Eurycoma longifolia Jack (Simarubaceae); Advances in Its Medicinal Potentials

Abstract

Eurycoma longifolia Jack is a tall slender shrub-tree which is well-reputed among the natives of South East Asia for its potent aphrodisiac effect. Its root extracts have shown important biological activities such as antitumor, antimalarial, antibacterial, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive, Osteoprotective, and ergogenic which are mainly attributed to quassinoids. Commercially it is available in the form of drinks (along with other herbs), capsules, or loose powders. Based on available online databases it was realized that in spite of numerous reports on medicinal properties of E. longifolia, a review of recent developments regarding phytopharmacology, safety and toxicology, pharmacokinetics, and clinical applications was lacking. Therefore, this concise yet informative piece of work was prepared by pulling together trustworthy information from all the accessible published and unpublished scientific resources to serve as a reliable source of reference for future investigations.

Efficacy and safety of Eurycoma longifolia (Physta®) water extract plus multivitamins on quality of life, mood and stress: a randomized placebo-controlled and parallel study

“…In South East Asia, where traditional/herbal medicine is popular, supplementation with Eurycoma longifolia Jack, Simaroubaceae ( Tongkat Ali or Malaysian ginseng), has been shown to be efficacious for alleviating stress (6), as well as many other ailments including fever, arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes, low energy or libido, bacterial infections and cancer (7–9). Eurycoma longifolia (EL) is a slender evergreen tree mainly found in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.…”

“…Another related study showed improvement in QoL and sexual well-being in men, specifically in the domains of ‘physical function’ and ‘vitality’ (11). The roots of EL are largely responsible for its biological activity due to the presence of alkaloids, quassinoids, quassinoid diterpenoids, eurycomacoside, eurycolactone, laurylcolactone or eurycomalactone and pasakbumin-B (7) and peptides (12). It has been demonstrated to reduce stress through the reduction of cortisol (6) with a concurrent increase in lymphocytes and natural killer cells (13).…”

The supplementation of pasak bumi (Eurycoma longifolia Jack.) in undernourished rats to increase spatial memory through antioxidant mechanism

“…statistically significantly different. Previous studies have shown pasak bumi also improves cognition in normal mice 4 weeks old [26]. In this study the tendency to increase spatial memory was thought to be through antioxidant mechanisms.…”

Anti-Inflammatory, Antinociceptive, Antipyretic, and Gastroprotective Effects of Eurycoma longifolia Jack Ethanolic Extract

“…E. longifolia leaf decoctions are used to wash away itches, while its root bark is used to treat gastric ulcers, diarrhea, and fever. Additionally, its roots are utilized as an appetite stimulant and nutritional supplement [38]. Numerous investigations on the bioactivity of this plant have been conducted; however, the antiinflammatory, antinociceptive, and antipyretic activities of ethanolic E. longifolia Jack (ELJ) and its protective efficacy against gastric ulcers have not been investigated.…”