Laksmi Sasiarini, SpPD-KEMD: Local Variety Brown Rice as an Alternative Functional Food

The Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya again held a Final Dissertation Exam, Monday (6/1/2024) at A Building FK UB. In her dissertation, dr. Laksmi Sasiarini, SpPD-KEMD explained her research entitled “The Effect of Giving Local Variety Brown Rice on Improving Insulin Resistance in Adipose Tissue of Diet-Induced Obesity Model Rats”.

Laksmi Sasiarini, SpPD-KEMD who is also an alumnus of UB in 1988 said that the title of the research was chosen because according to her, more and more people are suffering from metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes mellitus. This is due to high carbohydrate consumption such as white rice. Therefore, in the research of dr. Laksmi Sasiarini, SpPD-KEMD herself raised brown rice as an alternative functional food

“Currently, there are more and more people with metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes mellitus. Research states that one of the contributions is high carbohydrate consumption, one of which is white rice. So, we made an alternative functional food, namely brown rice,” she said.

Brown rice can be an alternative since it only goes through one milling process so that there are still many bioactive components that are not wasted. So that it has a positive impact on health.

During her research, Dr. Laksmi Sasiarini, SpPD-KEMD revealed that there were several obstacles. One of the obstacles and a few obstacles was related to making a diet for laboratory mice. Because in making obese mice, a certain diet is needed in order to be optimal in obesity induction.

“To make obese mice, a certain diet is needed but all macronutrient components must be met. If not, the mice will not be optimal for obesity induction. The diet made in such way and must be tried on the mice. Because if it is not eaten, it is useless,” she said.

Laksmi Sasiarini, SpPD-KEMD said that the research process was quite long, up to 7 months. However, after this research, brown rice can be used as a functional food as a substitute for white rice. Although it has not been widely socialized, it is hoped that with more similar research, the public will increasingly understand that brown rice can be an alternative. (ROM/UB PR/ Trans. Iir).