Anti-cancer compound found in SE Asian plant

Anti-cancer compound found in SE Asian plant

Reuters, Kuala Lumpur

Research has shown that a Malaysian jungle plant widely believed to be an aphrodisiac could also be effective against cancer and HIV, a newspaper reported on Sunday.

The New Sunday Times said early results from a study conducted by a Malaysian government-sponsored agency and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that some chemical constituents of the 'tongkat ali' plant show high anti-cancer and anti-HIV activity.

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Forest Research Institute Malaysia director-general Abdul Razak Mohd Ali was quoted by the newspaper as saying that initial laboratory work had shown that the chemical constituents could be more effective than existing anti-cancer drugs.

Tongkat ali, scientifically known as eurycoma longifolia, is reputed to boost the male sex drive although villagers have long used it to improve blood circulation and cure skin diseases.

Malaysia last year patented the plant, which also grows in Thailand and Indonesia, to give the country a big push into the herbal medicine industry.

Another Malaysian-U.S. study had also shown that the bintangor tree found in Malaysia's eastern state of Sarawak is a source of an anti-AIDS compound -- calonolide. It is currently undergoing clinical trial in the United States.