Introducing the Potential of Bekul Fruit from Buleleng, Bali, as a Pharma Food

Introduction

Indonesia is famous for its myriad of potentials, especially in the field of natural materials. The existence of the COVID-19 pandemic has made many people compete to explore the natural wealth of this archipelago, especially natural ingredients that have medicinal properties. Fruits are natural ingredients with medicinal properties that are increasingly being looked at during this pandemic. Internet articles were scattered as if not to be outdone to show what fruit is efficacious to increase immunity (immunity) to attack viruses and various other diseases. Various fruits are food ingredients that can be classified as pharma food. Have you heard, read or know about pharma food before? Actually the definition is very simple, namely food (foodstuffs) that has pharmacological properties by maintaining and improving body health (1). This is closely related to the Greek word "pharmakon" which means medicine. Bekul fruit as one of the fruits cultivated in Buleleng Regency, Bali, is no exception as one of the natural ingredients that has the potential to be developed as a food ingredient as well as a source of medicine.

The bekul plant is a gift from God in nature which is said to have properties to overcome disease in the ancient medicine literature in Bali known as Usada Taru Premana, and is summarized in the book entitled Usada Gede (2). Bekul originating from the Banjar area, Buleleng Regency, Bali was previously unknown for scientific classification, but it is usually cultivated for harvesting the fruit to be eaten directly or processed into rujak (a local delicacy), and used for religious ceremonies (yadnya), as a ceremonial offering. The skin of the fruit is green and shiny, similar to the Malang Manalagi apple.

Identification of Bekul Plants

To identify bekul plants scientifically, taxonomy is needed. Taxonomy is a branch of biology that mainly studies the scientific classification of living things. Based on a taxonomic study, a team of plant biosystematics experts at LIPI, Eka Karya Botanical Gardens, Bali, scientifically grouped bekul based on the following criteria (3):

The Content of Active Substances with Medicinal Properties in Bekul Fruit and Its Benefits for Health

Bekul (Ziziphus jujube Mill.) is a plant native to Asia (4), and in China it is known as a Chi/Qi booster and a natural ingredient with anti-anemia properties which is commonly referred to as a “blood enhancer” (5). When compared with other types of Ziziphus fruit across countries, the phenol content in the ethanol extract of Bali bekul fruit is relatively lower. This is probably due to differences in species, natural factors where the plant grows, and the solvent used to make the extract (3). Phenol is also known to have potential as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, especially when compared to fruit belonging to the same genus as Bali Bekul, namely Ziziphus-spina Christi from Oman (3,6). Tannins, such as those found in Balinese bekul fruit (especially those that are ripe on the tree), are known to have the potential to be developed as antioxidants and antibiotics (3,7,8). The presence of inhibitory activity against DPPH free radicals and AAI value which shows very strong antioxidant activity, further strengthens the assumption that Balinese Bekul fruit is a very promising pharma food, at least from the aspect of its antioxidant activity. From research published in the reputed scientific journal Heliyon, Ziziphus jujube Mill. ethanol extract was found to have antigenotoxic property, namely the ability of a substance to protect DNA from damage due to exposure to materials that can disrupt the integrity of DNA. This protective ability was found in human white blood cells as well as liver, kidney and bone marrow cells of mice (9). Although research on the pharmacological potential of Balinese bekul fruit is still in its early stages, published research results indicate that bekul fruit from Buleleng Regency, Bali, has the potential to be further developed as a source of drugs with antianemia, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antigenotoxic properties.

REFERENCES

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2.           Kebudayaan DP dan. USADA GEDE [Internet]. Jakarta; 1991. 1–171 p. Available from: http://repositori.kemdikbud.go.id/8131/1/USADA GEDE.pdf

3.           Mahendra AN, Pramartha INT, Wibawa AAC. Potential Pharmafood from Northern Region of Bali Island, Indonesia: Selected Phytochemical Analyses and Antioxidant Activity of Its Ethanol Extract. Biomed Pharmacol J [Internet]. 2021;14(1):477–83. Available from: https://bit.ly/3wh7F16

4.           Jin X. Jujuba— Ziziphus jujuba. In: Exotic Fruits. 2018.

5.           Chen J, Tsim KWK. A Review of Edible Jujube, the Ziziphus jujuba Fruit: A Heath Food Supplement for Anemia Prevalence. Front Pharmacol [Internet]. 2020;11:1–12. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33324222/

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7.           Yahia Y, Benabderrahim, Mohamed Ali Tlili N, Bagues M, Nagaz K. Bioactive compounds, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of extracts from different plant parts of two Ziziphus Mill. species. PLoS One [Internet]. 2020;15(5):1–16. Available from: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0232599

8.           Suzie Z, Adrien S, Guillaume C, Didier M-A-M, Sylvie R, Dominique P, et al. Changes in antioxidant activity during the ripening of Jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk). Food Chem [Internet]. 2013;150:448–56. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24360474/

9.           Goswami P, Banerjee R, Mukherjee A. Potential antigenotoxicity assessment of Ziziphus jujuba fruit. Heliyon [Internet]. 2019;5:e01768. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844019302348