TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A high school student from South Bengkulu, Aqshal Dwi Raldo, developed an ice cream ingredient from bitter melon seeds that is believed to be able to fight HIV/AIDS virus.
Earlier in May, the South Bengkulu's SMAN 2 high school student won a gold medal at the international innovation and technology exhibition (ITEX) 2018 held in Malaysia by introducing an anti-dengue fever mosquito spray.
“I mixed bitter melon seeds powder into the ingredient, which contains alpha-momorchorin, beta-momorchorin and MAP 30 that acts as an anti-HIV/AIDS substance,” said Aqshal on Wednesday, September 5.
Aqshal argues that the HIV/AIDS infection is closely tied to the drop of CD4 cells. This paralyzes lymphocyte function and disables it to be a bridge to the immunological reaction that causes a human body immune to weaken.
“The CD4 cell is part of the white cells that functions to maintain human’s body immunity, while CD8 acts as cell's immunity. The substance in the bitter melon seed can improve the growth of the CD8 cell and normalize the CD8 cell immunity ratio of a human body, which eventually hampers the growth of HIV/AIDS,” Aqshal explained.
Aqshal packaged it in the form of an ice cream after taking into consideration that a sufferer will often be reluctant to consume medicines and undergo therapy. The ice cream is sold at an affordable price of Rp4,000 per package.
ANTARA
