TEMPO.CO, Yogyakarta - Gadjah Mada University (UGM) students have managed to innovate a helathy snack made of grass jelly and snake fruit (Zalacca salacca) that can increase human immune system.

“UGM students have found many innovations created from simple ingredients that are available around us but contribute a lot for the country’s development,” said UGM public relation head Iva Ariani.

UGM Faculty of Biology student Rendi Mahadi said that the grass jelly has a component that makes the macrophage cells more active in facing-off the pathogen. It is also active in reducing free radicals that enter the body, he added.

He said the majority of Indonesian people know grass jelly and many consume it as a dessert. Besides its delicious taste, grass jelly is also beneficial for the immune system.

Rendy explained that the grass jelly leaf extract contains many secondary metabolism components like Terpenoid, Flavonoid, Phenol, and Tannin. They are known as an immunomodulator and a natural antioxidant.

Meanwhile, UGM Medical Faculty student Nurwachid Arbangi said that snake fruit is rich with polyphenol and flavonoid, which produce an anti-cancer effect and could activate an immune response.

“Flavonoid is known to increase the proliferation limphocyte activation in an invitro way so it has the potential to become an immunomodulator agent. The Nitric Oxide test shows that the addition of snake fruit extract could enhance the immune system in a high dosage and would lower the immunity in a low dosage,” eh explained.

According to Nurwachid, further research would be needed to develop the innovation, yet he said that the snake fruit can be used as an alternative medicine to increase immune system. Snake fruit can be easily found in Indonesia, so he hopes that the Indonesians could take benefit from the fruit and lessen the consumption of imported medicine.

"Hope it can be used as a cheap alternative and easy to be found medicine."

ANTARA