American consumers can now purchase the best quality Tongkat Ali supplement from decades of US-Malaysia research partnership. But only a few know the story behind the global success.
Thanks to years of Tongkat Ali research partnership with MIT scientists, Malaysia has now set new quality standards in Tongkat Ali, making it amongst the best exporters of Tongkat Ali in the world.
According to American herbal expert Chris Kilham who came to Malaysia 20 years ago, MIT-formulated standardized Tongkat Ali sets a new benchmark in the marketplace, positioning it amongst the best root extracts in the market today.
This article shares the development behind the best Tongkat Ali in the world, from Malaysia’s partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to the technology for ID fingerprinting, commercialization and research development that elevates the quality benchmark of Tongkat Ali supplements in the US, UK and Europe.
Malaysia’s strategic partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) under the Government-funded Malaysia-MIT Biotechnology Partnership Programme (MMBPP) has enabled millions of consumers to enjoy a wide range of health benefits from Tongkat Ali.
The country’s passion for Tongkat Ali or Longjack, is underpinned by decades of research and technology, centuries after its first documented use in Malaysia by botanist William Jack in 1822.
After a journal paper published by Harvard in 1950s, the Malaysia MIT Biotechnology Partnership Programme (MMBPP) was established to commercialize the use of Tongkat Ali as a dietary supplement – later known as LongJack supplement in the US in the early 90s.
You can now buy quality clinically tested Tongkat Ali in the United States that stems from early research developed by American and Malaysian scientists as low as $1 per capsule. This is far cheaper than a cup of Starbucks coffee with loaded benefits.
The USA-Malaysia research partnership with MIT scientists was the first stage of pre-commercialization of Tongkat Ali, primarily for the US market. During the pre-commercialization research phase, scientists were tasked to develop a DNA fingerprinting technology that can be used to identify the identity (i.e profile) and authenticity of the plant material (i.e Eurycoma Longifolia).
Now this phased of the research matters because Tongkat Ali products as powders, capsules, or mixed herbal preparations where the original root is no longer visually identifiable – making it challenging to identify which extract/product/supplement is the most pure (or simply the best).
DNA-based methods developed by MIT and Malaysian scientists has helped in the formulation of Tongkat Ali extracts such as Physta® in order to verify that the material is truly Eurycoma longifolia and not another species or a substitute.
The outcome of the research establishes a HPLC profile of an authentic Tongkat Ali that was later used in quality control, standardization and detection of adulteration in commercial products, supplements or extracts sold in the United States.
After decades of development, refinement and standardization, the US-Malaysian joint research effort was a resounding success that led to the commercialization of quality standardized Tongkat Ali extract for the US export market, making the “MIT-Tongkat Ali” as the most trusted, authentic and reputable Tongkat Ali you could buy on Amazon, Walmart and other American marketplaces.
The game changer is the industry transformation – 10 years after the research ended.
The Tongkat Ali Standards MS2409 (2011) sets a new benchmark for quality herbal standards in the United States, born from early research of DNA profiling developed by MIT and Malaysian scientists.
The standardized bioactive ingredients stated on the Tongkat Ali standard MS2409 (i.e eurycomanone, glycosaponin, polysaccharides, crude protein) are based on the HPLC profile of the DNA fingerprint studies to ensure the level of authenticity and purity of any Eurycoma Longifolia (or LongJack) extract.
Due to the higher quality standards, this has sparked more interest that led to more clinical trials being conducted to investigate Tongkat Ali’s effectiveness, efficacy, potency, applications and other health benefits, further boosting consumer confidence in recent years.
Brands such as AKARALI are known for pioneering the use of MIT-formulated standardized Tongkat Ali hot water extract known as Physta with decades of clinical trials and research, making it the most potent clinically tested Tongkat Ali supplement in the market today. In other words, AKARALI is known as MIT Tongkat Ali supplement in the US, which amongst the best selling due to high quality standards derived from SNP DNA-derived fingerprinting technology.
