The 3rd International Summer School is here again to greet international pharmacy students and practitioners on Thursday (25/8/2022). On the eighth day, the event was filled with two short lecture topics and a question and answer session after each material. It should be noted that the Faculty of Pharmacy Universitas Airlangga (FF UNAIR) is one of the organizers of the International Summer School which this year has the theme "The Soul of Jamu and Bromo Cultural Remedies".
The first speaker, Prof. apt. Agung Endo Nugroho, M.Sc., Ph.D., presented a material entitled "Development of Herbal Medicine Based on Scientific Evidence". The lecturer at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada, started his presentation by mentioning various problems faced by researchers and industry in developing herbal products in Indonesia. The lack of national independence in the production of drugs and medicinal ingredients is one of them.
“In Indonesia, the majority of drug needs and raw materials are supplied through imports. In fact, Southeast Asian countries have enormous biological wealth, including herbal plants," explained Prof. Great.
According to Prof. Agung, the diversity of flora in Indonesia, especially species that have health benefits, needs to be explored and researched more deeply. In this case, he has collected various herbal plants in the Special Region of Yogyakarta.
Prof. Agung then conducted a screening to determine the most efficacious plants. As a result, Sambiloto occupies the top position in overcoming diabetes. He also succeeded in isolating the efficacious compounds contained in bitter leaves and testing their effectiveness on experimental animals.
"If this effort is collaborated with fellow researchers in other provinces, Indonesia will have many herbal medicines based on local wisdom," he continued.
Next, it's apt's turn. Titis Indah Wahyu A., S.Farm. to present the material entitled “Competitiveness of Herbal Cosmetics in Indonesia and Globally”. The Director of PT Kosmetika Global Indonesia who is also an alumnus of FF UNAIR explained that recently there has been a shift in trends in the realm of body care products. Consumers are starting to become aware of the side effects of chemicals found in conventional body care products. As a result, the demand for body care products with natural ingredients is increasing.
"The term 'organic' has become a global trend that continues to grow in recent years," continued Titis.
In addition to minimal side effects, organic body care products are also more environmentally friendly. According to Titis, this is because many industries have developed and marketed product packaging that can be used and reprocessed.
Titin then revealed tips that the cosmetic and body care industry needs to apply in order to stay competitive in the market with changing trends. He advised manufacturers to emphasize safety and health benefits when marketing their products.
"Organic products with labels that explain health benefits, do not show side effects, and mention the complete composition of ingredients will gain consumer confidence," explained Titin.
Reporter and editor: Atallah (2020)
