Currently, diabetes mellitus remains a major concern for the Indonesian population. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) noted that in 2021, Indonesia ranked fifth worldwide in terms of the number of diabetes sufferers. With 19.5 million Indonesians living with diabetes, this issue can no longer be overlooked.
Additionally, there is a reciprocal relationship between periodontitis (gum infection) and diabetes mellitus. The manifestation of periodontitis complications in diabetes mellitus patients is greater compared to non-diabetic patients, especially if glycemic control is poor. In Asia, including Indonesia, the prevalence of periodontal disease is also high, reaching 96.58% across all age groups.
Responding to this phenomenon, students from the Faculty of Dental Medicine (FKG) at Universitas Airlangga are striving to innovate in addressing periodontitis in diabetic patients. These students are Amalia Khusna Lathifah, Lina Nur Laili, Chyeisha Priscilla Serafinne, Almadhani Nur Fadila, and Griselda Yolanda. Under the guidance of Irma Josefina Savitri, drg., Ph.D., Sp.Perio(K), they successfully secured funding from the 2024 Student Creativity Week (PKM).
The research led by Amalia and her team was funded under the Exact Research PKM (PKM-RE) scheme. Their research title is “Innovative O-Chadent Omega-3 Formulation in Milkfish Oil as a Basic Ingredient for Dentifrice to Prevent Periodontal Disease in Diabetes Mellitus Patients.”
Using Milkfish Oil for Toothpaste
Dentifrice, or toothpaste, is the most common dental care product on the market. However, existing toothpaste products are still considered to have potential adverse side effects on users. “We sought a relatively safe alternative ingredient, namely omega-3 from milkfish oil. This is because omega-3 from milkfish oil has a combination of anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties that can address periodontal disease in diabetes mellitus,” said Amalia.
Amalia and her team chose milkfish because research shows that milkfish has high levels of omega-3, even surpassing salmon. Additionally, Indonesia is also known as one of the largest milkfish exporters in the world. This is supported by the ease of finding milkfish in the market and its relatively affordable price.
Currently, Amalia and her team have completed several necessary research steps. “We have finished extracting milkfish oil and conducting physicochemical property tests. Now we are performing characterization tests. In the future, there will also be in silico tests,” she explained.
Valuable Experiences During the Process
Over the approximately four months of conducting research, Amalia realized that there are many things to learn beyond the research itself. “As the team leader, I learned a lot about leadership, time management, and teamwork,” she said.
Moreover, for Amalia, this research provided its own benefits. For example, there are some types of tests that are only taught in theory during lectures, but through this research, she could practice them directly. This provided Amalia with more experience and learning opportunities.