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Cannabis extract could treat wide range of illnesses, says world-renowned Professor Roger Pertwee

Professor Roger Pertwee, a world-renowned expert on cannabis

We noted an interesting article by Helen Puttick in the Times, March 25th, 2019. It is reported that cannabis extract cannabidiol (CBD) could be used to treat a wide range of ailments from arthritis and anxiety  to Parkinson’s disease, according to a world-leading expert on cannabis, Professor Roger Pertwee.  

This would be good news for many sufferers of these ailments, including our family. My father- in-law suffered Parkinson’s disease for a few years, having severe shaking hands. My wife is taking dietary supplements to reduce arthritis pain.  

Professor Roger Pertwee said that there should be multiple trials of treatments using the compound   CBD,  arguing that it  has excellent medical benefits and the side-effects are potentially fewer than many traditional drugs.

He believes that CBD could be used to treat a list of at least 15 conditions including pain, skin conditions, bowel disease, neurodegenerative disorders, depression, schizophrenia and the bone condition osteoporosis.

Professor Roger Pertwee, an emeritus professor at the University of Aberdeen who has won multiple awards for his research on CBD is one of the most cited researchers in the world, said  that people were self-medicating without knowing the safety of the products they had bought or grown themselves.

He called for users to report experiences to the International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines to build up a picture of effectiveness. He used testimonies from multiple sclerosis patients using cannabis in a project which ultimately led to licensing the first cannabis-based medicine in the UK.

CBD became better known last year when parents of children with severe epilepsy in the UK secured a change in the law so they could obtain a drug containing the compound which can reduce seizures.

Professor Roger Pertwee, who is related to the former Dr Who actor Jon Pertwee, has been investigating CBD since the 1960s, and in the 1980s was involved in the publication of a paper showing that people produce cannabinoids themselves. He is working with collaborators in the US to see if drugs could boost this natural system and provide an alternative to current pain relief treatments.

He also believes that the CBD found in cannabis, or a synthetic equivalent, should be considered as a treatment for a wide variety of conditions. He said: “It has got a lot of potential uses. I think too many probably. There is evidence it is good for Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease. It might be a good anti-schizophrenia drug, but that needs to be tested properly.

Professor Roger Pertwee said that medicines must undergo clinical trials and secure approval as safe and effective.

“At the moment it is a crazy world where we have all these people producing cannabidiol or cannabis oils. How good some of them are we do not know. If there are risks to them, we know not.”

People growing cannabis plants may use insecticides on them and it was vital these were not present in the finished product. The plant can also change as it is bred, Professor Roger Pertwee said, and measures need to be taken to ensure each generation of the plant is identical.

Bio-data of Professor Roger Pertwee

Professor Roger Pertwee is Emeritus Professor of Neuropharmacology at the School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK. Professor Roger Pertwee has three degrees from the University of Oxford: MA (in biochemistry), D.Phil. (in pharmacology) and D.Sc. (in physiological sciences).

A note on extraction of CBD from cannabis

To extract CBD-rich cannabis oil, one must start with CBD-rich plant material. There are many ways to extract oil from the cannabis plant, each has its pros and cons. Some methods are safer and more effective than others. Cannabis oil made with neurotoxic solvents like butane and hexane may leave unsafe residues that compromise immune function and impede healing.

  • CO2 extraction. The supercritical (or subcritical) CO2 method uses carbon dioxide under high pressure and extremely low temperatures to isolate, preserve, and maintain the purity of the medicinal oil. This process requires expensive equipment and a steep operational learning curve. But, when done well the end product is safe, potent, and free of chlorophyll.
  • Ethanol. High-grade grain alcohol can be used to create high-quality cannabis oil appropriate for vape pen cartridges and other products. But this extraction method destroys the plant waxes, which may have health benefits that are favored by some product-makers.
  • Olive oil. Extra virgin or otherwise, olive oil can also be used to extract cannabis oil. Dr. Arno Hazekamp, director of phytochemical research at Bedrocan BV, which supplies medical cannabis for the Dutch Health Ministry, reports this method is both safe and inexpensive, “You won’t blow yourself up making cannabis-infused olive oil.” However, cannabis-infused olive oil–whether CBD-rich or THC-dominant–is perishable and should be stored in a cool, dark place.

