By: Alvira Noer Effendi and Rina Trifani
Chronic diseases in Indonesia, such as coronary heart disease and fatty liver. One of the risk factors for these diseases is hypercholesterolemia. Hypercholesterolemia is a metabolic disorder characterized by high cholesterol levels in the blood.
High cholesterol
High cholesterol is closely linked with many other medical problems. That means it can cause some serious problems to start (like coronary artery disease). But it can also happen as a result of other diseases, especially ones that trigger inflammation in your body (like lupus). People with high cholesterol often develop high blood pressure as well.
High cholesterol is a condition in which you have too many lipids (fats) in your blood. It’s also called hyperlipidemia or hypercholesterolemia. Your body needs just the right amount of lipids to function. If you have too many lipids, your body can’t use them all. The extra lipids start to build up in your arteries. They combine with other substances in your blood to form plaque (fatty deposits).
Good cholesterol vs. bad cholesterol
There are several types of lipids. The main ones you’ve probably heard about are “good cholesterol” and “bad cholesterol.”
Good cholesterol is called high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Think of the “H” as meaning “helpful.” Your HDLs carry cholesterol to your liver. Your liver keeps your cholesterol levels balanced. It makes enough cholesterol to support your body’s needs and gets rid of the rest. You must have enough HDLs to carry cholesterol to your liver. If your HDLs are too low, you’ll have too much cholesterol circulating in your blood.
Bad cholesterol is called low-density lipoprotein (LDL). This is the culprit that makes plaque form in your arteries. Having too many LDLs can lead to heart disease over time.
Bouea macrophylla (Ramania or Gandaria)
The Center for Botanicals and Chronic Diseases project referred us to research on tropical fruits from Indonesia, namely Bouea macrophylla. The fruit when ripe is orange, juicy texture, and has a sweet and sour taste accompanied by pleasant aroma. Bouea macrophylla is a plant from the Anacardiaceae family. Gandaria can be found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, South China, Myanmar, and Andaman Island. In Indonesia, this fruit can be found in Sumatera, Java, Borneo, and also Moluccas. This fruit has a few local names like ramania, gandaria, setar, and other names depending on where the fruit location is.
The fruit was taken from South Paringin, Balangan, South Kalimantan, Indonesia in November 2021. This research was supervised directly by the lecturer, Prof. Dr. Ernawati Sinaga, M.S., Apt. Lecturers from Universitas Nasional often involve students to do research and guide students to do research for their final project or thesis writing. This research was conducted using male Sprague Dawley rats.
The research carried out in the Universitas Nasional laboratory, is clearly an experience in itself for the student team, and hopes that the results of this research can be used in the medical world.