Physta (or LJ100) is known in the US for its potency, efficacy and safety through its quality standardized Tongkat Ali hot water extract, first of its kind the world. This made it the number one choice for most American consumers.
“We are proud that AKARALI has built its foundation from a historic milestone that stems from early research studies by MIT scientists and Malaysian researchers in the early 2000” says Founder & CEO of AKARALI, Shahid Shayaa, adding that “MIT-derived Tongkat Ali extract from yellow mature Tongkat Ali plants in Malaysia is the best type that are used in potent testosterone and libido supplements in the United States”.
“MIT-formulated Tongkat Ali is now highly reputable in the United States, popular amongst athletes and aging men looking for testosterone support to optimize men’s health and athletic performance”, said Nik Fahmi, Business Development Head of Biotropics.
Top Tongkat Ali brands such as AKARALI has strengthen its market dominance in the United States with 3.8 million capsules sold. At 1 capsule sold every 30 seconds, this has transformed the Tongkat Ali market significantly.
The Malaysia-MIT partnership fosters the development of advanced fingerprint and extraction technologies by collaborating with the best scientists from two countries that gave birth to “MIT Tongkat Ali” as it is known today.
The core development behind the best Tongkat Ali in the world hinges on fingerprint identification of Tongkat Ali to ensure it meets minimum biomarkers before extraction takes place. This forms the essence of a fine premium Tongkat Ali extract, often with higher bioactive properties that are beneficial to health without compromising safety and other side effects.
This has led to the formation of a new benchmark industry standards known as the Tongkat Ali Standard MS2409, which was published by the Department of Standards of Malaysia, setting the tone of the highest quality standards in the US, UK and Europe.
The Malaysia-MIT Tongkat Ali research partnership focuses on three core areas:
The MIT-Malaysia partnership on Tongkat Ali enabled the development of new biomanufacturing processes for production of biologic medicines including monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, viral vectors, and cell therapies.
In addition, the strategic partnership was timely to elevate a new standard in the herbal technology and to address industry issues as the natural supplement market is filled with adulterants and contaminants.
According to lead scientist Dr. Annie George from Biotropics, MIT-developed Tongkat Ali is reported to be amongst the best Tongkat Ali extracts in the world based on the technological advancement in harvesting and extraction, two quality attributes that set a new benchmark in the nutraceutical industry.
The MIT-formulated Tongkat Ali extract, or better known as MIT Tongkat Ali, is known for its purity, potency and efficacy – reported to have higher bioactive ingredients (eurycomanone, eurypeptides, glycosaponin and pollysacharrides) from standardized extract – making it a potent formula for optimal health benefits (eg: higher testosterone boost and faster hormonal response).
The same view is shared by American scientists and herbalists.
When commenting on potency and standardization, “It takes a lot of root to make a small amount of concentrated extract,” said American @MedicineHunter Chris Kilham, who first tried Tongkat Ali in Malaysia decades ago – calling its libido effects of Tongkat Ali “potent and tangible”.
In fact, the Physta Tongkat Ali formulation was co-developed by MIT scientists in its early days and refined over time by Malaysian scientists with a series of human clinical studies and in-vitro studies with promising results.
According to industry observers and herbal experts, MIT Tongkat Ali is one of the best Tongkat Ali with hot water extract that is clinically proven to boost testosterone, libido and can be taken long term without side effects.
Standardized Tongkat Ali root extract from the US-Malaysia research partnership continued to attract further research and clinical trials by American scientists in 2026, making it one of the reputable extracts you could buy without worrying about side effects.
The Malaysia MIT Biotechnology Partnership Programme (MMBPP) is regarded as one of the largest and amongst the first Tongkat Ali R&D centers in the world, involving more than 227 researchers, scientists and experts from various Malaysian institutions.
