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| Philip Cruz, President of Herbanext Laboratories, Inc., awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for being a research speaker during the Annual Scientific Meeting of the National Research Institute of the Philippines last March 16, 2016. |
Herbanext Laboratories, Inc. was launched in 2001 by aquaculturist and agriculturist Philip S. Cruz after his quest to better his health. Mr. Cruz had concerns with high cholesterol and high uric acid that pushed him to study about the "King of Herbs" in traditional Chinese medicine, Ganoderma lucidum.
He was successfully able to cultivate the mushroom in 1997 and began to team up with natural product researchers and medical practitioners in developing the mushroom into a nutraceutical product.
Due to inefficient processing methods of harvesting and drying, the company desperately needed an upgrade. It availed of DOST's financial assistance through the Innovation System Support Fund (ISSF) amounting to Php 1.54 million that provided for its acquisition of new technologies, consultancy services on food safety and productivity enhancement through the Manufacturing Productivity Extension (MPEX) program, and training on current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP).
DOST's help resulted to reduced drying cost by at least 20%, increased production volume by 150% and a 200% increase in sales. Herbanext was also able to produce consistent quality products and expand product range.
The company currently studies 20 different medicinal herbs including Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa), Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia), Cat's whisker (Orthosiphon stamineus), Five-leaved Chaste Tree (Vitex negundo), Ginger (Zingiber officinale), Green Chireta (Andrographis paniculata), Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa), Wild Tea (Ehretia microphylla), and Turmeric (Curcuma longa). Likewise, it continues to work with DOST and other research institutions to create more herbal supplements and drugs under the brand name "Daily Apple".
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