Matalafi

Matalafi is a small, inconspicuous tree with smooth crimson berries, additionally called Psychotria insularum that grows in cloud forests and alongside the coasts of Samoa. Traditional healers use its leaves to relieve infection related to fevers, skin and pores infections, swelling and to deal with illnesses from supernatural forces.

Highlights

Matalafi is a Samoan herb traditionally used to treat mental illness comparable to the over-the-counter analgesic ibuprofen for fever, pain, body aches and anti-inflammatory properties.

The study, led by Seeseei Molimau Samasoni, an indigenous Samoaian scientist at the Samoa Scientific Research Organization, has an inadequate understanding of traditional Samoa medicine called matalafi, but is often used as effectively as ibuprofen to reduce inflammation.

Medicinal properties found from nature

A treasure trove of powerful medicinal plants can be found in from nature that indigenous people have used for thousands of years long before modern medicine noticed them. About 1,560 new drugs have been approved in the last 40 years, of which 64% are produced, derived or based on other natural chemicals and plants. The malaria drug artemisinin aspirin and the primary diabetes drug metformin are some other historical examples.

Agreement between researchers and traditional healers

In the year 1989, a ground-breaking agreement in Samoa between researchers and traditional healers who identified prostratin, a potential retroviral agent for HIV in the bark of mother plants was made under international law. Protection against biopiracy that paved the way for enforcement and drafted access and interest sharing agreements.

How does traditional healers use Matalafi?

In Samoa, traditional healers crush and chop the leaves of matalafi to make juice, and rub the leaves on people’s skin to treat infections and heal wounds. Samasoni worked with various native traditional healers to harvest matalafi and other plants such as Fue Fue Sina native to Samoa, grind the leaves in a blender and ship the juice to Aotearoa located in the country of New Zealand for furhter testing.

Working of Matalafi

Matalafi interacts with intracellular iron using several humble cultures of yeast that share many genes with humans. Both P. insularum juice and one of its bioactive components, rutin, increased the anti-inflammatory response of newly collected immune cells while reducing the metabolic pathways that induce fever. In these cell experiments, matalafi was found to be as effective as the anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen.