Prof. Jim-Tong Horng was present as a resource person for the Research Forum seminar series which was held on Thursday (29/09). Prof. Jim is a Professor and Head of the Department of Bio-Chemistry and Molecular Biology, at Chang Gung University, Taiwan. This seminar was held in a hybrid manner in the Smart Meeting Room Makara 04 with Apriliana Cahya Khayrani, Ph.D. as a moderator.
Prof. Jim started the seminar by introducing Chang Gung University (CGU), Taiwan. CGU, which was founded in 1987 in Taoyuan city, Taiwan, is a university that focuses on medicine and technology. In 2011, CGU and Arizona State University collaborated to establish an International Biosignatures Center that focuses on preventing, detecting, diagnosing, and curing cancer and other diseases.
Furthermore, Prof. Jim explained the presentation of his research results with the CGU research team regarding the influenza virus and the SARS-CoV-2 (Corona Virus) virus. In his presentation, he explained how to detect exposure to viruses, the life cycle of viruses, to the manufacture of antivirus products. In the process of making antivirus products, research is focused on the use of Perilla Leaf Extract (PLE). Prof. Jim and his team chose Syrian hamsters or golden hamsters to be tested for virus resistance using PLE. In this trial, the coronavirus was isolated and replicated in the lungs of gold hamsters, then gold hamsters treated with PLE antivirus and those not given antivirals showed different reactions.
“Hamsters who were not given PLE antivirals experienced severe pathological injuries with intranasal infections, while hamsters that had been given antivirals had a natural tendency to be exposed to the Coronavirus but did not show severe symptoms that caused death. From the results of this trial, PLE is proven to be able to inhibit and prevent the entry of the coronavirus into the host’s body. Based on the data obtained, it can be concluded that the sooner the virus can be detected, the more effective PLE will be in dealing with the virus,” said Prof. Jim.
Prof. Jim and his team then initiated a beverage product made from PLE called Perilla Extract Defense Drink. This product was subsequently published in research publications in the CGU Biomedical Journal and the Journal of Food and Drug Analysis (JFDA) with the title “Perilla (perilla frutescens) leaf extract inhibits Sars-Cov-2 via direct virus inactivation”.
“We have screened 43 ingredients, and perilla leaf is the only ingredient that can prevent the entry of the coronavirus. Perilla leaf itself has been widely used in the medical and food sectors and has been researched for hundreds of years. Therefore, perilla leaves will not cause side effects for the body, “explained Prof. Jim when a student asked about the side effects of using perilla leaf extract in Perilla Extract Defense Drink products.
At the end of the seminar, Prof. Jim distributed Perilla Extract Defense Drink to seminar participants who had asked questions during the question-and-answer session. Prof. Jim said he was happy to be able to attend the Research Forum seminar because according to him, students who attended the seminar could be critical in asking a question. Furthermore, the seminar closed with a photo session of Prof. Jim with the participants of the Research Forum seminar.
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Public Communication Bureau
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia