Eurycoma longifolia Jack (aka, longjack or Tongkat Ali or Pasak Bumi) is a flowering plant in the family Simaroubaceae, native to Indonesia and Malaysia.
Tongkat ali ( pasak bumi) is a small evergreen tree growing to 15 m (49 ft) tall, with spirally arranged, pinnate leaves 20-40 cm (8-16 inches) long with 13-41 leaflets. The flowers are dioecious, with male and female flowers on different trees; they are produced in large panicles, each flower with 5-6 very small petals. The fruit is green ripening dark red, 1-2 cm long and 0.5-1 cm broad.
Uses
Eurycoma longifolia (pasak bumi or tongkat ali) has become popular for its alleged testosterone-enhancing properties. It has therefore been included in some herbal supplements for bodybuilders. Historically, South East Asia has utilised the herb for its suggested antimalarial, antipyretic, antiulcer, cytotoxic and aphrodisiac properties.
Some scientific studies suggest that it enhances sexual characteristics and performance in animals However, most of these studies were conducted by the same researchers, so more research is needed.
In other studies, fractions of Eurycoma longifolia Jack ( tongkat ali or pasak bumi )extract have been shown to induce apoptosis in breast-cancer cells and to be cytotoxic to lung-cancer cells.
The British Journal of Sports Medicine published the results of a scientific study in 2003, which showed that Eurycoma longifolia caused increased muscle strength and size when compared to a placebo. This may demonstrate the anabolic properties of Tongkat Ali but again more research is needed. Some athletes and body builders now use Tongkat Ali extract in the hope that it will act as a testosterone-booster, to improve muscle size, strength, and performance without drugs.
Eurycomanone as a bioactive component has shown strong anti-malarial and anticancer activities. It is currently selected for further investigation of its derivatives and also to improve its anti-malarial and anticancer activities .
There have been quite a few studies on the effect that Eurycoma has on the sexual behavior of male rats, which support its folk use as an aphrodisiac. The effects of Eurycoma were studied on sexually experienced male rats, castrated rats, sexually inexperienced rats, and middle-aged rats. All studies indicated an increase in the rats' sexual activity.
In a recent study at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Science Malaysia, the effects of Eurycoma were studied on the orientation activities of middle-aged rats towards females. The male rats were given Eurocyma extract twice daily for ten days. When compared to the controls, the treated male rats showed more interest in the female rats in terms of sniffing, licking and mounting. The male rats were also more interested in their environment, which they expressed by climbing, exploring and self-grooming. The study concluded that Eurycoma has a definite effect on the orientation activities of middle-aged male rats .
In another study of the aphrodisiac property of Eurycoma on sexually inexperienced male rats, an electric grid was used in the rats' cage to deter them from crossing over to the cage with the female rats. The rats treated with Eurocyma were willing to overcome the intensity of the grid current to reach the receptive female rats. The untreated rats, however, did not pursue the female rats. Results showed that Eurycoma continued to enhance and also maintain a high level of the total number of successful crossovers, mountings, intromissions and ejaculations during the 9-12 week observation period. In conclusion, these results further enhanced and strengthened the aphrodisiac property of Eurycoma. longifolia .
Additionally, other studies have determined that Eurycoma's chemical constituents called quassinoids were found to exhibit anti-tumor and anti-parasitic activities.
The Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) in cooperation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has an ongoing five-year Malaysia MIT Biotechnology Partnership Program (MMBPP) to determine the herb's health benefits and to see if it works as an aphrodisiac because it increases testosterone. In Thailand the Faculty of Science of the Mahidol University is investigating the active compounds in Eurycoma and an Indonesian pharmaceutical company is also testing the herb
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