Medicinal plants have been used in Malaysia for a long time ago. These plants have been marketed as herbal product and used in the traditional healthcare system because of its positive therapeutic effects. This paper discusses particularly several types of Malaysian herbs that are traditionally used for contraception and scientific studies related to its pharmaceutical properties showing its use among the public for its anti-fertility effects. Even though several methods of contraception have been promoted for family planning, yet, the perception of the public on the usage of synthetic steroidal contraceptives due to its serious adverse effects has made them focus on indigenous plants. Contraceptives drug-containing oestrogen and progesterone have proven to be effective and popular, However, the side effects of these drugs have sparked the idea of scientists to develop newer molecules from medicinal plants. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate in-depth qualitative research on conceptions and concerns about traditional contraceptive methods using herbal ingredients among Malaysians.

Introduction: Acne vulgaris is a common skin disease that affects people all over the world. One of the main pathogenesis of acne is Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) proliferation. Propolis has long been used in folk medicine as a natural remedy. Its antimicrobial properties have all been studied extensively. However, there have been few studies on its use in acne. Thus, the goal of this study was to assess the antimicrobial potential of ethanolic (EEP) and water extracts (WEP) of Malaysian Apis mellifera propolis against P. acnes. Methods: Propolis samples were collected from Acacia mangium apiary from northern and southern regions of Peninsular Malaysia. The propolis extracts were screened for antimicrobial activity against P. acnes using an agar well diffusion assay. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the extracts were determined using a resazurin broth microdilution assay. Results: The antimicrobial screening demonstrated all extracts had antimicrobial activity against P. acnes. The inhibition zones at concentration 20 mg/ml were in the range of 16 mm to 24 mm which was greater than positive control (10% benzoyl peroxide) (15 mm). The EEP from northern region showed the lowest MIC values (0.32 µg/ml), followed by EEP from southern region (0.63 µg/ml), WEP from southern region (625 µg/ml) and WEP from northern region (2500 µg/ml). Conclusion: The Malaysian EEP demonstrated promising antimicrobial properties against P. acnes. Further study is needed to determine the active constituents and their possible inhibitory mechanisms against P. acnes.