Positioned as the best country to source quality Tongkat Ali extract, Malaysia’s first global Tongkat Ali R&D center was set up under the leadership of former Prime Minister, Dr. Tun Mahathir Mohammed, which led to the MIT-formulated Physta Tongkat Ali hot water extract – touted as the best clinically tested Tongkat Ali in the world.
A total of 18 academic, industrial and government research institutions including six Biotechnology Cooperative Centers collaborate with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to develop the Malaysian Tongkat Ali through a five-year plan.
In fact, the MMBPP is approved as a national biotechnology programme by the National Research Council and sponsored by the Ministry of Science Technology and the Environment of Malaysia (MOSTI).
After more than 20 years, Malaysia continues to be the epicenter of Tongkat Ali research and development with hundreds of studies and tests being conducted on humans.
The MIT and US collaboration with the Malaysian Government has spurred more than 367 clinical tests and research studies on Tongkat Ali in the last 20 years. For most part, this has helped to restore consumer trust in the American health and supplement market, with a wider range of applications of Tongkat Ali use in sports, men’s health and women’s health.
According to MIT scientists who were involved in the Tongkat Ali research, Malaysian Tongkat Ali is more superior than Indonesian Tongkat Ali due to high benchmark of quality standards, harvesting, fingerprint (ID) and extraction technologies that are backed by higher number of clinical tests.
Here are some achievements from MIT-Malaysia Tongkat Ali collaboration:
The MIT-Malaysia research team developed a genetic fingerprinting tool for Tongkat Ali known as Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP). SNPs are found in the DNA between genes and act as biological markers for harvesting quality Tongkat Ali plants in Malaysia.
The SNP technology developed by MIT scientists was used to predict the bioactive compounds in Tongkat Ali plants, making it highly sought after as the best Tongkat Ali extract in the world.
In addition, the handpicked mature Malaysian Tongkat Ali root is another strict protocol that is practiced behind the MIT Tongkat Ali extract and research to retain higher potency. Wild harvested mature Tongkat Ali plants is 10x more potent with higher bioavailability across a wide range of HPLC spectrum. When tested on human clinical trials, the MIT fingerprinting DNA technology becomes a blueprint of standardization behind what Americans currently enjoy today.
The Tongkat Ali Standards MS2409 published by the Department of Standards Malaysia (SIRIM) in 2011 was a result of multi-year research activities of the MIT-Malaysia Biotech Partnership which elevates the quality of Tongkat Ali in the world map.
The MIT Tongkat Ali uses the Malaysian Tongkat Ali standard MS2409, which sets a new global benchmark ensuring consumers are getting the optimal health benefits from consistent levels of high bioactive compounds such as eurycomanone, glycosaponin and polysaccharides for every batch of production. This makes MIT Tongkat Ali popular amongst herbalists and professionals searching for potent Tongkat Ali formulation that works.
If you want the best standardized Tongkat Ali in America for optimal testosterone boost, look out for standardized hot water extract instead of 200:1 ratio extract, or ethanol-based extract.
According to various consumer feedback, Tongkat Ali supplements that comply to the Malaysian Standard MS2409 are believed to have higher quality Tongkat Ali root extract specifications and safety standards.
The joint MIT-Malaysia research has also given birth to Physta®, the world’s first standardized hot water Tongkat Ali extract that is offer higher bioavailability compared to traditional ethanol-based extract.
In fact, Physta (or later known as LJ100 in the US market) is often quoted as the MIT-formulated Tongkat Ali extract, best known for its potent quality and faster reaction time.
US-Patented Physta® Tongkat Ali extraction technology was co-developed, tested and refined by global scientists including MIT scientists in the early days in Malaysia, making it one of the potent Tongkat Ali formulations with high quality safety standards.
Hot-water Tongkat Ali extract is regarded by medical professionals and herbalists in America as safe and much more potent than ethanol-based extracts.
