Recently, netizens have been alarmed by content showing many children in a hospital undergoing dialysis. Some claim this increase is due to the rising cases of kidney failure among children.
According to WHO data, in 2023, there were over 300 cases of acute kidney failure (AKI) in children in Indonesia, with more than half of the sufferers dying.
It is known that acute kidney failure occurs due to the accumulation of senescent cells in the kidneys caused by increased reactive oxygen species (ROS).
To address this issue, a team of students from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) researched the potential of the jenitri fruit (Elaeocarpus sphaericus) extract in preventing acute kidney failure in children.
The team consists of Kevin Lensrich, Rahma Aulia, Daniswara Nur Ramadhani, and Dzaki Hasan Nasrullah, all from the Faculty of Pharmacy, supervised by Dr. Rumiyati.
Kevin Lensrich, the team leader, stated that the jenitri fruit is a Kebumen, Central Java, fruit commodity. This fruit contains flavonoid compounds that are antioxidants, capable of preventing the accumulation of free radicals and inhibiting cell aging.
“Our research shows that jenitri fruit has the potential as a nephroprotective agent to prevent acute kidney failure through its anti-senescence effects,” he explained on Tuesday (Jul. 30).
Lensrich revealed that few previous studies had examined the anti-senescence activity of jenitri fruit extract. He mentioned that this anti-senescence activity is a novelty in the research conducted by the UGM student team.
Lensrich said, “We are conducting this research to uncover the nephroprotective potential against acute kidney failure in children.”
Rahma Aulia, another team member, added that jenitri fruit has long been used for its antioxidant properties in traditional medicine to treat various diseases in tea form. However, the active compounds in jenitri fruit are polar, resulting in low bioavailability in tea preparations.
Aulia explained, “This bioavailability issue can be addressed by formulating jenitri fruit extract into a nanoemulsion with nano-sized particles, better stability, and bioavailability.”
Meanwhile, Daniswara Nur Ramadhani mentioned that the nanoemulsion of jenitri fruit extract could appeal more to children due to its pleasant taste and texture when processed into a jelly drink. The research started with the extraction of jenitri fruit using ultrasonic methods.
The research continued with the qualitative and quantitative analysis of flavonoid compounds in jenitri fruit, testing the cytotoxic effects of jenitri fruit extract on Vero cells as a kidney cell model.
Various antioxidant activity tests, anti-senescence effect tests on Vero cells, formulation of jenitri fruit extract nanoemulsion, and characterization of nanoemulsion-based jelly drinks were also conducted.
“With this research, we continue to innovate in creating preparations to prevent acute kidney failure in children,” Ramadhani said.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Photo: jenitrijogja-WorldPress.com