Eastern  Global  Agrotech Sdn. Bhd. (EGASB), a Malaysia-based private company involved in the business of agriculture and biotechnology technologies,  inked a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with SEAMEO BIOTROP on 23 September 2011.  The MoA involves the  sharing of  expertise and technology on the tissue culture of Saitomo, a Japanese calladium plant, for large-scale planting for its tubers in Malaysia.

Initial research done by EGASB on Saitomo showed that the tubers contain collagen which is considered  an important ingredient for pharmaceutical and beauty care products other than for food. 

To ensure good quality Saitomo plants for large-scale production,  both parties believe that tissue culture is the most appropriate technique to adopt.  Since 2004, SEAMEO BIOTROP has produced Saitomo plants through tissue culture.  The outputs of the collaboration is expected to benefit both parties in terms of research advancement in the mass propagation and growing  Saitomo from tissue culture and the processing of its tubers for collagen production.

The MoA was signed  by Mr. Abdul Razak Bin Suib, Managing Director of EGASB and Dr. Bambang Purwantara,  SEAMEO BIOTROP Director at the Centre’s headquarter in Bogor, Indonesia.  Witnesses were Mr. Gusti Pordimansyah of EGASB  and Dr. Irdika Mansur, Deputy Director for Resource Management and Communication of SEAMEO BIOTROP.