UP Manila develops 'cost-effective' herbal painkiller

The University of the Philippines Manila has developed a cost-effective painkiller made of yerba buena (Mentha x villosa Huds Fam. Lamiaceae), also known as marsh mint or spearmint.

Cecilia Maramba, director of the university's Institute of Herbal Medicine said that in looking for ways to alleviate pain, they turned to what traditional healers were doing and found yerba buena as an effective alternative.

"We're looking for ways to alleviate pain. And the initial suggestions (was) yerba buena (which) came from our traditional healers. Ginagamit din po nila 'to (They also use this) for pain," the director told GMA News Online in an interview.

"And what we do at the institute is to scientifically validate many of the suggestions of what our traditional healers do. So parang sila 'yung starting point. Marami rin pong na-screen na ibang mga plants pero 'yung for pain 'yung yerba buena 'yung pinaka-okay," she added.

(They are like the starting point. There are also many other plants that have been screened, but for pain, your babuena looks the best.)

According to Maramba, analgiesic components that relieve pain, like mentholactone, beta-sitosterol, and beta-sitosterol-beta-D-glucosidase were found in the plant.

Trials were tested on four types of patients experiencing pain such as post dental extraction, post childbirth varying from episiotomy and episiorrhaphy, post-minor surgery, and post-circumcision.

The herbal medicine decreased pain in 10 minutes, with patients saying they no longer experienced pain in 30 minutes to an hour. This makes Maramba "comparable" to paracetamol.

The relief reportedly lasts up to 13 hours in relieving moderate to severe post-operative pain from circumcision, dental extraction, and childbirth.

"The patients were satisfied with the pain relief that it was giving," the doctor added.

Researches did not see adverse effects compared to commercially available painkillers.

For example, paracetamol still poses risks, "particularly liver damage due to its metabolite NAPQI, or N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine, a toxic byproduct produced during the xenobiotic metabolism of paracetamol when taken in high doses."

Researchers did not see such an effect with the yerba buena tablet.

"So the problem with paracetamol, well some people are allergic. Number two, with chronic use, you can have liver toxicity. 'Pag masyadong matagal ginagamit or masyadong mataas 'yung dose na ginagamit. Hindi talaga 'yun nakita sa yerba buena especially sa chronic toxicity test na ginawa. 'Yun ang ayaw natin sa paracetamol," she said.

(If you use it for too long or the dose is too high. So that was not seen in Yerba Buena, especially for the chronic toxicity test that was done.)

The yerba buena tablet also did not exhibit common side effects such as gastric irritation or liver toxicity, which are associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

"It was safe for the liver, it was safe for the kidneys. So that's what we don't like about paracetamol. The other analgesics like your NSAIDs, ibuprofen, mefenamic acid, usually have gastritis or sometimes even ulcers if you use it for too long," she said.

Aside from its efficacy, the UP experts noted the herbal tablets' affordability as it's priced between P4 to P7 per tablet.

The natural painkiller was included in the Philippine National Formulary in 2008 but was removed due to the lack of raw materials for mass production.

However, it is now ready for mass production with the new technology and secured property rights.

With this product, Maramba hopes they would help the Philippines be self-sufficient in terms of having painkillers and later on export to other countries.

"Makatulong din sa (The other is it will also help) our farmers if they cultivate this and this will be part of their cash crops. For herbal medicine in general, we want something that's really Filipino-made, something that will make us also self-sufficient. Maybe in the future, we can also export our own products," she said.

Maramba urged investors to consider manufacturing and distributing their product to help the Filipinos in pain relief.

"So far, I think we have one company who's interested in commercializing this. So we are hoping siguro (maybe) in the next year or hopefully much shorter na maging (to be) available na po siya sa market kasi (because) we really want people to use this na," she said.

"If there are any (investors) wanting to invest in our new product. Please consider this yerba buena to be manufactured and distributed and we really think it will be really helpful for the Filipino people." — LA, GMA Integrated News