Indonesia is rich in biodiversity, including rhizome plants with tremendous potential as raw materials for biopharmaceuticals. One example is the Kejibeling leaf. However, the contribution of Kejibeling to Indonesia’s bio-pharmaceutical industry is still suboptimal. To optimize the utilization of bio-pharmaceutical plants, efforts are needed to extract bioactive compounds. In this regard, green extraction methods are key to producing safe and environmentally friendly extracts. This method focuses on reducing the use of harmful chemicals and minimizing negative environmental impacts.
This motivated Rita Abianti to develop an environmentally friendly extraction by combining enzymatic extraction and ultrasonication in an aqueous two-phase system to enhance and purify phenolic and flavonoid extracts from Kejibeling. Rita presented this research in an open doctoral promotion session at FTUI on Thursday (04/07) in the Smart Meeting Room, FTUI Dean’s Building.
Rita Abianti, a lecturer in Bioprocess Engineering at FTUI, earned her doctorate in Chemical Engineering thanks to her research titled “Extraction of Kejibeling Leaves (Strobilanthes crispus) using Ultrasound-Assisted Enzymatic Aqueous Two-Phase Extraction (UA-E/ATPE).” Rita Abianti graduated with honours, achieving a GPA of 3.95.
Rita Abianti explained that the enzyme inhibition test for ethanol extract of Kejibeling leaves extracted with the UA-E/ATPE method showed promising anti-diabetic and anti-hypercholesterol activity, with inhibition percentages comparable to commercial drugs.
“From this research, it can be concluded that the UA-E/ATPE method has the potential to increase the efficiency of extracting bioactive compounds from Kejibeling leaves with pharmacological benefits, which in the future can serve as a basis for developing new drugs for various diseases,” said Rita Abianti.
FTUI Dean Prof. Dr. Ir. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU stated, “I appreciate Rita Abianti’s research in developing an environmentally friendly extraction method to enhance phenolic and flavonoid extracts from Kejibeling using the UA-E/ATPE method. This aligns with FTUI’s commitment to promoting sustainable research beneficial to society. We hope Rita Abianti’s research can open new opportunities for the development of natural products for the herbal industry in Indonesia.”
Rita Abianti is the 74th doctoral graduate from the Department of Chemistry and the 557th doctoral graduate from FTUI. This promotion session was chaired by Prof. Ir. Mahmud Sudibandriyo, M.Sc., Ph.D., with promoter Prof. Dr. Ir. Slamet, ST., MT., and co-promoter Prof. Dr. rer. Nat. Ir. Yuswan Muharam, M.T. The examiners included Prof. DR.-Ing., Misri Gozan, M.Tech, IPM., Prof. Dewi Tristiantini, Ph.D., Prof. Yenny Meliana, M.Si., Dr. Eng. Muhammad Sahlan, S.Si., M.Eng., and Dr. Ir. Tania Surya Utami, M.T.
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