With Granted Patent, Undip Vocational Graduate Join the Big Petrochemical Company

The students’ innovation was highly inspiring as a solution to the societal issues it addressed and will contribute to Indonesia’s development. In the same manner as Muhammad Yusuf, a pupil of the Industrial Chemical Engineering Technology Study Program (TRKI) at the Dipoengoro University Vocational School (UNDIP). Yusuf, or Ucup, as he is affectionately known, has successfully accomplished a TRKI applied bachelor’s degree under the supervision of Mohamad Endy Yulianto. According to Yusuf, the supervisor’s compassion and guidance were instrumental in his successful acquisition of a patent. Yusuf was accepted to work at the Petrochemical Company PT. ESSA Industries Indonesia Tbk. as a result of the granted patent, which is entitled “Process of Extraction of Piperine from Javanese Chilies Using Subcritical Water” (Patent no IDS000006334). This patent is not half-hearted.
Yusuf, who is currently with TRKI Vocational Undip alumni from his generation, namely Muhammad Fikri Arief and Ahmad Walihul Mahali, is employed at the PT ESSA Industries Indonesia Tbk Amonic Plant. “Extraction of Piperine Compound from Piper Nigrum as an Acne Antibacterial (Propionibacterium Acnes) Through the Hydrothermal Process” was the title of Yusuf’s research. Mr. Endy’s guidance and instruction ultimately instilled in me a sense of assurance regarding the future. As a result, I was granted employment in numerous sectors.
The research background is that Indonesia is a country with a wealth of biological natural resources, which necessitates the exploration of the prospective applications of natural materials in a variety of industries. This is why it is imperative to incorporate natural ingredients into the formulation of medicinal raw materials, as they contain numerous active compounds that are highly effective, such as black pepper and Javanese chili. Currently, the utilization of black pepper and Javanese chilies is restricted to the role of supplementary ingredients in cookery. “Therefore, the use of black pepper and chili contains the active compound in the form of piperine which is useful as an antibacterial for acne,” according to Yusuf.
Yusuf elucidated that the piperine compound possesses a variety of properties, such as the ability to neutralize impurities, reduce fever, reduce weight, and increase the absorption of specific vitamins. Additionally, it has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-malarial properties. Nevertheless, it is imperative to develop Green Solvent-based extraction in order to enhance the efficacy of the extraction process and achieve more efficient results. Hydrothermal extraction is the extraction development that is considered to be more effective due to the significant increase in the subcritical water diffusion process within the organic matrix. Yusuf added that the viscosity and surface tension of the water decrease as the extraction temperature rises, resulting in a 10-fold increase in its diffusivity.
At present, research is ongoing at the junior level and is beginning to collaborate with the pharmaceutical industry to convert nano piperine herbal medication into capsule form. “Hopefully in the future this product can be commercialized, so that the research results can be useful for society, especially people who are struggling to recover from disease,” Yusuf concluded.