Source:  https://www.projectcbd.org/guidance/cannabis-oil-extraction

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Serai kayu – remedy for treating hypertension in East Coast of Malaysia

A young serai kayu tree. Its leavers are used as condiments in local dishes

Syzygium polyanthum, common names Indonesian bay leaf in English, serai kayu in Malay is a mildly aromatic species of a wild flowering plant native to South East Asia under the Myrtaceae family. The plant is called by various names in Indonesia and Malaysia. In Indonesia its other names are daun salam, meselengan, ubar serai, gowok, manting and kastolam. In Malaysia the name serai kayu is more widely used in the east coast states of Kelantan and Terengganu in Peninsular Malaysia. In the west coast it is often call daun samak or daun salam. Used as food seasoning, serai kayu is often confused with Mediterranean bay laurel (Laurus nobilis, Lauraceae) which is used as food seasoning and flavoring. Serai kayu may to a certain extend has similar foliage and aroma to bay laurel but is from a different family.

The serai kayu plant or tree can grow to a height of 30 metres. The leaves are elliptic of 5 to 13 centimeters long and 3 to 6 centimeters wide. They are dark green in color and have a distinct aroma when crushed. The leaves contain citral and eugenol oil, tannin and flavanoid. The tree bears clusters of small, cream-colored flowers which attract bees, butterflies, wasps and other insects for nectar (good news for all beekeepers). The flowers produce whitish green drupes (small single seed fruits like berries) that turn to pink and dark red when fully ripe which attract birds, squirrels et cetera. The tree is of medium hardwood and suitable for making furniture and other house items. The leaves are the most important and sought after part of the plant, while the barks, roots and fruits are less frequently used though has medicinal value as well. The plant is easy to propagate, either from fruits (seeds) or cuttings.

Serai kayu trees used to be quite common in the country but with the flow of time, many were discarded and replaced with other more commercially valuable trees and somewhat forgotten. Nowadays, except in Kelantan and Terengganu, they are quite hard to find in the peninsular. The trees are relatively easy to find in these two states as their leaves feature prominently in many local dishes. Also in the two states their uses in traditional medicine are better known, hence are often kept or even planted at the back of the house for future uses when the need arises.

Use of serai kayu for cooking

In the states of Kelantan and Terengganu, in certain dishes the leaves are used more than just for seasoning. In dishes such as nasi kerabu, laksa and laksam for example, serai kayu leaves are such important ingredients that without them the dishes are considered incomplete. The leaves are also taken with rice as salads or ulam with or without sambal belacan (a side dish of blended or pounded chilly, shrimp paste, salt and squeezed lime juice taken with rice to complement the fish or ulam) or budu (fermented anchovies). In Indonesia the leaves are used as seasoning in cooking, usually in chicken, meat, fish and vegetable dishes. They give out a distinct pleasant aroma, much in the same way as bay leaves (bay laurel) are used in Mediterranean dishes.

Use of serai kayu in folk medicine

In the east coast states of Kelantan and Terengganu, the leaves of serai kayu are used to treat hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, gastritis, and diarrhea among others.

