Clitoria ternatea,
commonly known as, “butterfly pea” is a perennial herbaceous legume from the
Fabaceae family. The etymology of the specific name "ternatea" is
postulated to be from the island of Ternate in the Indonesian archipelago, but
the exact geographic origin of C. ternatea is difficult to determine. This plant had been widely spread over many countries and uniquely each country has
different vernacular names for this plant. For instance, there are tembang
telang (Indonesia), bunga telang (Malaysia), pokindong (Philippines), lan hua
dou (Chinese), and fula criqua (Portuguese).
Besides, it has
vernacular names, butterfly pea is also easy to cultivate in many countries
because it can grow wild and also in gardens. This is supported by key
characteristics which include tolerance to drought conditions, nitrogen
fixation capability, non-reliance on specific pollinators because of
self-pollination, and spreads by seeds but has a low seed germination rate.
Beyond that, butterfly pea has attracted significant interest because it has
potential applications in medicine, food, livestock, and agriculture.
The edible flower,
butterfly pea flower has potential application in medicine because has
antioxidant activity and antimicrobial which is potential as such as antiviral,
anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, antidiabetic, and anticancer. In addition, it
is also reported to be a good “Madhya” (toning the brain) drug mainly used in
the treatment of mental illness as well as improving the brain system and
boosting memory. To obtain the health benefits of this flower, we can use it as
an added ingredient in beverages and foods.
Butterfly pea flower has
a bright blue color which is produced from anthocyanin known as ternatins and
used as a natural dye for food and beverage. For instance, it was used for
coloring goat milk yogurt. Moreover, it can also color for several foods such
as cake, muffin, and candy as well as traditional foods including barangko,
putu, getuk lindri, cendol, and sticky rice tapai. The combination of the
exotic color and health benefits promoted the butterfly pea flower as a functional
beverage and food.
Not only for humans but
butterfly pea is also used to feed livestock which has a high-quality forage
source. Moreover, compared to other legumes, feed livestock prepared from
butterfly pea has more favorable nutritional characteristics. For instance, it
consistently lowers acid detergent fiber content and consequently, it can
increase the energy density of the feed. Meanwhile, agricultural sector,
butterfly pea can improve soil nutrition because can fix free N2 from
the air and makes the plant ideal to use in a crop rotation system.
Reference
Afrianto W.F., Tamnge F., Hasanah L.N., 2020. A relation between ethnobotany and bioprospecting of edible flower butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) in Indonesia. DOI: 10.13057/asianjethnobiol/y030202.
Hau D.K., Matitaputty P., & Achadri Y. 2021. Integrating Clitoria ternatea and corn in dry land farming for seed production and high-quality forage for livestock in West Timor East Nusa Tenggara: Oebelo Village farmer’s experience. DOI: 10.1088/1755-1315/807/3/032038.
Jamil N., Zairi M.N.M., Nasim N.A.M., Pa’ee F. 2018. Influences of environmental conditions to phytoconstituents in Clitoria ternatea (butterfly pea flower) – A Review. DOI: 10.30880/jst.2018.10.02.029.
Jeyaraj E.J., Lim Y.Y., & Choo W.S. 2021. Extraction methods of butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) flower and biological activities of its phytochemicals. DOI:10.1007/s13197-020-04745-3.
Kosai P., Sirisidthi K., Jiraungkoorskul K., & Jiraungkoorskul W. 2015. Review on ethnomedicinal uses of memory boosting herb, butterfly pea, Clitoria ternatea. Journal of Natural Remedies. Vol. 15(2): 71-76.
Marpaung A.M., Lee M., Kartawiria I.S. 2020. The Development of butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) flower powder drink by Co-crystallization. Indonesian Food Science and Technology Journal. Vol. 3(2): 34-37.
Oguis G.K., Gilding E.K., Jackson M.A., & Craik D.J. 2019. Butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea), a cyclotide-bearing plant with applications in agriculture and medicine. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00645.
