Prof. Dr. Drs. Kusmardi, M.S. inaugurated as a Professor in Anatomical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine UI Salemba on Saturday (27/1). He delivered a scientific oration entitled “The Role of Experimental Pathology in Supporting the Acceleration of the Use of Natural Ingredients as Complements to Medicine in Indonesia”. The inauguration was led by the Chancellor, Prof. Ari Kuncoro, S.E., M.A., Ph.D., in the IMERI UI Salemba Hall, attended by the Chair of the As-Syafi’iyah College/Senator of Jakarta at the DPD RI, Prof. Dr. Dailami Firdaus, S.H., LL.M.; Chairman of the Association of Anatomic Pathology Specialists, Dr. dr. Sjahjeni Mustokoweni, Sp. P.A.(K); Dean of the UHAMKA Faculty of Pharmacy and Science, Dr. Hadi Sunaryo, M.Si., Apt.; Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Religion, As-Syafi’iyah Islamic University, Dr. Abdul Hamid, M.A, and other guests.
Prof. Kusmardi mentioned that Indonesia—as a country with high biodiversity—has not yet maximized its enormous potential in ethnomedicine. He presented data from the Indonesian Ministry of Health, 19,871 medicinal plants potentially used as traditional ingredients, and 81.62% (16,218) have been identified. However, only 59.2% (200 of 9,600) types are used as raw materials for the traditional medicine industry in the country.
Therefore, the government is strengthening the development of the Indonesian traditional medicine industry by issuing Presidential Instruction No. 6 of 2016 concerning the Acceleration of Development of the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Industry. The government supports the development of the natural materials industry by regulating and monitoring the safety and quality of products marketed.
According to Prof. Kusmardi, natural ingredients have been an integral part of medicinal traditions in Indonesia for centuries. The practice of using natural materials has been recognized for more than 1,300 years. The natural ingredients used usually come from spices, plants, roots, and bark.
Traditional medicine then expanded into industry. For several decades, the natural materials industry in Indonesia has experienced rapid growth. Many natural ingredients companies have developed into large companies with a diverse product portfolio. They combine traditional knowledge with modern research to produce natural ingredients that are more effective and safe.
To ensure the quality, safety, and effectiveness of natural ingredients, Prof. Kusmardi assesses the need for Anatomical Pathology as a strong scientific approach. Research in Experimental Pathology contributes to a deeper understanding of the effects of natural substances in the pathogenesis of disease and has the potential to provide a basis for the development of disease treatment or prevention strategies using experimental animals.
Prof. Kusmardi has been researching natural ingredients using an experimental pathology approach for years, including ET-Lun compounds from soybean extract, Phaleria macrocarpa extract, Ficus deltoidea extract, white pomegranate extract, and combination of bitter and spirulina extracts. The ET-Lun compound from soybean extract tested on mice models of colon inflammation and colorectal carcinoma showed significant results in reducing inflammation, angiogenesis, hyperplasia, histone deacetylation, and inhibiting the formation of foci of necrosis and steatosis. ET-Lun has been shown to reduce tumor volume and suppress angiogenesis and proliferation.
Meanwhile, Phaleria macrocarpa extract was proven to improve the condition of the colon in mice with models of colon inflammation and colon cancer. This can be seen from its ability to induce apoptosis and increase anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. This extract given to mice models of colon cancer has inflammation-inhibiting activity while bitter and spirulina extracts in mice models of malaria infection can reduce parasitemia, inhibit inflammation, and increase hemoglobin and red blood cells.
“Experimental pathology has a very important role in accelerating the natural materials in Indonesia. Collaboration between experts in Anatomical Pathology and Herbal Medicine to develop natural ingredients in Indonesia can maximize the potential of natural ingredients as an important resource in modern health care that is effective and safe,” said Prof. Kusmardi.
Research on Experimental Pathology is one of the many studies conducted by Prof. Kusmardi. Some of them are Inhibitory Mechanisms of Soybean Extract on the Development of Breast Cancer Through Modulation of Cellular Immune Response (2024); Structure Elucidation of Active Compounds from Coffea Canephora Pierre ex A. Froehner Cascara and Their Potential as Anticancer against Breast Cancer Cells (2024); and The Effect of Lunasin on Inhibition of Ki67, BCL-2 and C-MYC Expression in Azoxymethane and Dextran Sodium Sulfate Induced Mice Colon (2023).
Prof. Kusmardi completed his Bachelor’s degree in Biology at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, UI in 1988; Master’s in Biomedical Sciences Faculty of Medicine UI in 1999; and Doctor of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bogor Agricultural Institute, in 2014. Currently, he is studying for a Doctor of Da’wah Science, Faculty of Religious Sciences, at As-Syafi’iyah University. He is also active as a Visiting Professor of Biomedical Sciences at City University Malaysia.
