A combination of students from the Food Science and Technology and Midwifery study programs at Universitas Brawijaya created a research innovation on the use of fermented cabbage (Sauerkraut) as a renewable food that is high in folate to overcome stunting. This research was funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture and Universitas Brawijaya through the Student Creativity Program in Exact Research in 2024 and was one of 11 teams that passed funding from the Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Brawijaya.
This team consists of five students, namely Rendy Zhanuarisma (Food science’22, FTP), Riris Amelia Putri (Food science’22, FTP), Giselle Terrencia (Food science’22 , FTP), Safa’atul Khoir (Midwifery’21), and Putri Rizqiyyah Maisyaroh (Midwifery’21) under the guidance of Wike Astrid Cahayani, S.Ked., M.Biomed from the Faculty of Medicine to develop an innovation in Fermented Cabbage Extract (Sauerkraut) which was tested on Stunting Model Zebrafish with Rotenone Induction.
“Cabbages are usually consumed with heat processing which allows damage to the folate compounds in the cabbage. Meanwhile, the fermentation process does not require heat so it is able to maintain the folate content. With fermentation, it is able to break down the nutrients in cabbage so that folate absorption is more optimal and faster,” said Rendy
According to Rendy, many cases of stunting are caused by inadequate folate intake, where adult humans need at least 400 μg of folic acid a day, while pregnant women need a minimum of 600 μg. The fermentation process will reduce the damage to the folate content in raw cabbage. In contrast, if cabbage processing is carried out by heating, then 85-90% of the folate will be degraded and lost. Thus, the folate concentration in sauerkraut processed using the fermentation method is much higher, namely 20 μg per 100 grams of cabbage.
Lack of nutritional intake, especially during critical periods such as the first 1000 days of life, can hinder children’s growth and cause stunting. The results of the 2022 Indonesian Nutrition Status Survey (SSGI) show a stunting rate of 21.6%. Several areas such as West Sulawesi, Papua and West Nusa Tenggara experience stunting prevalence which is still relatively high and reaches >30%. Antenatal nutritional intake and status is one of the influencing factors for stunting, which includes folate as a micronutrient with a large role during pregnancy.
The research results showed that sauerkraut extract was absorbed more quickly by the body and had an effect on the body length of zebrafish larvae. So, sauerkraut has great potential as a fermented food to increase folate and prevent stunting. On the other hand, the process of making sauerkraut is easy so everyone can make it at home. Sauerkraut also has a sour and salty taste which is suitable to combine with other foods.
With this research, it is hoped that it can provide innovation in fermented foods that are high in folate and be able to overcome stunting cases in Indonesia as well as a concrete form of contribution from Universitas Brawijaya students to overcome current stunting cases. [team/sitirahma/ UB PR/ Trans. Iir]
