A closer look at the country’s medicinal plants
“By making our research accessible and comprehensible, we hope to empower researchers, healthcare providers, communities, and enthusiasts to unlock the potential of these botanical treasures”—Dr. Renerio P. Gentallan Jr.
If in the past, using medicinal plants to treat illnesses may be frowned upon by most people, such is not the case anymore. In fact, more and more Filipinos are now using herbal medicine. And it’s not a late-breaking fad.
A survey conducted by the Social Weather Station (SWS) in 1994 showed that an estimated 78% of Filipinos were availing themselves of herbal medicines to deal with a variety of common ailments and discomfort.
“For every disease, God has a plant for it,” said Dr. Erna C. Arollado, director of Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the College of Pharmacy, University of the Philippines. She is also a member of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP).
Even the Bible mentioned the importance of plants against diseases. In Ezekiel 47:12, God told the prophet that fruit trees that grow along the banks of the river had healing properties, particularly the leaves.
“Plants are one of the most important natural sources of novel pharmacologically active compounds by the pharmaceutical industry,” NRCP said in a statement. “Since time immemorial, the use of plant-derived products embodies a major aspect in traditional medicine and contributes to worldwide healthcare.”
The SWS survey also found that 40% of the users, mostly from rural areas, used the medicines on their own initiative. Thirty-two of the respondents, however, said they got advice from herbolarios or traditional healers. Only six percent said they learned about herbal medicines from doctors.
A study conducted in 2019 showed that one out of two patients with a chronic disease will take herbal medicinal products to improve their welfare without consulting a physician or pharmacist.
The Philippines is very fortunate to be one of the world’s megadiverse countries, and also the center of the center of biodiversity. In fact, it has over 1,600 medicinal plant species. The question is: How can we enrich further the benefits of these natural wonders?
This question was being asked in Saribuhay, a non-profit infotainment YouTube series that features initiatives of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) on biodiversity and natural resources.
Saribuhay is a Tagalog term for biodiversity; it is a combination of two words: sari-saring buhay. Now on its third season, the pilot episode featured the project, “Development, Genotyping and Preliminary Evaluation of Genetically Stable Planting Materials of Selected Medicinal Plants,” led by Dr. Renerio P. Gentallan Jr. of the Institute of Crop Science (ICropS), College of Agriculture and Food Science (CAFS) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB).
Dr. Gentallan was a recipient of the Graduate Research and Education Assistantship for Technology (GREAT) Program of the PCAARRD, a line agency of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
“Despite the potential and importance of these medicinal plants, the supply of genetically stable raw materials is not ensured in the Philippine Herbal Industry,” Dr. Gentallan was quoted as saying in the episode.
With that, the project aims to develop genetically stable accessions of nine selected medicinal plants namely, akapulko, lagundi, tsaang-gubat, sambong, turmeric, niyug-niyogan, roselle, serpentina, and pansit-pansitan.’ These accessions can be used as standards for maintaining the quality of medicinal plant species.
A significant outcome of the project is the identification of a new species of lagundi (Vitex trifolia complex [Lamiaceae]), which is indigenous to the Philippines. Additionally, the project has innovated a new, cost-efficient method for extracting DNA from medicinal plant species.
In its ongoing phase, the project aims to enhance its influence by ensuring the accessibility of its research findings and by promoting community-based cultivation of medicinal plants utilizing high-quality planting materials.
The Department of Health has certified lagundi as effective relief for colds, flu, pharyngitis and asthma.
“Lagundi has been used for centuries by local populations in the Philippines for its medicinal properties,” said the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). But it was not until a Spanish Jesuit Father Colin published a book in 1990 that lagundi’s healing properties were described in detail.
“In his book, Father Colin wrote that lagundi was used regularly by Filipinos to treat wounds and as a pain medication,” WIPO wrote, adding that he also discovered that the plant’s roots are used to treat rheumatism and dysentery.
The Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB), a line agency of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), is batting for the growing of the identified medicinal plants in their farms.
“The integration of medicinal plants as a crop in agroforestry is a relatively new approach that is beneficial to the local people, whether they are lowland or upland farmers or most especially, the indigenous people,” ERDB said.
By planting these medicinal plants in their farms or even initiating small backyard herbal gardens, they can “help boost the Philippine herbal industry by providing adequate supply of raw materials for local as well as global needs.”
Manufactured synthetic drugs command a high price which Filipino masses oftentimes cannot buy. The passage of Republic Act No. 8423, otherwise known as “Traditional Alternative Medicine Act” in 1997 paved the way to the provision and delivery of traditional and alternative health care products, services and technologies that have been proven safe, effective, affordable and accessible for Filipinos.
To provide raw materials for the pilot plant of Bicutan in manufacturing of medicinal plants, medicinal plantations were established in Cavite and Davao. In 1985, when the health department established three herbal manufacturing plants, pilot plantations of medicinal plants were also established in Cagayan, Leyte and Cotabato.
“With the growing interest in traditional herbal medicine in the country, several private companies ventured into the production and manufacture of medicinal plants and products,” ERDB reported, citing Pascual Laboratory, owner of 40 hectares of medicinal plantation in Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija, as an example.
Unfortunately, the herbal medicine industry in the country is still “not yet well-developed” compared with those in China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. “To boost the country’s medicinal industry, there is a need for a holistic paradigm shift of a small- to large-scale farming since the country has sustainable indigenous medicinal plants,” ERDB said.
According to ERDB, there are now commercially available drugs from medicinal plants. These are: lagundi for cough remedy, sambong for diuretic relief, and akapulko as lotion for anti-fungal and skin rashes.
The following plants are being develop as drugs (although they are available in the market as food supplements): ampalaya as relief for diabetes, ulasimang bato as anti-hyperuricemic, tsaang-gubat as anti-motility, mutha as relief for malaria, makahiya as relief of diarrhea, and yerba buena as analgesic.
“The pharmaceutical industry demands tons of raw materials,” ERDB pointed out. “Therefore, the entrepreneur must know the requirements of herbal farming taking into account the externalities, risks and difficulties of growing and cultivating medicinal plants.”
By Henrylito D. Tacio
