KOTA BHARU: Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) through the Faculty of Bioengineering and Technology (FBKT) is developing a pilot project of agroforestry and health products based on black turmeric to be commercialized.

 FBKT Senior Lecturer, Prof Dr Wan Mohd Faizal Wan Ishak said that UMK and the Magical Wisdom company cooperated in planting 200,000 black turmeric seedlings organically without using chemical fertilizers.

He said the plant has high potential in the market because it is a species of an herbal plant from the ginger family group that has been used in traditional medicine since ages.

 "Among the discoveries that have been made include it is able to increase the activity of body cell metabolism, anticancer, relaxation of blood vessels, heart protection, increased sexual activity, nerve protection, antiallergy and antibacterial.

 "Studies also found that the use of black turmeric provides health protection as well as energy, and we are still conducting in-depth research to understand the reaction mechanism that occurs in the body," he said in a statement here today.

 Wan Mohd Faizal said that black turmeric has a very high content of two active substances that are bioflavonoids and methoxyflavones. These two substances are very necessary for the human body to improve the body's system in addition to having a quick recovery effect.

"The supply of black turmeric in Malaysia is quite difficult to obtain, and that factor makes the black turmeric plant is not as popular as other herbal plants. This plant originates from Thailand and Cambodia, and is usually imported from Thailand, Taiwan, and India.

 "Therefore, the price is quite expensive, and it can reach between RM500 and RM1000 per kilogram. Its cultivation in Malaysia is still quite limited because it is susceptible to disease attacks," he said.