SEMARANG – Lecturer at the Department of Nutrition Science, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Diponegoro (FK UNDIP), Prof. Dr. Diana Nur Afifah, S.TP., M.Si., has received the 2026 Central Java Development Research Award (Anugerah Karya Riset Pembangunan Jawa Tengah/AKRP) for her scientific work entitled “Mangrove-based food innovation nutritional profile and health potential for local communities: A systematic review.”
Prof. Diana said the award recognizes a research journey connecting the potential of mangroves with nutrition, health, food, the environment, and the empowerment of coastal communities. The research was motivated by the conditions of coastal communities, which have abundant natural resources but continue to face challenges such as malnutrition, food insecurity, and limited food diversification. One of the resources examined was the fruit of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, commonly known as lindur.
“The research team conducted a systematic review using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) approach on publications from 2013 to 2024. Of the 143 articles initially identified, 12 met the criteria for further analysis,” she said.
The review found that lindur fruit has potential as a functional food ingredient due to its complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and bioactive compounds, including phenolics and flavonoids. Various products have been developed from the fruit, including flour, biscuits, cookies, sagon, noodles, brownies, jelly, jam, syrup, and instant porridge. However, Prof. Diana emphasized that mangrove utilization must consider food safety and ecosystem sustainability. Lindur fruit contains antinutritional components, including tannins and cyanogenic compounds that can produce HCN (hydrogen cyanide). Therefore, appropriate processing methods, such as boiling, soaking, and drying, are needed to reduce these compounds before the fruit is used as a food ingredient. Further research on safety, shelf life, consumer acceptance, and human trials is also needed.
The research was supported by FK UNDIP’s academic ecosystem through the Department of Nutrition Science, as well as multidisciplinary collaboration with the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences and SDGs Center UNDIP. Universitas Diponegoro also provided funding through the Review Article (RAR) scheme. Going forward, the research team plans to develop standardization of raw materials and detoxification processes, safety validation, formulation optimization, shelf-life testing, and a production model involving coastal micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Through the AKRP policy brief, the team has also proposed the MANGAN LESTARI JATENG 2027–2029 concept, integrating sustainable harvesting, safe processing, product validation, MSME incubation, and mangrove conservation.
Prof. Diana encouraged young researchers to begin their research by addressing real challenges in society and building cross-disciplinary collaborations.
“Good research is not merely research that ends when the article is published, but research that continues until knowledge creates added value for society,” she concluded. (Humas FK UNDIP)
