Current Scenario of Herbal Industry in Malaysia

The changing trend towards the use of natural ingredients in product formulation has becoming very significant nowadays. Herbal products have gained increasing popularity in the last decade, and are now used by approximately 20% of the population and contribute to the health care of our people. The natural products global trade is projected to be over RM2 trillion by the year 2020 as more people are turning to herbal-based products as nutritional and dietary supplements; an alternative to the conventional therapeutic medicine. Therefore it is hoped that the utilisation of natural ingredients could be capitalised for the mass production of herbal based products. Malaysian herbal product market is experiencing tremendous growth. Malaysia's rich tropical biodiversity is a reliable source for natural health products, and the Government is now addressing its full potential. Although herbs are often perceived as “natural” and therefore safe, many safety issues and side effects have been reported owing to active ingredients, contaminants, or interactions with modern drugs. Before herbal-based products are commercialized, several processes/steps which are critical aspects of the development and marketing of product must be addressed. Thus, there is an urgent need to conduct experimental research to provide scientific evidence in terms of safety, efficacy and quality of herbal medicines. In addition the plants as sources for new lead structure for drug development especially the active compounds that are beneficial for human health requires further investigation.