The Malaysia-MIT Tongkat Ali biotechnology was led by Prof Anthony J Sinskey, who is the Faculty Director of MIT Center for Biomedical Innovation (CBI) and also the Co-Director of the Malaysia-MIT Biotechnology Partnership Programme (MMBPP).
Other scientists involved in the development of MIT-led Physta® Tongkat Ali include Professor ChoKyun Rha (MIT), T. G. Sambandan (MIT), Dr. Annie George (Biotropics Malaysia), Professor Katsuiku Hirokawa (Tokyo Medical University), Professor Ralf Henkel (University of Western Cape, South Africa), Dr. Shawn Talbott (American College of Sports Medicine, USA), and Jay Udani (Medicus Research LLC, USA).
According to a member of the American Botanical Council (ABC), the Malaysian Tongkat Ali remains the best in the market today due to the advanced fingerprint SNP technology, standardization of Tongkat Ali processes, consistency of its bioactive ingredient, and its US-patented Tongkat Ali hot water extraction technology.
Most of these quality attributes are results of the research outcomes from the Malaysia-MIT Biotechnology Partnership Programme (MMBPP), contributed by MIT scientists who spent decades perfecting the fingerprinting technology of Tongkat Ali.
This makes Malaysian Tongkat Ali extracts such as MIT-formulated AKARALI Physta® amongst the best in the market, far more potent and safer for long-term consumption. In addition, there are more clinically tests being conducted on Malaysian Tongkat Ali extracts in the last 20 years compared to Indonesian Tongkat Ali.
Whilst many are not aware of the differences between Malaysian vs Indonesian Tongkat Ali, for discerning customers and avid readers, the winner remains crystal clear.
AKARALI® is MIT-formulated with Physta® standardized hot water extract sourced from 100% handpicked Tongkat Ali root. As reported by Men’s Journal, The New World Report and Portland Monthly, AKARALI is one of the best natural testosterone boosters for men with the highest record number of clinical trials and toxicology tests since 2003.
MIT Tongkat Ali is a prime example of a global Tongkat Ali commercialization effort between Malaysia and the USA, transforming it into a blueprint into making the best quality Tongkat Ali extract in the world.
Industry experts believe that the best Tongkat Ali found in Malaysia was developed from the meticulous science-backed approach in defining the best DNA when selecting quality root for production, extraction and the standardization of bioactive ingredients that meet purity, toxicity and safety limits. Backed by 26 clinical trials to date and with 3.8 million capsules sold to date, that makes global Tongkat Ali brands such as AKARALI Physta amongst the most trusted brand in the US, UK and Australia.
Indeed, there is no stone left unturned when it comes to quality production and research, and Malaysia remains the best country to source for clinically tested Tongkat Ali extract.
The MIT-Malaysia Biotech partnership is a testament of decades of commitment to transform and produce high-quality Tongkat Ali for global consumers. Rest assured MIT Tongkat Ali supplement such as AKARALI conforms to the Malaysian Tongkat Ali Standards, MS2409 along with GMP certifications, and 3rd party adulterant tests.
Access human clinical trials to learn how Tongkat Ali affects our health.
Naressa Khan contributes regularly on AKARALI and is part of the global Tongkat Ali research team. As a writer and journalist, Naressa specializes in nutrition, health supplements, and natural wellness. With this approach always in mind, she explores fact-based and scientific evidence of topics related to health, herbs and natural wellness.
Disclaimer: The content published in this article is for educational purposes and not intended to provide any form of recommendations, directly or indirectly to purchase or consume herbal supplements, drugs, medications, alternative remedies and practices or any brands mentioned in this article. By reading this, the sole responsibility and decision lies on the reader to make an informed decision based on publicly available information published on the internet. Any herbal supplements can be used as a health supplement, dietary plan or to treat illnesses. However, we encourage you to consult your nearest doctor before making any purchase from this website or any other websites or social platforms after reading this article. We do not hold any responsibility or accountability for any products purchased from this website or any third-party websites that are linked to this articles, sales channels or social platforms.
