At the end of 2023, the UNDIP Vocational School Lecturer, namely Mohamad Endy Yulianto, S.T., M.T. from the Industrial Chemical Engineering Technology study program, received an award as the best presenter from the Academic Directorate of Vocational Higher Education. The activity organized by Diktivokasi was a Seminar on the Results of Research and Community Service (PPM) Vocational Higher Education for researchers and service implementers, which was completed in 2023. The event was attended by 189 participants at the Grand Candi Hotel Semarang recently.
Opening the event, the Directorate General of Vocational Education, Kiki Yuliati, said that this activity was an effort to disseminate the results of PPM, which is part of activity accountability. The results of the activity can inspire each other in order to enrich the knowledge and treasures of science and technology on vocational campuses. Therefore, the presentation of PPM results from each participant with discussants or assessors involves academics and industry.
Endy said that his research, which will be completed in 2023 in the form of Advanced Higher Education Applied Research (PTUPT), focuses on handling Covid-19. The study is entitled “Production of Theasinensins, Hesperidin and Piperine Encapsulated in Nano Liposome Emulsion Liquid Membranes as Potential Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro” funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (2021-2023).
“The output of PTUPT’s research over 3 years is in the form of 7 registered patents, of which 2 patents have been granted, namely the Method for Separating Theaflavin from Tea using an Ultrafiltration Membrane (Patent number IDS000005812) and the Process of Extracting Piperine from Javanese Chilies using Subcritical Water (Patent number IDS000006334). “Meanwhile, the other 5 patents are about Theaflavin (Patent number S00202204196, Patent number S00202205530 and Patent number S00202304698) and Hesperidin (Patent number S00202204489 and Patent number S00202302871),” said Endy.
Additional outcomes include publications in the Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science with the title “Characterization in silico of bioactive compound in tea plant as a potential inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro” and Materials Today: Proceedings namely “Optimization of UV-photo fermentation conditions of theaflavin from tea leaves (Camellia sinensis) using response surface methodology (RSM) as inhibitor in SARS-CoV-2” as well as several papers that have been submitted to reputable international journals.
This research was driven by concern about acute respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus virus, which has spread throughout the world. The results of docking studies and molecular dynamics simulations produced by the Research Team with members Prof. Dr. Ari Yuniastuti, SPt., M.Kes., Dr. Dadan Rohdiana, Dr. Siti Nur Jannah S.Si., Dr.Eng. Vita Paramita, S.T., M.M., M.Eng., Hermawan Dwi Ariyanto, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D. and Rizka Amalia, S.T., M.T. shows that the bioactive compounds theasinensins, oolonghomobisflavan-A, theaflavin-3-O-gallate, hesperidin and piperine are very prospective in blocking the catalytic active site of the main protease (Mpro) in SAR-CoV-2. This compound is found in many teas, oranges and chilies.
The results of this research are product prototypes that have essential potential in efforts to treat and prevent COVID-19, reduce the risk of cancer, maintain heart, prostate, and liver health, and have anti-oxidant properties. Currently, the product status is in the research process as a Standardized Herbal Medicine (OHT).
The team is currently collaborating with the pharmaceutical industry and government to make the herbal medicine nano theaflavin tea in capsule form. “Hopefully, in the near future, we can commercialize products in the industry through commercial research so that the results of this research can be useful for society, especially people who are struggling to recover from illness,” concluded Endy.
Dean of UNDIP Vocational School, Prof. Dr. Ir. Budiyono, M.Si, said that the Undip Vocational School should be proud that one of its lecturers, Endy Yulianto, received an award as the best presenter from the Academic Directorate of Vocational Higher Education. “Endy has shown his best contribution and performance so that it is beneficial for the UNDIP Vocational School and has an impact on the wider community,” he explained.
Budiyono hopes that research activities at Undip Vocational School will continue to innovate and develop and, side by side, answer problems in society and ultimately produce solutions together.
