Prof. Dr. Maznah Ismail with her associate researcher, Norsharina Ismail holding TQRF.

SERDANG, 28 January – A group of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) researchers successfully created a product called, Thymoquinone Rich Fraction (TQRF) an agent to aid the treatment of Alzheimer and cardiovascular Disease.

Head researcher, Prof. Dr. Maznah Ismail said the product is extracted from Nigella sativa seeds containing Thymoquinone (TQ) that has a very high anti-oxidant activity thus the capacity to maintain optimum health.

“Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death worldwide and have been associated with Alzheimer’s disease,” she said during a press conference organized by the University Research Management Centre and the Corporate Communication Division to introduce UPM New Products.

She said TQRF project was initiated since 2005 till 2008 and it works by regulating the cholesterol by a suppression that inhibits the synthesis of cholesterol.

“TQRF is extracted from Nigella Sativa seeds using an efficient and clean platform technology-Supercritical Fluid Extraction System (SFE)" said she, who is also assisted by co-researchers, Ghanya Al-Naqeeb and Norsharina Ismail from the Institure of Bioscience.



Prof. Dr. Maznah Ismail explaining TQRF to members of the media.

Prof. Dr. Maznah, who is also the Head of Molecular Biomedicine Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, UPM said the reason of choosing Nigella Sativa seeds specially from Yemen, Iran and Sudan is because the TQ oil produced 40% more than the seeds from India and Sri Lanka.

She added that products currently available in the market prepared using technology are not capable of trapping TQ.

In addition, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Prof. Dato’ Dr. Abu Bakar Salleh said the product has great potentials to attract pharmaceutical companies.

“The technology is still at pre-commercialization stage and needs a clinical trial to human before it can be fully commercialized,” he added.

Patented in 2008, the product has received numerous accolades at the International Exhibition of Ideas Inventions New Products (iENA) 2009 in Nuremberg, German, two silver medals at the Malaysian Technology Expo (MTE) 2008 and 2009 and another three medals from UPM.


Prof. Dr. Maznah with her invention TQRF, produced in Institute of Bioscience, UPM.

News by Section of Media, Publicity and Publication, Corporate Communication Division UPM (Noor Eszereen Juferi 03-89466013)