Traditional knowledge of Malaysian medicinal plants : the search for new products and drugs

It is necessary to understand the contemporary relevance of traditional knowledge and the interpretation of this knowledge using modern methods in the chemical and biological studies of substances. The traditional knowledge of Malaysian medicinal plants has been used for the development of herbal products and also aid the discovery of new lead structures for drug development. The practice of traditional medicine was initially more of a social obligation to help maintaining the health of a community but gradually the practice shifted towards profit-oriented activities. Introduction of modern technology in the commercial production of herbal products has resulted in the preparation of plant extracts into modern pharmaceutical forms, dressed up to look like modern drugs. However, most of the local herbal products in the market are not sufficiently provided with information on their ingredients, indications, dosage, pharmacology, contraindications and possible side-effects. There is an urgent need to carry out research activities to develop herbal medicines into quality, efficacious and safe products for human consumption. Most plant-derived drugs have been discovered by examining the use of plants in traditional medicine. During the early years of medicinal plant research in Malaysia the main interest was basic phytochemical studies for the sole purpose of studying the chemistry of isolated compounds. The ethnobotanical approach in the search for bioactive agents for use as chemical leads only begun in the mid-eighties with the development of a series of specialized bioassays and increased participation of biological scientists. Medicinal plant research in Malaysia has shown much progress in the past five decades. However, research approach to discover new lead structures from the flora for drug development need to be strategized at the national level which should be based on the integration of human and technology resources available and the establishment of smart partnership between academic and research institutions, industries and multinational drug corporations.