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

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piece of work was prepared by pulling together trustworthy information from all the accessible published and unpublished scientific resources to serve as a reliable source of reference for future investigations.

Key words: Malaysian Ginseng, Eurycomanone, Tongkat Ali, Quassinoids, Ergogenic, Pasak Bumi.