Fahrul Nurkolis, affectionately known as Fahrul, is a young researcher and Biological Sciences student at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta. He recently presented his research findings at a prestigious event in France. Despite his relatively young age (21 years old), Fahrul made a significant impact during the 3rd International Symposium on Nutrition (ISN), organized jointly by the French Nutrition Society (Société Française de Nutrition) and The Nutrition Society UK.

This symposium, held every four years, brought together over 125 delegates from academia, policy, industry, and city representatives to discuss urban nutrition and sustainable health policies. Participants hailed from more than 20 countries, including Japan, Kuwait, the United States, France, Ireland, Indonesia, and England.

During the symposium, Dr. Nicolas Bricas, from the Montpellier Interdisciplinary Center for Sustainable Agri-food Systems (MoISA) in France, delivered the opening plenary lecture on “Understanding Sustainable Urban Food Systems.” Dr. Bricas highlighted the challenges faced by cities in achieving sustainable food systems, including reliance on food imports rather than local sources and social inequalities leading to poor access to nutritious food, changes in consumption patterns, and nutritional deficiencies.

Fahrul’s research, titled “Effect of Sea Grapes Antioxidants Extract on Lipid Profile and PGC-1α Levels in Obese Men: A 4-Week Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial,” stood out among thousands of abstract submissions. His study received copyright registration and patent approval from the Directorate General of Intellectual Property, Ministry of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia. Furthermore, Fahrul and his team registered the patent under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) in more than 150 countries worldwide.

The sea grapes extract, used as a health supplement for obese individuals, significantly improved lipid profiles (increasing HDL cholesterol and reducing total and LDL cholesterol). Fahrul’s ethical clinical trials, approved by Clinical Trials USA (clinicaltrials.gov), involved human subjects. The sea grapes, sourced from the waters of North Sulawesi, Indonesia, led Fahrul to France and resulted in this groundbreaking health supplement innovation. The utilization of sea grapes (scientifically known as Caulerpa racemosa) has the potential to boost its presence and commercial value, benefiting sea grape farmers and fishermen. The cultivation process, as demonstrated in Jepara’s ponds, is relatively straightforward.

Fahrul hopes to soon produce the sea grapes supplement commercially, contributing to obesity reduction not only in Indonesia but globally. He also welcomes collaboration with pharmaceutical companies for large-scale production.

Fahrul’s Profile:

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