Medicinal Potentials Of Orthosiphon Stamineus Benth

Orthosiphon stamineus Benth. is a medicinal herb belonging to the family Lamiaceae, grown in Southeast Asia. Leaves of this plant are used commonly in Southeast Asia and European countries for herbal tea, well known as “Java tea”. Traditionally leaves of this plant have been used as diuretic, and to treat rheumatism, abdominal pain, kidney and bladder inflammation, edema and gout. Studies have shown that the O. stamineus leaves exhibit a range of pharmacological properties such as, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-bacterial, antiangiogenetic properties. Above all, the plant has synergistic bio-enhancing ability for tamoxifen against human breast cancer. The herb has been shown to be exceptionally safe with no toxicity in vitro and in vivo. This review emphasizes the systematic investigation in pharmacological properties of O. stamineus, which could be the potent source of novel herbal curative medicine for critical human diseases.