Morphology characterization and phytochemical overview of the Moluccan Ironwood Intsia bijuga (Colebr.) Kuntze, a living collection of Purwodadi Botanic Garden, Indonesia

Abstract

As one of the ex situ conservation sites, Purwodadi Botanic Garden (PBG) has Intsia bijuga as its collection with high economic value for its high quality wood. It is categorised as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List. Its efficacy as herb is due to the presence of its various chemical compounds. The purpose of this study was to characterize the morphology of I. bijuga cultivated in PBG and to reveal its phytochemical compounds, as well as their health benefits. This research was conducted at the PBG in April–May 2020. The plant material was obtained from PBG collection. The plant morphology was characterized by direct observation in the field, while information regarding phytochemical compounds of I. bijuga along with their benefits was obtained by literature review. The data obtained was analyzed descriptively. The results showed that I. bijuga collected by PBG came from Maluku and Java. Both have morphological characteristics that are not very different, i.e., they are trees, they have compound leaves, pale stems with lenticels on their surface, panicle flowers, pod-shaped fruits, and buttress roots. I. bijuga contains polyphenol compounds that have medicinal benefits, such as anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, and anti-viral, hence it has enormous medicinal potential. Due to habitat shrinkage of the species, an effort to have it conserved ex situ is critical.