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Did you know that many of the Philippines “indigenous vegetables” like malunggay, sambong, banaba and lagundi are sources of antioxidants, healthy oils and other useful substances.

Alice G. Ilaga, head of the Department of Agriculture's Biotechnology Program Office says most of these plants are already being used as herbal medicines in the past centuries.

“We have the advantage as a tropical country, because we can find a lot of these useful plants right in our own backyard,” she said.

Ilaga said the DA-BPO is currently eyeing several plants and vegetables, seen currently as among the most promising of the lot.

“First on the list, of course, is malunggay. Then you have sambong, banaba and lagundi,” she said. “These have been found to contain active pharmaceutical ingredients.”

The DA-BPO's list goes even further to include mangosteen, chichirica, luyang dilaw, saluyot, bawang and atswete.

Despite the abundance of these plants in the country, there is however, no widescale propagation nor are there any efforts to extract substances due to the absence of facilities and standards.

So far, only a few private firms have put their money on these indigenous veggies.

“Unfortunately, the Philippines has yet to tap the $1-billion world market for natural ingredients. As of now, our market share is probably very insignificant, at less than one percent,” she explained.

To show how small the local industry is, Ilaga noted that the current supply of these veggies, such as the malunggay, could not even satisfy the needs of its own domestic market yet.

For the Philippines to take a share of the billion-dollar market, Ilaga said the government should first identify which plants, veggies or fruits it would focus on.

“We have already commissioned a study to assess and validate the world market and identify the 10 most in demand commodities, which the country can potentially supply,” she said.

The DA-BPO expects to receive the results of the study by end-November, after which it would revise its own list of potential plants.

After identifying which plants it would focus on, the Philippines must also prepare and ensure an ample supply of the necessary planting materials for a particular crop, such as seeds and inoculants, Ilaga said.

In this case, biotechnology is critical for the mass propagation of planting materials through tissue culture, for instance.

“But what is even more critical is to formulate standards from the farming practices, down to the extraction of the oils and substances needed from a plant or vegetable,” she stressed.

Ilaga explained that benchmarks are needed to ensure that all raw materials that would be exported by the country would have quality at par with world standards.

For this reason, Ilaga said they have been lobbying for funds, which will be used for the clinical trials, facilities and further studies.

Next step, she said, was to open world export markets through trade missions and participation in exhibits and fairs, as what the DA and the Department of Trade and Industry has been doing for quite some time.

 
Sambong
But despite the fact that the Philippines already has much of these much-coveted resources and their respective scientific researches, a lot of hard work has yet to be done.

Ilaga even admits that it may take three to five years before the country could fully develop its own natural ingredients industry.

In the meantime, the DA-BPO has focused much of its efforts in preparing the Philippine market to grab a bigger share of the lucrative billion-dollar industry.

As such, the researches and clinical trials continue, particularly for the 10 promising indigenous plants, four of which had been described briefly by Ilaga.

Malunggay

Dubbed as the “miracle vegetable,” the lowly malunggay has been proven to provide numerous benefits, using its pods, flowers, leaves, oil, roots and seeds.

Malunggay, or horseradish tree (scientific name, Moringa oleifera L.), has been found by biochemists and molecular anthropologists to be rich in vitamin C and A, iron and high density lipoprotein (HDL) or good cholesterol.

It can also hike male potency and be used as feedstock for biofuels.

Ilaga said that according to private sector projections, some 500,000 hectares of land are needed to meet the domestic requirement for malunggay.

For now, there are only several malunggay nurseries nationwide, each covering some one to 10 hectares of land.

Sambong

According to Ilaga, sambong contains essential oils, such as camphor, which can be used to treat colds; Borneol, which can be used for anticancer medicines; and powder, which can reportedly dissolve kidney stones.

Meanwhile, published researches indicate that sambong (Blumea Balsamifera) have “antidiarrhetic and antigastralgic properties.”

Sambong can also be used as an expectorant and can be given for worms and dysentery.

Known as one of the most commonly used medicinal herbs, sambong is a “diuretic, and is used in cases of hypertension and mild to moderate congestive heart failure.”

Sambong is also one of 10 herbs that have been approved by the Department of Health. (Additional source: www.philippineherbs.com/sambong)

Banaba

Ilaga explained that Banaba has long been popularized by the Japanese in the form of a tea, and has been believed to contain antiobesity substances.

She added that they are currently studying the corosolic acid found in banaba, which is believed to help cure diabetes.

According to published researches, Banaba can indeed help cure diabetes, fight obesity, regulate blood pressure, aid the digestive system and ease urination.

Findings have shown that for centuries, banaba has been used in Filipino folkloric herbal medicine for the treatment of diabetes.

Also known as Queen's Flower, Crepe Myrtle and the Pride of India, banaba has been found to contain high concentrations of dietary fiber and minerals such as zinc and magnesium. (Additional source: http://her-bal-medicine.philsite.net/)

Lagundi

As for lagundi, Ilaga says its substances can treat colds, flu and asthma effectively.

True enough, published researches have shown that lagundi, which contains Chrysoplenol D, can provide relief from asthma, pharyngitis, rheumatism, dyspepsia, boils, diarrhea, cough, colds, fever and flu and other bronchopulmonary disorders.

Chrysoplenol D is a “substance with antihistamine properties and muscle relaxant.”

Studies have likewise shown that Lagundi (scientific name: Vitex negundo) “can prevent the body's production of leukotrienes which are released during an asthma attack.”

Lagundi has been found useful for the removal of worms and boils.

Its leaves, flowers, seeds and root can all be used as herbal medicine.

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