can be controlled.We still do not have sufficient data to show how intensive the use of these species is for consumption to certainly state that there is a balance between the invasiveness of the plant and their utilization.However, a changing dietary pattern and shift to modern medicine will certainly disrupt this mode of traditional control and potentially the ecosystem.Further study is needed to explore this phenomenon.

Conclusion
In Cihanjawar Village, Purwakarta Regency, West Java, we found eight species of Asteraceae during the field guided exploration in Cihanjawar Village, including Acmella paniculata, Ageratum conyzoides, Calyptocarpus vialis, Crassocephalum crepidioides, Dichrocepala integrifolia, Emilia sonchifolia, Erechtites valerianifolia, Sphagneticola trilobata.A. paniculata, E. sonchifolia, and Er.valerianifolia are only used as food.Ag. conyzoides is the only species used for medicinal purposes, while C. crepidioides is the only species that uses food and medicinal plants.Leaves are the most plant part used as food and traditional medicine, while the flower of A. paniculata is used as food.C. vialis, D. integrifolia, and S. trilobata are not used by the people of Cihanjawar as food and traditional medicine.From this, we understand that the practice of local knowledge in Cihanjawar Village regarding plant utilization traditionally is still maintained.The fact that some of these Asteraceae are invasive species shows that the traditional community has adapted to new species by integrating them into their daily lives.This also hints on local ways to control the population of invasive species through sustainable utilization.A shift to a different dietary pattern might disrupt this balance, which requires further research to be carried out.