Digging the Potential of NTFP (Non Timber Forest Products) in the Forest of Borneo as Herbal Remedy

Do you know that Medicinal origin in Indonesia will be patented? As written on March at Viva.co.idonline newspaper, that "Coordinating Minister of Human Development and Culture of Indonesia namely Puan Maharani, stated that the Government immediately assign patent rights against a number of herbal products from Indonesia. It was done so that the cultural heritage of native herbs of Indonesia not claimed by other countries ".

Herbal medicine is a term used by people to mention herbal treatment, that treatment does not use synthetic additive material. Herb comes from a very old tradition in Java and it is already there a very long time before the modern pharmaceutical of science enter Indonesia. Some formulas on the recipe of making herbal medicine were very old and until recently still used because it has a good healing efficacy and fewer side effects than modern medicine. In fact, President Jokowi is now creating policies to give strong medicine to the people as,it is offered by Kompasiana.com.

The origin of culture of herbal medicine is still unknown until today. However, in the story of a very famous history, linking the herbs with the 17th century during the reign of the Hindu Kingdom of Mataram, where the Royal Princess herselves using supplies of herbal medicine and herbal cosmetics. In the Majapahit Kingdom, there was a notebook containing herbal medicine prescription that tells about the "Aracaki" or the making of herbal medicine.

Next, to get herbal ingredients in Indonesia is very easy. We can get it from cultivated medical plants, as well as from the forest. In the forest of Borneo, for example, according to the faculty of Pharmacy, namely Mr. Joko Santosa, said that on the island of Borneo herbal medicinal plant is very abundant and often taken to the basic ingredients of herbs. Among them are wooden sintuk, barito, saluing beluang, root of pulai, as well as plants of other drugs.

Please note also, that in the making of medicinal herbs, which are often taken and sought a part of secondary metabolite. These secondary metabolites in plants serve as poison to defend itself from the attacks of pests and disease, competition with other living beings, antibiotics, inhibitor of the enzyme work and also as a regulator of the growing plants. Meanwhile, for men, the content of secondary metabolites from plants can be used to treat a variety of diseases. Several other secondary metabolites are even used to produce soap, perfumes, herbal oils, dyes, and so on.

As mentioned above, Borneo is rich with medical plants. However, in addition to herbal medicinal plants, Borneo also has a very large potential of NTFP although the number has not yet been identified. NTFP himself, according to the regulation of the Minister of Forestry of Indonesia number: p. 91/Menhut-II/2014 is the result of forest biodiversity both animal and vegetable along with the products of the plant and cultivation, except wood that comes from forests.

Some experts classify NTFP according to its importance, such as the Group of bamboo-rattan, resin group, the Group of essential oils, herbal groups, wildlife groups, groups of cultivated crops, and so on. However, other experts classify NTFP into the simpler FEM-O (Food, Energy, Medicine, and Other).

For trading, NTFP productis very profitablein Indonesia. According to one of the lecturer of the Faculty of forestry, Mr. Sigit Sunarta, he revealed that one of the NTFP that is being developed in Forestry is the eaglewood oil taken later. Its price one milion rupiah. Besides the eaglewood, there are some NTFP commodities in Indonesia which have a high commercial value in the International Market. For example resin, gondoruken, essential oil, silk, bamboo, rattan, and others.

Therefore, with the abundance of forest resources in Kalimantan, both forest products, which are timber and non timber forest products, Kalimantan holds a high potential in the utilization of forest products instead of timber. For example, there are many herbaceous plants which can be used as an ingredient of drugs. The potential of this forest can be compelling reasons why we need to preserve the forest ecosystem.