In early 2024, Mohamad Endy Julianto, S.T., M.T. Undip Vocational School lecturers from the Industrial Chemical Engineering Technology Study Program again achieved Intellectual Property (KI) achievements from the Academic Directorate of Vocational Higher Education. The Kemendikbudristek Appreciation Activity, which was held at the Sahid Jaya Hotel & Convention Yogyakarta, was attended by all universities under the diction of Implementing the Tridharma of Higher Education.
Opening by the Directorate General of Diction, Kiki Yuliati said that the award program provides awards for dedication and contribution to lecturers’ performance achievements related to the implementation of the Tridharma of Higher Education. Apart from that, the Director of APTV, Beny Bandanadjaja, added that to motivate and encourage vocational universities by improving the quality of education, including Intellectual Property achievements, which are the output of research and community service.
Endy said downstream research in partnership with the green tea industry PPTK Gambung and PT. Rumpun Sari Medini was funded by RISPRO LPDP with the study “Development of a Competitive Green Tea Super Mini Plant through an Inactivation Process using a Mechanically Dispersed-Rotary Steamer.” This research with TKT (Technology Readiness Level) 7 – 9 has produced output in the form of industrial steamer-cooler TTG, business plan documents, SOP, market study, feasibility study (FS), and patent granted no IDS000007201 entitled “Enzymatic Inactivation Process for Manufacturing Green Tea using a Cylindrical Dispersing Steamer” and number P00202002255 with the invention “Mechanically Dispersed-Rotary Steamer Integrated Cooling Tool for the Enzymatic Inactivation Process” has been implemented in the PPTK Gambung Green Tea industry in Bandung.
This research was motivated by concerns about the world tea market, which is overshadowed by symptoms of oversupply, and production costs tend to increase, requiring tea producers to increase competitiveness and added value. Environmental problems have contributed to developing a new market segment for tea products: consumers who want environmentally friendly and healthy products. Even though tea is the most popular drink after water, it is consumed daily by millions of people worldwide. The health aspect of tea has also been under sharp focus in recent years in line with people’s tendency to consume substitute foods or drinks as a balance to a diet rich in fat and cholesterol.
The results of research with the Team of Dr.Eng Vita Paramita, ST, MM, M.Eng, Prof. Dr. Eflita Yohana, Dr. Indah Hartati, Dr. Dadan Rohdiana, and Didik Ariwibowo, ST, MT show that “downstream of enzymatic inactivation technology through a mechanically dispersed-rotary steamer process can reduce energy consumption and increase productivity up to IDR 1,620/kg of green tea. Commercial research results can also increase the catechin content from 10.81% (Panning) to 17.81% dry weight. This high catechin level is very productive in fighting various deadly diseases. Hopefully, in the future, the entire green tea industry will use Steaming technology, which is Well Proven, so that productivity and quality “(catechin levels) increase and are healthier,” explained Endy.
Endy said that “green tea contains polyphenols such as catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin gallate, and gallic acid, is stated to have anti-cancer activity, maintains heart health, is anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, prolongs menopause, prevents cardiovascular disease, obesity, and other degenerative diseases. However, green tea processing in Indonesia generally has a catechin content of 10.81% dry weight. The catechin content of this green tea is relatively low because some of it undergoes catechin oxidation, thermal degradation, catechin epimerization, and so on. “In principle, this is done through stages: panning, rolling, drying, sorting and packing,” he explained.
“However, the stage that most determines green tea quality is the enzymatic inactivation process in the cytoplasm of tea leaves. So far, the method for inactivating the polyphenol oxidase and hydroperoxidase enzymes used for green tea production in Indonesia is panning with quite large energy requirements, namely 6,097 kJl/kg of tea or equivalent to fuel requirements of 0.12 liters of IDO/kg of dry tea. The basic weaknesses of the panning method are: heat penetration is unable to inactivate the enzyme as a whole, catechins are thermally degraded, and the tea produces a blackish color due to the degradation of chlorophyll into pheophytin.” said Endy.
“The team is collaborating with the green tea industry at the Gambung Tea and Quinine Research Center (PPTK) in South Bandung and various green tea industries to develop commercial products for high-catechin green tea powder. Commercialization of the incorporated product is also estimated to increase by up to 50%, so “The results of this commercial research can be useful for the green tea industry, the pharmaceutical industry as a raw material for catechin preparations, tea planters and people who consume green tea as a functional food which is starting to become popular nowadays,” concluded Endy.
Dean of Undip Vocational School, Prof. Dr. Ir. Budiyono, M.Si, said that the Undip Vocational School should be proud that one of its lecturers, Endy Julianto, received an award from the Academic Directorate of Vocational Higher Education. “Endy has shown his best contribution and performance so that it is beneficial for the Undip Vocational School and has an impact on the wider community,” he explained.
Budiyono hopes that research activities at Undip Vocational School will continue to innovate and develop and, side by side, answer societal problems and ultimately produce solutions together. (SDGs SV Undip)