9 Thousand Plant Drugs Still Need Developed

DENPASAR, KOMPAS.com - Indonesia has around 9606 species of plants that contain high-savor for the procurement of natural medicines to cure various kinds of diseases that are free from side effects.

"Forest of tropical Indonesia are about 120 million hectares. The area was growing species that are known and trusted medication have any property that is not optimally utilized," said Prof. dr I Gusti Ngurah Nala's Studies Program Ayurweda Hindu University Faculty of Health Indonesia (UNHI) Denpasar, Sunday (24 / 5).

He said, sun light is available throughout the year with sufficient rainfall to enable the growth of party-type of plant medicines with good breeding.

"From thousands of medicinal plant species that have, until this time there is no definitive research on how many percent of them have been used to improve the health and welfare of the community," said Ngurah Nala who is also professor of Faculty of Medicine, Udayana University.

Prof. Nala add, Indonesia, which has thousands of medicinal plant species that have received a request from a number of countries will plant drugs in the form of simplisia, that is, the natural plant material in the dry that has not processed.

Demand is increasing every year and the conditions that encourage the investors who move in the field of pharmaceutical, traditional medicine and herbal medicine to catch the opportunity to develop and produce synthetic drugs, contains no chemical substances and side effects.

The majunya Iptek, making alternative forms of processing simplisia circulating in the market varies, among others, in the form of powder, tablet, pill, liquid capsule, salep and cream.

"Similarly, the product processed Indonesia penetrate export markets, including Singapore, Malaysia, Hongkong, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, India, Spain, and Germany," said Prof. Nala