Herbal and Traditional

Medicine: Potency and

National Policies

Atina Hussaana
Department of Pharmacology
Medical Faculty of Sultan Agung Islamic University

 Herbal medicines is now

become an important part of
human health care, not only
in the developing countries
but also in many developed
countries.
As well as global tendency to
Back to Nature

 The use of herbal medicines tend to

increase, not only limited as primary health
care for poor people in remote (terpencil)
area, it co-exists at various level in the
communities.
Herbal medicines industry showed increasing
tendency.
Although the government fully support the
usage and development of herbal and
traditional medicines with regulation at
various levels, there are still obstacles to
overcome in order to integrate the herbal and
traditional medicines in formal health care
services.

Traditional Medicine :
Medicines which usages are base on
empirical knowledge, beliefs and
experiences indigenous (pribumi) to
different ethnic cultures, used in the
maintenance of good health, as well as
in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement
or treatment of physical and mental
illnesses

 Herbal medicines are natural medicine which

made from plant or plants part

Most of traditional medicines are herbal,

although some of it are animal-origin

The knowledge of traditional medicines are

handed down from generation to generation
over centuries in different communities

Herbal Medicine: therapeutic agents

Good examples: vincristine and

vinblastine for cancer, morphin for
pain, digitalis for heart failure,
colchicine for acute attacks of gout,
and artemisinin for drug-resistant
malaria.

Good prospects: finding some herbal

formulations for life-threatening
diseases such as cancer and HIV.

 Global trend Back to Nature

The National Institute of Health (USA)
recommended that complementary or
alternative medicine therapy should be
included in the medical and nursing
curricula (1995)

125 medical schools in US, 75 of them

offered some form of education on
complementary or alternative therapy
(1998)

Indonesian Herbal and

Traditional Medicines
Since ancient time Indonesian use
traditional medicines, either for preventive
or curative purposes
300 ethnic groups with variation of
traditions, customs as well as beliefs in
health care using biological resources
following traditional practices

 Herbal medicines industries in Indonesia

shows increasing tendency

Up to the end of 2002 there are a total of

1,012 herbal medicine industries in
Indonesia
105 large scale industries and 907 are
categorized as small scale industries.

National Agency of Drug and Food

Control (2003)
9,737 items of herbal medicine
products has been registered
1,039 items of imported products
Jamu Gendong (Paddled Jamu) &
Herbs Decoctions, home-prepared for
self-medication, not compulsory (wajib)
to register.

Indonesian Natural Resources for

Traditional/Herbal Medicines
The Second Mega Biodiversity

30.000 species of flowering plants

grow in tropical rainforest

1000 species has been recognized to

have medicinal potentials

Export values: of : US$ 20 million/yrs

(raw materials); finish product US$ 5
million/yrs (still low) (Moeloek, 2003)

National Policy

The government gives strong support for

development and proper utilization of Indonesia
traditional medicines

Ministry of Health of Indonesia launched the

movement of Back to Nature, Use Indonesian
Traditional Medicine to support and propel the

utilization and development of Indonesian

traditional medicines for health care services
(Moeloek, 1998)

National Health System of

Indonesia empowers the
government to supervise the
traditional medicines for safety and
efficacy, and support its
development and improvement
(1992)

Traditional medicines products

should be registered prior to
marketing

Indonesian Schemes of Herbal

Medicines

First scheme is jamu or herbal mixtures

which has been used empirically as
medicines for self medication.

Second scheme is the standardized

natural extract

Third scheme is phytopharmaca

Utilization of Herbal and

Traditional Medicines in Health
Care Services
(National Survey)

20.5 % (1999) of Indonesian people use

traditional medicines as self medication,
increased to 31.7% (2001)

They either used traditional medicines

produced by industries or self-made or
derived from traditional practitioners

In the last 5 years there are

tendency of increasing number of
conventional medical doctors that
are interested in using herbal and
traditional or complementary and
alternative medicines
They form an association namely:
The Indonesian Complementary
and Alternative Medical Doctor
Association

Challanges in Development of Herbal and

Traditional Medicines in Indonesia (2003)
Factors:

Acceptance of conventional health

providers including the medical
doctors to traditional medicines, is
still low

Absence of traditional medicines

knowledge in medical school
curriculum

Low of standard, either for raw

materials or simplesia, or extract

Research of Medicinal Plants and

Traditional Medicines in Indonesia

Need evident-base medicines, research

concerning the quality, efficacy and safety of
herbal and traditional medicines should be
conducted systematically.

