Modelling the Malaysian Herbal Domain Ontology for Standardizing the Safety of Herbal Medicine

The increasing availability of online herbal medicine information has complicated the process for consumers and practitioners to locate pertinent data. Conventional resources such as textbooks and manuscripts are deficient in depth and order, hindering comprehension of herbal remedies and their interconnections. Ontology, as a systematic framework, can assist in resolving this challenge by offering a more lucid articulation of knowledge. Ontologies have demonstrated efficacy in domains such as biology, ecology, and biodiversity research, consolidating and augmenting data descriptions while improving data discovery. This study aims to develop and assess a domain ontology for Malaysian Herbal Medicine utilizing evidence-based data. The research has employed the Haghigi framework, which has three main phases: method of identification, ontology design and implementation, and ontology assessment. The ontology comprises 13 primary classes and properties, addressing competency questions regarding the safety and efficacy of herbal medicines through SPARQL query and prototype evaluations. The ontology provided correct answers to all competency questions through SPARQL query testing and has met the criteria in terms of its accuracy, appropriateness, comprehensiveness, consistency, extensibility, and completeness. The validation and verification results included the positive endorsement and constructive judgment of most of the ontology components. The established ontology may enhance compliance with regulatory standards by providing accurate definitions and classifications of pharmaceutical goods. The ontology may serve as an instructional tool, assisting students and professionals in understanding complex pharmacological concepts within a structured framework and, hence, enhancing learning outcomes and knowledge retention in pharmacology and related fields.