Vietnam seeks way to produce herbal medicine

Hoan Ngoc (Pseuderanthemum) is on a list of 47 medicinal plants subject to priority development announced by the Ministry of Health.



In Vietnam, Hoan Ngoc was known only as a herb used to treat common diseases until it appeared in Planta Medica, a German medical journal distributed in 150 countries.

Since then, scientists began paying more attention to a newly discovered medicinal substance which bears the name of a Vietnamese woman.

Tay Ninh province in Vietnam is the area where land and weather conditions are most suited for the plant to develop and give the best medicinal quality.

Hoan Ngoc is now being developed by two companies Tra Tam Lan and Hoan Ngoc Bay Nga Tay Ninh.

Ten years ago, scientists from Fuchu agriculture international research institute joined forces with Can Tho University to announce the result of the research on Hoan Ngoc plant.

They said the plant could help treat 25 diseases including steatosis, fibrosis, hypertension, diabetes, and infections.

In fighting disease, most remedies are based on western medicine, but the majority of people have little awareness of disease prevention from herbs. This is why tea bag products refined from the Hoan Ngoc plant are sold at VND50,000-80,000/box only and the market remains small. 

Vo Thi Lan, director of Tra Tam Lan Company, said the production of tea bags from Hoan Ngoc plant can bring very modest profit, while the major revenue of the company is from import medicine.

However, Lan still decides to develop and distribute Hoan Ngoc-based products so as to popularize the wonderful effects of the plant and help more people treat diseases at low costs.

Bui Kim Nga, director of Hoan Ngoc Bay Nga Tay Ninh, also said the company focuses on developing the domestic market.

In 2001, the Hoan Ngoc tea factory was built. In 2010, MOIT and the government invested VND880 million to help Nga conduct research and develop the precious medicinal plant.

In 2012, the project was praised for purity and medicinal substance. To date, the value of Hoan Ngoc Bay Nga Tay Ninh factory has reached VND100 billion.

Nga is the investor of a state-level research project to make antitumor products from Hoan Ngoc plant.

During project implementation, besides the discovered active elements such as Lupeol, Lupenone, botulinum and Axit Pomolic, scientists found a new compound – Diepoxylingan, which is named “Palatinignan BNGATN” (Bay Nga Tay Ninh).

This compound creates synergistic effects, helps increase performance, and shortens treatment time.

Mai Chi