UNAIR NEWS – Indonesia as an archipelagic country is surrounded by vast waters, almost 70%. It is known to have a great biodiversity because there are various types of animals, plants and coral reefs that grow in the territorial waters of Indonesia.聽This great natural wealth has inspired聽聽Program team in the聽field of Exacta Research (PKM-PE) from the聽聽and Technology (FST) of 东京热 to conduct research on聽sponge.
Isolate named聽Sponge-6.1聽is expected to become one of the drug candidates useful for the health of Indonesia.聽Sponge-6.1聽isolates聽contain various types of active substances, such as聽flavonoids聽and other compounds are suspected to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria such as聽Streptococcus pneumoniae.
According to Dina Lutfiana, leader of the PKMPE Team, the聽Sponge-6.1聽isolate is聽believed to be a drug candidate to inhibit the growth of聽Streptococcus pneumonia, the bacteria聽causing聽pneumonia听.
“We hypothesized that this isolate can inhibit聽Streptococcus pneumoniae, because during the Field Work Practice (PKL), I investigated that the聽Sponge-6.1聽isolates聽can inhibit the growth of聽Streptococcus sp., Staphilococcus sp.,聽and several other bacteria.聽It was from this point our team submitted a proposal and managed to qualify for funding from Kemenristekdikti, and the research could continue, “he said.
Besides Dina Lutfiana, this team also includes Jefpry Supryanto Sianturi, William Khodry, Denika Liyan Nor Wibowo, and Dwi Yulian Fahruddin.
They conducted research in collaboration with LIPI, and they conducted the research for two weeks at the Laboratory LIPI Bandung.聽The initial stage is done by isolating the聽sponge, which was coincidentally existing in the lab of LIPI. After isolating聽Sponge-6.1聽, the study continued by testing the activity of the bacteria聽Streptococcus pneumoniae聽treated with isolates.聽The results showed that isolates can inhibit the growth of聽Streptococcus pneumoniae聽bacteria聽with administration at a certain concentration.
As the head of the PKM team, Dina hopes that the聽Sponge-6.1聽isolate聽can be used as one of the future drug candidates to be able to produce health benefits.
“So far, our research has reached the stage of testing the content of secondary metabolites of isolates聽Sponge-6.1,” said Dina. If the content of secondary metabolites existing in these isolates can be identified, it is possible to synthesize a compound similar to drugs used聽for pneumonia and the balance of aquatic ecosystems can be preserved.聽(*)
Editor: Bambang Bes
