By Soon Chi Kai, TPM Biotech

The way of modern living has brought in the negative impact on our health. Lifestyle diseases such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia, hypertension, coronary artery disease and cancer are common in industrialized countries. Therefore, there is an increased demand for medication to treat the stated diseases that are on the rise especially among the wealthier segments of the populations. The past half-century had offered fast relief but with great risks by relying on inorganic products. However, side effects occur due to the regular use of inorganic products.

Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia)

Nowadays, people are becoming aware of the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. The increasing of health awareness has caused the booming of wellness and beauty industry. Instead of relying on conventional medicine, people are looking for the alternative—natural, indigenous and organic. This article will emphasize more on plant species.

In world trade more than 2,000 herb species are used in medicinals, perfumery and essential oils, biopesticides, and various food products such as health food and food supplements, as well as for extraction of flavour, essence and coloring material. The compounds of herbs such as alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, saponins and terpenes are bioactive in human physiology and suitable to be used as medicines.

An influx of information has led to the proliferation of pharmacy, physical fitness clubs, health spas and beauty salons. It is not enough that people are consuming health supplements and using personal care products. Indeed, there is a revolution on wellness and beauty industry that people are rediscovering the fruits of nature—as the much-safer organic products level up with their inorganic counterparts.

A recent market research shows that global top herbs in medicines, supplements and functional foods include Ginseng (Panax sp), Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), Noni (Morinda citrifolia), Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens), Purple Corneflower (Echinacea sp), Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), Green Tea (Camilla sinensis), Garlic (Allium sativum), St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum), Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), Nettle (Urtica sp), Horse Chestnut (Aesculus sp) and Passion flower (Passiflora sp).

The countries of origin and functions of stated herbs are stated at the following table:

There is another research shows that mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) pericarp pulp contains a high content of antioxidant and plant phenol. The discovery has made mangosteen products one of the top sale products in multi level marketing (MLM) companies.

After China, India and Indonesia, Malaysia is ranked 4th as one of the 12 mega diversity rich countries in the world. It is believed that there are more than 12,000 species to exist in Malaysia alone, though the amount does not include the flora of Sabah which are not well surveyed.

The biological wealth that lie hidden in its magnificent rainforests is the vast experience of traditional indigenous healing systems that have been used some thousands of years for therapeutic purposes. In spite of that, it can also be considered as a huge reservoir of genetic diversity as well as a storehouse of chemicals that can harnessed for health care.

To date, indigenous ingredients such as Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia), Kacip Fatimah (Labisia pumila), Misai Kucing (Orthosiphon stamineus), Pegaga (Centella asiatica), Hempedu Bumi (Andrographis paniculata), Peria (Momordica charantia) and Tunjuk Langit (Swietenia Macrophylla) are already being produced as functional food, health supplement and personal care products by local experts.

The functions of stated herbs are described in the following table:

With the increasing market demand and the vast inherited resources, Malaysia can be regarded as a ‘goldmine’ for the upcoming trend of wellness and beauty industry. In order to optimize the utilization of those resources, more scientific studies that integrate various disciplines such as botany, chemistry and pharmacology should be carried out. By obtaining more scientific data, the entrepreneur will be able to make proper judgment in commercializing potential indigenous ingredients.

For further infomation please contact: csoon@tpm.com.my