By Dr. Nor Asma Ab Razak

Kesum or Persicaria minor (Huds.) or Polygonum minus is a herbaceous plant that lives in temperate climate regions.  It is categorized in the Polygonaceae family and is native to Malaysia, Iran, Ireland, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal, Ireland, Germany. This plant needs enough fertilizer, water and sunlight to grow. A bundle of kesum containing 5-8 cuttings is sold at RM 3.00 – RM4.00. Kesum is widely used in Malay cuisine such as asam pedas or laksa sauce.

The kesum tree is a tree that can live up to a height of 1 meter. The leaves are dark green with a long, tapered shape at the ends. While the size of the leaves measures 1 to 2 cm wide and 4 to 7 cm long. The arrangement of the leaves of the kesum is intersecting and each stalk contains 3-5 leaves. The stem is dark brown in the old part and the shoots are cylindrical in shape.

Kesum has been listed in the third National Agricultural Policy (DPN 3 2011-2020) and the National Blueprint to increase essential oil production. This will spur the growth of high-value agriculture and meet the demand of specialized markets. It contains many groups of aldehyde substances with the main groups of decanals and dodecanal that give it a special aroma in cooking. From cultivation, extraction to the use of kesum needs to be advanced to a higher level in the value chain, especially in the production of herbal products for the development of food products and medicinal phytos.

Among the national initiatives that have been taken by researchers in public and private universities are the National Kesum Initiative (NKI) 1.0 and 2.0 Programme. This programme has been organised since mid-2019 by UKM's Centre for the Study of Healthy Ageing and Well-Being (HCARE) in collaboration with Biotropics Malaysia Berhad. Recognising the benefits of kesum for medicine and health, the 'National Kesum Initiative' was initiated to promote competitive research related to kesum.

Among the findings presented are that the extract can be used for Alzheimer's and Dementia diseases, anticancers such as breast cancer, colon cancer, anti-hypertensive agents, repairing liver injuries-cisplatin, skin care creams and cosmetic products, as an antioxidant blocker in cooking oil as well as as a natural termite repellent.

Dr. Nor Asma Ab Razak presented a project entitled "Recovering P. minus with bioactive compounds and the potential applications as functional food". This project has resulted in 2023001189 PI patent entitled "Method for recovering Polygonum minus (P. minus) with bioactive compounds using hydrodistillation". This patent provides an alternative to the application of functional food instead of the use of water slurry waste. 

This programme is 'Perdana Challenge' or 'Grand Challenge' which provides a platform for researchers to pitch ideas, share research results, then be evaluated in terms of originality and impact related research and awarded based on certain criteria. Lecturers and research officers have shared the findings of research projects in the form of presentations, journals and books related to the potential of kesum which has a high impact in various aspects

Date of Input: 16/04/2025 | Updated: 08/05/2025 | azah