Biology students at Universitas Gadjah Mada (S1) made another achievement by winning the Bronze Medal and Favorite Poster at the national level El Bajo Essay Competition. This achievement was achieved by a team chaired by Amelia Rifki Alifiah (Biology 2019) and its member Fatika Soraya Taufik (Biology 2019) under the guidance of Sukirno, S.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D. This competition carries the theme “Idea, Innovation and Creativity to Realize the MDGs” and is carried out in two stages. The first stage included online essay selection by the jury with a total of 265 works from State and Private Universities in Indonesia, so that 28 finalist teams were obtained. The second stage was held on 18-19 March 2023 with an offline final presentation at the Office of the West Manggarai Regent, Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara. The organizers also held field trips for the finalists with the intended destinations including Pink Beach, Komodo Island and Padar Island.
In this competition, Amelia and Fatika brought the title “BOBESTEA: Diabetes-Friendly Boba Milk Tea with α-Amylase and α-Glucosidase Inhibitors from Mango Kernel Starch (Mangifera indica L.) and Natural Sweetener Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni as an Alternative to Low-Sugar Contemporary Drinks ”. In this essay, Amelia and Fatika discuss that the boba drink trend, which has experienced rapid growth in recent years, has actually contributed to the increase in diabetes cases in Indonesia. The sugar content in one serving of boba drink itself can reach 73.44%, thus exceeding the daily sugar consumption limit. Based on these problems, Amelia and Fatika initiated the BOBESTEA innovation with boba pearls from mango kernel starch containing α-Amylase and α-Glucosidase enzyme inhibitors, as well as milk tea derived from a combination of unsweetened almond milk, black tea, and zero-calorie Stevia natural sweetener. . This innovation is expected to be an alternative solution to current drinks that are much healthier, have a lower risk of diabetes, and can be accepted by consumers, especially millennials and generation Z as the main consumers of boba drinks.