9 plant species considered as the most

promising medicinal plants, i.e. Eugenia
polyantha, Andrographis paniculata,
Curcuma domestica, Curcuma xanthorrhiza,
Guazuma ulmifolia, Piper retrofractum,
Morinda citrifolia, Psidium guajava and
Zingiber officinale (NADFC)

Sembilan Tanaman Obat Unggulan

1. Mengkudu
2. Salam
3. Jambu biji
4. Jati Belanda
5. Temu lawak
6. Cabe Jawa
7. Sambiloto
8. Kunyit
9. Jahe Merah

Eugenia polyantha, Andrographis

paniculata, Curcuma domestica,
Curcuma xanthorrhiza, Guazuma
ulmifolia, Piper retrofractum, Morinda
citrifolia, Psidium guajava and
Zingiber officinale

Table 1. Clinical Trials on 9 Selected Medicinal Plants

No
.
1

Species
Piper retrofractum Vahl.

Part
fruit

Therapeutic Effect

Location

Androgenic

RSCM Jakarta

fruit

antidiabetic

RSUD
Dr. Sutomo
Surabaya

Morinda citrifolia L.

Syzigium polyanthum

leaves

antidiabetic

RSHS Bandung

Andrographis paniculata

herbs

antineoplasm

RSCM Jakarta

Zingiber officinale

rhizome

antineoplasm

RSHS Bandung

Guazuma ulmifolia

leaves

Antihyperlipid-emia

RSCM Jakarta

Curcuma xanthorrhiza L.

rhizomes

Antihyperlipid-emia

RSUD
Kab. Sleman

Curcuma domestica Vahl.

rhizomes

Antihyperlipid-emia

RSUD Kab.
Sleman

leaves

Treatment of DHF
(Dengue
Haemorrhagic Fever)

RSUD
Dr. Sutomo
Surabaya

Psidium guajava

 In 2005 the clinical trials will be continued to

second-term 13 selected medicinal plants, i.e.
brotowali (Tinospora), tanaman akar kucing,
johar, biji pepaya (Carica papaya) etc. Beside
that, clinical trial on 5 from 9 selected
medicinal plants in first term, i.e. buah
mengkudu (), herba sambiloto (), rimpang
jahe merah (), daun jatibelanda (), and jambu
biji () will be continued with different
therapeutic claim.

Table 2. Phytopharmaca Registered in NADFC

(BPOM)
No

Brand Name

Company

Claim

Nodiar

PT Kimia Farma

Relieve nonspecific
diarrhoea

Stimuno

PT Dexa Medica

Immunostimulator

Rheumaneer

PT Nyonya Meneer

Relieve mild joints pain

X-gra

Phapros

Treatment for erection

dysfunction with or
without premature
ejaculation

5.

Tensigard

Phapros

Decrease sistolic and or

diastolic blood tension in
mild hypertension patients
without interfering plasms
electrolite level or blood
sugar level.

Conclusion
Usage of herbal and traditional medicines in
Indonesia can be traced back since ancient
times and showed increasing tendency

Integration of traditional or herbal medicines

into Health Care System in Indonesia still face
many obstacles and challenges.

Low of scientific data to support its efficacy

and safety, and lack of standards either for
simplesia or extracts of medicinal plants as
raw materials for herbal and traditional
medicines

 Rich Indonesian tropical rainforest, the

abundant medicinal plants species and the
culture and knowledge of traditional
medicines in various ethnic groups are great
positive factors in developing herbal and
traditional medicines in Indonesia.

Big population of Indonesia is a prospective

market for herbal and traditional medicines
besides the global market.