Background: The use of finished herbal products (FHPs) among Malaysians today is expanding rapidly leading to a huge market of FHPs in the country. However, the mass production of FHPs in today’s market is alarming due to safety-use issues that could lead to serious adverse effects. Nevertheless, demands are still high for FHPs as most consumers perceived it as safe to consume as it is made from natural substances as the active ingredients. This study aims to explore the safe use elements of FHPs identified by two stakeholders: consumers and practitioners in Malaysia and further compare these elements with the current regulations. Methods: As an exploratory study, its approach is to investigate at an in-depth level of understanding of safe use elements from the involved stakeholders: consumers and practitioners. We had a total of 4 focus group discussion sessions (1 FGD session with consumer and 3 FGD sessions with practitioners) as a method of collecting data from the participants. The FGDs were conducted in local native Malaysian and then being translated by researchers without changing their meanings. Thematic analysis was done which involves methodically reading through the verbatim transcripts and consequently segmenting and coding the text into categories that highlight what the participants have discussed. Results: From the result, we found that both practitioners and consumers agreed a safe FHP must be in compliance with the guidelines from the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH). There are other safe use elements highlighted including halal certification, trusted over-the-counter outlets, and published reports on the safety, efficacy, and quality. Conclusions: In conclusion, both practitioners and consumers agreed that the most important safe-use element is compliance with MOH guidelines, but the depth of discussion regarding the safety elements among these stakeholders holds a very huge gap. Thus, initiatives must be planned to increase the knowledge and understanding about the MOH guidelines towards achieving a sustainable ecosystem in the safe use of FHPs.

In the annals of biomedical theory perhaps no single class of natural product has enjoyed more ingenious speculation than antioxidants formally aimed at counteracting oxidative insults which are involved in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, skin ageing and wound healing. In pursuing our study of Malaysian traditional medicines with antioxidant properties, we became interested in Acalypha wilkesiana var. macafeana hort., used traditionally to heal wounds. To examine whether Acalypha wilkesiana var. macafeana hort. could suppress oxidation an ethanol extract was tested by conventional chemical in vitro assays i.e., ferric reducing antioxidant potential assay (FRAP), DPPH scavenging assay and beta-carotene bleaching (BCB) assay. To explore whether Acalypha wilkesiana var. macafeana hort. protected cells against oxidative injuries, we exposed human hepatocellular liver carcinoma (HepG2) cells to tert-butylhydroperoxide (t-BHP). In all the aforementioned experiments, the ethanol extracts elicited potent antioxidant and cytoprotective activities. To gain a better understanding of the phytochemical nature of the antioxidant principle involved, five fractions (F1-F5) obtained from the ethanol extract were tested using FRAP, DPPH and BCB assays. Our results provided evidence that F5 was the most active fraction with antioxidant potentials equal to 2.090 ± 0.307 μg/mL, 0.532 ± 0.041 μg/mL, 0.032 ± 0.025 μg/mL in FRAP, DPPH and BCB assay, respectively. Interestingly, F5 protected HepG2 against t-BHP oxidative insults. To further define the chemical identity of the antioxidant principle, we first performed a series of phytochemical tests, followed by liquid-chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC/MS) profiling which showed that the major compound contained in F5 was geraniin. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report showing that the wound healing property of Acalypha wilkesiana var. macafeana hort. is mediated by a geraniin containing extract. Furthermore, our data leads us to conclude that geraniin could be used as a potential pharmaceutical and/or cosmetic topical agent.

This study evaluated the level of knowledge of effects, knowledge of safe use, information complexity of natural health products and consumers' perceived safety and efficacy toward natural health products used to control or cure Covid19 viruses in Malaysia. The validated questionnaires were used to survey randomly selected stakeholders in Malaysia, who were asked to participate voluntarily in an online survey from 1st September 2020 to 31st December 2020. 723 respondents of adults above 18 years old returned completed questionnaires. The survey used for data collection consisted of 5 questions on knowledge of effects, 4 questions on knowledge for safe-use, 9 questions on perception towards safety and efficacy and 4 questions on the information complexity of natural health products. Besides that, 8 questions are being asked on the demography of respondents at the very end of the survey. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 was used to analyse the data. The mean score, correlation and regression values were the focus of this study. The findings provide various opportunities to investigate Malaysian consumers' perceptions which facilitates the development of regulation and strategic plans

Malaysia has committed to phasing out single-use plastics as part of its national sustainability agenda; however, the specific regulatory guidelines for implementing biodegradable and compostable bioplastics remain underdeveloped. This study aims to formulate practical and scalable guidelines for biodegradable and compostable bioplastic products, with a focus on the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur as a pilot case. Using a stakeholder-driven approach, a series of focus group discussions (FGDs) was conducted with key representatives from government bodies and the bioplastics industry. The guideline development process encompassed the identification and standardisation of terminology, definition of scope, certification frameworks, regulatory alignment, implementation strategies, and compliance mechanisms. The findings reveal a consensus among stakeholders on the need for clear and harmonised definitions to prevent ambiguity, as well as for certification protocols and enforcement mechanisms to align with existing legal frameworks. Revisions were proposed to terms, scope, and timelines to ensure legal compatibility and practical enforceability. The proposed guideline framework offers substantial potential for national adoption, contingent on inclusive stakeholder engagement across all Malaysian states to ensure uniformity and contextual relevance in its implementation. This study advances Malaysia’s SDG commitments by promoting sustainable bioplastics guidelines, encouraging national adoption through stakeholder engagement, and emphasising future integration of the life cycle assessment (LCA) to enhance the policy’s impact.

Background Inclination towards Herbal Health Products (HHP) among patients and consumers are increasing, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic. The aim of this study is to explore the various reasons behind the usage and recurring use of HHP among patients and consumers in Malaysia and understand the construct that motivates consumers to make a recurring purchase of HHPs. Methods To explore the purpose underlying usage of herbal health products (HHP) and its constructs of preferred choice and motivations for recurring use among Malaysians, this study employs a qualitative approach of in-depth interviews with 30 participants whom are consumers of any herbal health products in Malaysia. Participants were interviewed regarding their experiences and opinions using a semi-structured protocol, and data were transcribed and thematically analyzed. Results There are three main purpose of HHP usage among Malaysians, which are to treat illness, to control symptoms or pain related to illness and to prevent illness or promote general health. Among these identified purpose of usage, it is observed that usage of HHP for treatment are for non-chronic illnesses, whereas usage to control symptoms are for chronic illnesses. To explore the reasons further, it is observed that there are few constructs that make HHP the preferred choice among consumers which are perceived safety of the herbal products; its effectiveness to treat or control illness; perceived to have less side effects compared to conventional medicine; religious beliefs; and price worthiness of the product. Motivational constructs for repurchase of HHPs are perceived efficacy to health and well-being, reduction in prescribed medicine dosage and reasonable price. Conclusion In summary, there are myriad of reasons underlying the preferences towards the consumption of HHP among Malaysians and motivation for repurchase according to individual objectives. Awareness for safe use of HHP among consumers pertaining to the herbal ingredients needs to be promoted to align the purpose of use and its real efficacy towards illness management. Initiatives for safe use of HHP must be done in order to safeguard consumers from unnecessary health risks and adverse effects in HHP consumption.