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Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that 149 million children worldwide suffer from stunted growth due to inadequate nutritional intake, commonly known as stunting.
This condition can lead to high mortality rates, reduced Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and immune system function, and an increased risk of children developing various metabolic syndromes.
One strategy to prevent stunting is to provide essential macro- and micronutrients that support children’s growth and development.
These nutrients can be obtained from superfoods, nutrient-dense foods that promote health, and are derived from bioactive compounds found in fruits and vegetables.
In response to the stunting issue, five UGM students from different disciplines—Novia Noor Rachmawati (Biology 2020), Tiara Amelia Putri (Biology 2020), Haris Dwi Nugroho (Biology 2021), Sabrina Gita Pramesti (Chemistry 2021), and Tabina Amanda Aurelia Surya (Chemical Engineering 2022)—explored a stunting-prevention superfood derived from the local strain of Euglena sp. microalgae.
They employed a genetic breeding method called colchicine-induced polyploidy, which can alter the organism’s chromosome set. The students are part of UGM’s Student Creativity Program, focused on Exact Science Research (PKM-RE), under the guidance of Professor Budi Setiadi Daryono.
Novia Noor Rachmawati explained that Euglena produces various bioproducts that qualify it as a superfood, including essential amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and bioactive metabolites.
However, Euglena’s metabolite production is lower than that of other superfoods on the market, so the team employed polyploidization to enhance its metabolite production.
She added that Euglena naturally produces about 44 micrograms/milligram of polyunsaturated acid, 47% amino acids, and approximately 100 mg of paramylon.
The students chose the polyploidization process because it can increase the expression of functional genes and consistently pass on its mutation characteristics to subsequent generations.
“In this research, we analyzed the performance, ploidy level, and metabolomic study of colchicine-mutated Euglena sp. local strain as an alternative source of essential amino acids and value-added bioproducts,” said Tiara Amelia Putri.
Haris Dwi Nugroho revealed that Euglena sp. was sourced from Dieng, Central Java, with concentration variations ranging from 0% to 5% and an induction time of 24 hours.
The goal was to obtain polyploid Euglena with improved morphology, DNA concentration, ploidy level performance, and amino acid and metabolite profiles.
Sabrina Gita Pramesti, whose field of study differs from the others, explained that a 1% concentration treatment effectively induced chromosomal ploidy mutation in Euglena sp., increasing the ploidy level, carbohydrate production, paramylon, chlorophyll, and carotenoids.
The team leader, Novia Rachmawati, added that further testing of each treatment’s concentration showed increased amino acids, particularly the essential amino acids L-lysine, L-leucine, and L-histidine, which had the highest concentrations.
These essential amino acids play a crucial role in preventing stunting due to their functions in bone development, immune system enhancement, and red blood cell formation.
“We hope this research can be beneficial and contribute to the development of genetic modification in Euglena sp., thereby enriching the biotechnology information of microalgae and positioning Euglena sp. as a high-value alternative protein bioproduct,” Rachmawati concluded.
Author: Triya Andriyani
Editor: Gusti Grehenson