Malang, E Java (Antara) - Brown seaweed which is found much in the Sumenep Beach, East Java, proves to have the medical potential to fight obesity, thus offering economic benefit for local seaweed farmers, a researcher said. Leenawaty Limantara, a researcher of the Ma Chung University in Malang, East Java, said here Sunday the research conducted by the university on brown seaweed from Sumenep beach showed that it contains anti-obesity property. "This brown seaweed may offer a new prospect for local farmers to survive the vast products in the global market," Limantara said. The research conducted by Ma Chung University was funded by Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation through Ma Chung Research Center for Photosynthetic Pigments (MCRPP). One kilogram of raw brown seaweed is only priced at around Rp15,000. However, when it is processed to medical product, especially for anti-obesity medicine or herbs, the value will significantly increase, she said. The university in cooperation with the East Java provincial administration is cultivating brown seaweed through a program "Sentra Hilir Produk Pigmen Rumput Laut Indonesia" or the Center of Downstream Product of Seaweed Pigment from Indonesian Seas. East Java has been selected as the center for the product due to its adequate transportation and infrastructure compared to other region such as Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Eastern Indonesian Regions. The university has also received a contract frlom Indonesian cosmetic manufacturer Martha Tilaar to develop anti-obesity herb from brown seaweed. Limantara said Indonesia has many plant species that can be developed and cultivated for medicine and food ingredients. However they are not yet protected that they might become extinct. "The government should secure and give protection to such species to prevent them from extinction. There should be a bank of species and genes established.... In fact, government-to-government cooperation will be necessary and it should be sought and prioritized," Limantara said.(*)


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