As for hypertension it has been a subject of study by a team of researches from the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Kubang Krian campus in Kelantan. The team had done a laboratory study on the treatment for hypertension using serai kayu on rats. In the study it was found that serai kayu was effective in lowering the blood pressure of the rats by as much as 30%. This research by the USM team was conducted in relation to the findings obtained from the National Health Morbidity Surveys (NHMS) done in 1996 and 2006. The findings revealed inter alia, a much lower than expected incidence of hypertension in Kelantan vis-à-vis the national average. The figure for Kelantan was only 13.9% while national average was 40.5%. (In the first NHMS conducted in 1996, 32.4% or 2.6 millions of Malaysian above 30 years old had hypertension. In the second survey done ten years later, the percentage of Malaysian above 30 that had hypertension had jumped to 40.5%. Ironically however for the state of Kelantan, from out of 2,508 subjects surveyed, only 13.9% had hypertension). This revealing article had appeared in the online version of Berita Harian, a Malaysian newspaper on 30th, September 2014.

From the research conducted one can surmise that consuming serai kayu on a regular basis, as well as taking serai kayu as remedy for hypertension were likely factors that contributed to the lower incidence of hypertension recorded in the state. It is common knowledge that many people in Kelantan and Terengganu took to serai kayu as a remedy for hypertension. Serai kayu features prominently in many foods there as well.

Awareness is on the rise

People are now rediscovering serai kayu as a prized plant, not just as a food seasoning but also as a remedy for various illnesses. Its medicinal value has long been known in traditional medicine but the knowledge was not widespread and developed enough to gain wider acceptance. This could be due to the lack of Research and Development (R&D) as well as communication limitation. However, with the digital technology and the widespread use of social media, time is changing and the futures looks brighter. Now, more and more people are talking and discussing about the subject in blogs and facebooks. Even universities and other research institutions are undertaking various researches on this subject. All aimed at either to unearth more of its secrets, to confirm what has already been known or to commercialize the findings.  It is interesting to see that serai kayu saplings are now easily available in nurseries, both conventional and online, and people are buying them. Serai kayu products in powder and extract forms are also already on the market.

Besides uses in culinary and medicine the plants have the potential to be used as ornamental trees and beautify the landscape. They have nice foliage and crowns to do the job especially when they bloom. They can also be grown to provide shades in gardens, parks, parking lots et cetera.

Comments by Dato’ Dr Anuar Md Nor

The serai kayu is a multi-purpose tree. Its leaves and fruits are used in dishes and treatment of various aliments. Its fruits feed various birds. Unfortunately, the serai kayu tree has been abandoned for more commercial trees.

Everyone must plant the serai kayu tree to sustain its species for our future generation.

About the guest contributor

Mr Ahmad Rozi is a stingless bee farmer in Terengganu, Malaysia. He writes on interesting topics about foods, places and traditional medicines in his state and region.

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Moringa Tree: Superfood Crop

Today, we have an opportunity to discuss with Professor Sayed Azam Ali, CEO, Centre of Crops for the Future, located at University of Nottingham Malaysia. Among the topics of discussion were the impact of climate change on major crops in Malaysia, such as oil palm and rice. A higher variation of temperatures observed over a period of years would impact on the productivity of crops such as rice. In addition, the world’s agriculture is mainly focused on four major crops such as rice, wheat, maize and soybean. He said the temperature in Britain has become warmer while the temperature has become hotter.

The R&D Centre of Crops of the Future

Professor Sayed noted that efforts should be directed towards reviving forgotten crops. He highlighted that moringa tree is one, which leaves contain several bio-actives for general good health. The moringa tree originated from India and then brought into Malaya (Malaysia before 1957) by Indian immigrants. The moringa tree, over time, had adopted well in Malaysia.

Moringa Trees Plantation

The leaves of Moringa are packed with a full spectrum of nutrients. They are consumed in powder form by pounding fresh dried leaves.

Centre of Crops for the Future had undertaken expensive research efforts on the planting of moringa tree and product developments. We have agreed to promote intensive cultivation of moringa trees under plantation method. We can also assist smallholders to plant moringa trees. The leaves are suitable as feed for small animals such as goats and rabbits. The leaves of moringa trees can be harvested after six months.

We are offering locally-grown moringa leaves and power in our eStore.

Please contact Dato’ Dr Anuar Md Nor at 016 3220 952 or email at datodranuar@gmail.com.