A team from Universitas Gadjah Mada has won national competition, Chemical Product Design Competition 2016, held from 2-5 March at University of Indonesia. They beat tens other teams from around Indonesia for the drug they made from edible film to treat mouth ulcer.
The team consisting of five Chemical Engineering students are Arum Nur Hidayah, Bill Rich, Dyah Ayu Permatasari Tedjo Pradipto, Meutia Ermina Toif, and Nico Pratama Yulianto Putra.
Team chairman, Meutia, said they made the drug from edible film that is usually used for candy wraps.
The drug named Cinnamed uses orange peel that is processed into pectin. The pectin is made into film, added with cinnamaldehyde compound.
“The cinnamaldehyde compound from the cinamon extract is known to be able to cure mouth ulcer,” sh said on Thursday (10/3) at Faculty of Engineering UGM.
Then, they carried out spectrophotometry testing to know how much of the cinnamaldehyde compound can get into and out of the edible film.
“Our research showed that one sheet of Cinnamed contains cinnamaldehyde as high as 180 milligrams,” Nico Pratama added.
Nico explained one Cinnamed dosage contains 10 sheets of edible film sized 1.5 x 1.5 cm. It has orange flavour. Currently, it is not yet marketable, but they plan to produce it in big scale, selling at IDR5,000. “Further researches are needed in the future for clinical and pre-clinical testing,” he said.
Dyah Ayu said their product gave an alternative to the treatment of mouth ulcer. Cinnamed does not make the person feel a sharp pain in their mouth following the application. They need only to stick the sheet in the affected part. “This medication does not cause painful feeling and it tastes fresh with orange flavour,” she said.