Traditional Malay remedies for women’s health: transliteration and scientific insights from Malay medical manuscript MSS 1796

Background: The Malay medical manuscript MSS 1796, preserved at the Malay National Manuscript Centre, documents extensive therapeutic knowledge that reflects the intellectual heritage of the Malay world. Among its diverse medical prescription, remedies pertaining to women’s health are notably prominent yet remain underexplored. Objective: This study examines women’s healthrelated remedies in MSS 1796, focusing on three key conditions: postpartum disorders (meroyan), uterine prolapse (menyacakkan peranakan), and abdominal pain (rengat or sakit ari-arinya). Methods: Seventeen pages of MSS 1796 were transliterated using standard transliteration practices by incorporating amendments to the text through corrected spellings and the addition of punctuation. Brackets “(…)” were used to indicate adjusted spellings while illustrations inserted using the phrase “ini rajahnya […]”, accompanied by the original images. Subsequently, the materia medica mentioned in the remedies were cross-referenced with studies sourced from PubMed and Google Scholar to assess their scientific relevance. Results: Fifteen remedies related to the key conditions were identified along with six other conditions. The remedies consisted of both single- and multiingredient, indicating the sophistication of traditional Malay pharmacology. Oryza sativa was frequently cited for postpartum recovery and uterine health, with scientific evidence supporting its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Other plants identified included Curcuma longa (turmeric) and Trachyspermum roxburghianum (cumin), both of which have pharmacological support for antioxidant activity and abdominal pain relief. Conclusion: This study highlights the significance of MSS 1796 in preserving therapeutic knowledge related to women’s health. By integrating transliteration with published pharmacological information, the study demonstrates the potential of Malay medical heritage to contribute to contemporary approaches in women’s health management.