Sarawak’s local plants:Potential fighters against stress-related diseases
KUCHING – Sarawak, the Malaysian state on the island of Borneo, is home to hundreds of edible fruits and plants. Many of these edible plants have not been included in or have had limited exposure to scientific studies, be it generally or specifically.
This unexplored research territory is the motivator behind Isuriy Adasuriya, a Master of Science by Research student with Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus (Swinburne Sarawak) in studying these plants and its potential benefits.
As someone who has always been fascinated with nutrition facts infood labels and considers ingredients of body care products as a must-read, Isuriy is excited about what her study on the effect of local leafy plants of Sarawak will bring up.
“Most vegetables and plants that you consume daily are excellent sources of not only essential vitamins, minerals and fibres, but also a good source of antioxidants that can protect you from various diseases,” said Isuriy.
Like humans, plants also develop defensive mechanisms to fight against harmful effects of excess free radicals within their cells. Free radicals can increase the risks of heart diseases, certain types of cancers and other degenerative diseases.
According to Isuriy, her preliminary study found that various leafy plants such as the young leaves of Dillenia suffruticosa or locally called buanor simpoh air, and Eugenia polyanthum ( bungkang/ Iocal bay leaf) have high antioxidant contents.
“My research focus has extended to mammalian cell culture,” she explained.
Under the supervision of Dr. Irine Henry Ginjom, a lecturer with the Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science of Swinburne Sarawak, Isuriy is studying the protective effect of the plant extracts on mammalian heart cells that are exposed to oxidative stress.
Through her study, she discovered that the content of antioxidants in local leafy plants are comparable to, or even more than those found in the popular super- antioxidant sources such as elderberries, black olives and green tea. Fruits such as elderberries are well known for their richness in antioxidants. They however are expensive and a rarity in Asian markets or households.
“The plants that I am studying especially the simpohair, are a common sight in Sarawak. In fact, just drive along any road in the state and you are bound to find them in abundance growing by the roadside,” she said.
The mature leaves of the simpoh air plant are widely used by the locals to wrap food such as cooked rice, as well as fresh curry mix.
“The young leaves of simpoh air can be consumed raw as a salad, eaten along with some spicy paste (sambal). Bungkang is an aromatic leaf commonly added as a flavouring agent in meat dishes such as manokpansoh, a local dish where chicken meat is cooked in bamboo,” she said.
Isuriy is confident that through her research, she would be able to help the locals enrich their dietary antioxidants in a natural and more importantly, affordable manner.
A Sri Lankan native, Isuriy graduated with a bachelor of science in biotechnology from Swinburne Sarawak in 2013. The short exposure to research during the final year of her bachelor’s degree and internships with established scientific institutions in Sri Lanka helped her identify that her preference was towards research-based postgraduate studies.
“I saw it as a challenging platform that sets you apart from the routine lecture-tutorialexam pattern. It definitely helps me experience the realism of science in its true form” she said.
In Research based learning, it is an added advantage that students gain knowledge on research from other scientific disciplines rather than their own studies.
“Every research that is taken up by each post-graduate student is unique to one another,” she further added.
Swinburne Sarawak has a good track record in research and has close links to industry having collaborated in numerous research and development projects with local corporations.
The centre currently hostsmore than 20 postgraduate and post-doctorate candidates working on various research that relates to industrial and environmental biotechnology, advanced thermal science, industrial engineering, civil engineering and health informatics.
Established in 2000, Swinburne Sarawak in Malaysia is the only international campus of Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia. It offers professionally accredited courses in business, computing, design, engineering and science that are identical to those at the home campus. Students pursuing their studies at Swinburne Sarawak are awarded the internationally recognized parchment on graduation.
With 4,000 students from over 60 countries, Swinburne Sarawak is vibrant, diverse and colourful. This, combined with the highly experienced teaching staff from many parts of the world, gives the university an international flavour.