The importance of the lesser-known Tongkat Ali Plants of Polyalthia bullata and Stema tuberosa for aging men

Tongkat Ali, is a popular name in Malaysia and worldwide. Tongkat Ali is synonym to a number of plants traditionally used as aphrodisiacs. Other than the most popular Tongkat Ali plant of Eurycoma longifolia (or Tongkat Ali Putih), not known by many people are the two other Tongkat Ali plants of Ste...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Fatinah, Ahmad, Sharifah Aminah, Tuan Said, Jaya Vejayan, Palliah
Format: Conference or Workshop Item
Language:English
Published: AIP Publishing 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/45118/
http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/45118/1/The%20importance%20of%20the%20lesser-known%20Tongkat%20Ali%20Plants.pdf
_version_ 1848827255788142592
author Fatinah, Ahmad
Sharifah Aminah, Tuan Said
Jaya Vejayan, Palliah
author_facet Fatinah, Ahmad
Sharifah Aminah, Tuan Said
Jaya Vejayan, Palliah
author_sort Fatinah, Ahmad
building UMP Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Tongkat Ali, is a popular name in Malaysia and worldwide. Tongkat Ali is synonym to a number of plants traditionally used as aphrodisiacs. Other than the most popular Tongkat Ali plant of Eurycoma longifolia (or Tongkat Ali Putih), not known by many people are the two other Tongkat Ali plants of Stema tuberosa (Tongkat Ali Merah) and Polyalthia bullata (Tongkat Ali Hitam). Their names have been assigned due to their root colours, i.e. white, red and black. E. longifolia has been extensively sold and studied for its pharmacological activities, including aphrodisiac, antimalarial, anticancer, and antimicrobial properties. While the two lesser-known Tongkat Ali plants have not been well documented on their botanical features and pharmacological benefits, this review gives a comprehensive literature compilation to fill the knowledge gaps. All three types of Tongkat Ali plants claimed for many traditional uses and have been identified to exhibit pharmacological activities such as antimalarial, anticancer and antimicrobial activities. However, to date, their most distinctive pharmacological activities are their aphrodisiac capabilities due to their potential to boost testosterone. Testosterone, a crucial hormone for human health, is responsible for various bodily functions such as sexual performances, muscle mass, bone mass, and brain normalities. Treatments for low testosterone levels include testosterone replacement therapy, which if left uncontrolled can cause liver damage, jaundice, elevated hemoglobin levels, sleep apnea, and skin reactions. Some aging men experienced lower than normal serum testosterone levels and often resort to more natural testosterone boosters by consuming Tongkat Ali plants instead. This review emphasizes the values of S. tuberosa and P. bullata with scientific evidences as aphrodisiac plants worthy of being used similar to the more popular Tongkat Ali of E. longifolia.
first_indexed 2025-11-15T03:57:49Z
format Conference or Workshop Item
id ump-45118
institution Universiti Malaysia Pahang
institution_category Local University
language English
last_indexed 2025-11-15T03:57:49Z
publishDate 2025
publisher AIP Publishing
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling ump-451182025-07-18T07:38:26Z http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/45118/ The importance of the lesser-known Tongkat Ali Plants of Polyalthia bullata and Stema tuberosa for aging men Fatinah, Ahmad Sharifah Aminah, Tuan Said Jaya Vejayan, Palliah Q Science (General) RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology TP Chemical technology Tongkat Ali, is a popular name in Malaysia and worldwide. Tongkat Ali is synonym to a number of plants traditionally used as aphrodisiacs. Other than the most popular Tongkat Ali plant of Eurycoma longifolia (or Tongkat Ali Putih), not known by many people are the two other Tongkat Ali plants of Stema tuberosa (Tongkat Ali Merah) and Polyalthia bullata (Tongkat Ali Hitam). Their names have been assigned due to their root colours, i.e. white, red and black. E. longifolia has been extensively sold and studied for its pharmacological activities, including aphrodisiac, antimalarial, anticancer, and antimicrobial properties. While the two lesser-known Tongkat Ali plants have not been well documented on their botanical features and pharmacological benefits, this review gives a comprehensive literature compilation to fill the knowledge gaps. All three types of Tongkat Ali plants claimed for many traditional uses and have been identified to exhibit pharmacological activities such as antimalarial, anticancer and antimicrobial activities. However, to date, their most distinctive pharmacological activities are their aphrodisiac capabilities due to their potential to boost testosterone. Testosterone, a crucial hormone for human health, is responsible for various bodily functions such as sexual performances, muscle mass, bone mass, and brain normalities. Treatments for low testosterone levels include testosterone replacement therapy, which if left uncontrolled can cause liver damage, jaundice, elevated hemoglobin levels, sleep apnea, and skin reactions. Some aging men experienced lower than normal serum testosterone levels and often resort to more natural testosterone boosters by consuming Tongkat Ali plants instead. This review emphasizes the values of S. tuberosa and P. bullata with scientific evidences as aphrodisiac plants worthy of being used similar to the more popular Tongkat Ali of E. longifolia. AIP Publishing 2025-01-28 Conference or Workshop Item PeerReviewed pdf en http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/45118/1/The%20importance%20of%20the%20lesser-known%20Tongkat%20Ali%20Plants.pdf Fatinah, Ahmad and Sharifah Aminah, Tuan Said and Jaya Vejayan, Palliah (2025) The importance of the lesser-known Tongkat Ali Plants of Polyalthia bullata and Stema tuberosa for aging men. In: AIP Conference Proceedings. AIP Conference Proceedings; 2nd International Conference on Industry-Academia Initiatives in Biotechnology and Chemistry, iCIABC 2023 , 27 - 28 November 2023 , Virtual, Online. pp. 1-13., 3275 (020008). ISSN 0094-243X ISBN 978-073545107-0 (Published) https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0248782
spellingShingle Q Science (General)
RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology
TP Chemical technology
Fatinah, Ahmad
Sharifah Aminah, Tuan Said
Jaya Vejayan, Palliah
The importance of the lesser-known Tongkat Ali Plants of Polyalthia bullata and Stema tuberosa for aging men
title The importance of the lesser-known Tongkat Ali Plants of Polyalthia bullata and Stema tuberosa for aging men
title_full The importance of the lesser-known Tongkat Ali Plants of Polyalthia bullata and Stema tuberosa for aging men
title_fullStr The importance of the lesser-known Tongkat Ali Plants of Polyalthia bullata and Stema tuberosa for aging men
title_full_unstemmed The importance of the lesser-known Tongkat Ali Plants of Polyalthia bullata and Stema tuberosa for aging men
title_short The importance of the lesser-known Tongkat Ali Plants of Polyalthia bullata and Stema tuberosa for aging men
title_sort importance of the lesser-known tongkat ali plants of polyalthia bullata and stema tuberosa for aging men
topic Q Science (General)
RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology
TP Chemical technology
url http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/45118/
http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/45118/
http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/45118/1/The%20importance%20of%20the%20lesser-known%20Tongkat%20Ali%20Plants.pdf