Herbal Drink from Brown Seaweed
The research team from IPB University developed a herbal drink from sargassum or brown seaweed. Sargassum is mixed because it has higher antioxidants than green and red seaweed.
This article has been translated using AI. See Original .
About AI Translated Article
Please note that this article was automatically translated using Microsoft Azure AI, Open AI, and Google Translation AI. We cannot ensure that the entire content is translated accurately. If you spot any errors or inconsistencies, contact us at hotline@kompas.id, and we'll make every effort to address them. Thank you for your understanding.
The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI.
Residents are drying Sargassum on Amat Belanda Island, Belakang Padang District, Batam City, Riau Islands, Thursday (4/11/2021). Some of the Sargassum collectors used to be managers and employees of nightlife entertainment businesses. They were forced to switch professions because the nightlife industry has been quiet since Covid-19 hit.
Indonesian waters as a tropical region have the largest seaweed germplasm resources in the world. The largest group of seaweed that grows in Indonesian sea waters, namely red algae (Rhodophyceae) around 452 species, followed by green algae (Chlorophyceae) around 196 species, and brown algae ( >Phaeophyceae) with 134 species.
Sargassumsp is part of a group of seaweed or brown algae that can grow in intertidal or tidal areas with a depth of up to 10 meters. Sargassum is commonly found in Indonesian waters and is spread from Aceh waters to Papua, such as Natuna, the Sunda Strait, the south coast of Java, and the Thousand Islands.
The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) noted that there are 50 types of seaweed sargassumin Indonesia, but only 15 species have been identified. Sargassum has the potential to be used as a raw material for the alginate industry with the main markets being China and Malaysia.
A number of research results show that sargassumhas many compounds that can be used for various purposes. The content of the main chemical compounds sargassum,among others, alginate, fucoidan, protein, vitamin C, tannins, and iodine. The large amount of content in sargassum makes this type of seaweed used as an ingredient or mixture of the pharmaceutical, textile, food and beverage, paper, and other industries.
In addition, sargassumcontains active compounds such as steroids, alkaloids, phenols, and triterpenoids which function as antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal. Then sargassum< extract /i>containing phenolic compounds also has the potential as an antioxidant to protect cell death from dimerization and damage.
The large amount of sargassum content is also the background for the research team from the Center for Coastal and Marine Resources Studies, Department of Aquatic Product Technology, and Science Techno Park IPB University to develop a natural mixed marine herbal drink. Sargassum is used as an ingredient in a herbal drink called Algatea.
Algatea, a functional food product from sargassum or brown seaweed and other mixed ingredients developed by researchers from IPB University.
The Head of the Algatea Innovation Research Team Wahyu Ramadhan said, sargassum is used as an ingredient for making herbal drinks because it is a type of seaweed that has many ingredients and benefits. The study results from the research team also showed sargassum had high levels of antioxidants with IC50 values (inhibition concentration) reaching 50-60 million per part (ppm).
However, the use of sargassum in Indonesia for various purposes, especially in the food sector, is still very limited and local in nature. So far, sargassum has been used more for the cosmetic, biomedical, pharmaceutical, and industrial fields, including textiles and papermaking because of its ability to bind water, like gel.
Also Read: Environmentally Friendly Plastic Ore from Seaweed
According to Wahyu, Indonesia is known to have a lot of potential seaweed that has been explored or that its functions are not yet known. The price of various types of seaweed that have been explored in their functions also mostly depends on the end products that are developed.
“Examples of products from this type of red seaweed that have been extensively explored are agar-agar and carrageenan. Another type of seaweed in Indonesia that is rarely explored and developed for its potential is sargassum. In fact, the distribution of sargassum is quite large in Indonesia and has an abundant amount," he said, Sunday (4/6/2023).
Product development
Research related to the development of Algatea has been carried out by the IPB research team, especially from the Department of Aquatic Product Technology since 2012. At that time, the research team focused on developing functional food from sargassum because this type of seaweed was not widely explored for various needs in the food sector. .
"We have studied Sargassum as an antidiabetic and other properties. In fact, in 2012 the research had reached the in vivo test stage. However, at this stage we have only tested seaweed extracts even though we have obtained crude extracts such as brewed tea," he said.
Two workers were in the seaweed drying and tying room on the beach of Amal City, Tarakan, North Kalimantan on Saturday (24/9/2022).
Afterwards, in 2013, the research team explored other types of seaweed. Then, in 2020-2021, the team started to develop Algatea products from the previous basic research findings in line with the new curriculum launched by the government, which focuses on ensuring that research results from universities synergize with the industrial sector.
Algatea was then developed as a functional food with a pre-packaged and ready-to-drink concept. Algatea was developed with this concept because the majority of functional beverages are not ready-to-drink or still need to go through brewing process.
We have studied Sargassum for its antidiabetic and other properties. In fact, in 2012 the research had reached the in vivo test stage. However, at this stage we have only tested seaweed extracts.
"The year 2021 is the initial initiation for improving products, ranging from laboratory scale to commercialization with companies. Aspects that are considered in the development of these products include conditions towards temperature, preservation, and the durability of antioxidant content during a certain period of time," said Wahyu."
After going through a training and development process with the private sector, herbal beverage products from sargassum are officially registered under the Algatea brand. Previously, this product was to be named sargatea, but it was canceled because the name overlapped with other products.
Mixed Ingredients
Algatea is not only made with sargassum, but also has various mixed ingredients from other herbal plants that are rich in benefits. The mixed ingredients include butterfly pea flower, secang wood, lemon grass, ginger, lemon and honey. The addition of these other ingredients makes Algatea available in three flavours, namely ginger, lemon and lemongrass.
Although it contains a variety of mixed ingredients from herbal plants, Wahyu emphasizes that this drink cannot be claimed to have various benefits and properties. This is because the development direction of Algatea is not as an herbal drink and does not go through clinical trial processes.
Red Ginger is believed to be one of the herbal medicinal plants.
However, in general, all the mixed ingredients in Algatea such as sargassum, ginger, and secang are widely known to have good content for the body. The various contents of Algatea ingredients also make this drink suitable for consumption by people of all ages, including small children.
"We do not dare to claim anything beyond reasonable limits because our main goal is to bring traditional food ingredients into a more modern presentation. Going forward, we are conducting research to develop variations of this product by adding good lactic acid bacteria for digestive health," Wahyu said.
Also Read: Seaweed Products Developed
The high potential of seaweed in Indonesia has led the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) to continuously strive to increase production through cultivation. The KKP also encourages entrepreneurs or investors to participate in developing the potential of the seaweed processing industry in Indonesia in order to increase the competitiveness and export value of those products in the global market.
Director General of Aquaculture of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Tb Haeru Rahayu, previously mentioned that the ministry is also making efforts to develop seaweed cultivation in border areas. These efforts are carried out through a seaweed cultivation development program that includes the process of seedling, counseling, and the establishment of centers in the area.
