The Department of Food and Agricultural Product Technology (TPHP) UGM held a guest lecture in a series of activities of the Program Kompetisi Kampus Merdeka (PKKM) by presenting Prof. Dr. Foo Hooi Ling from the Department of Bioprocess Technology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) on Saturday (28/09). Prof. Foo presented an interesting topic entitled “Myriad Health Impacts of Postbiotic Metabolites: Paradigm Shifts of Lactic Acid Bacteria Innovations & Applications.”
At the beginning of his class, Prof. Foo explained that the probiotic market in Asia has experienced a significant increase driven by the trend of functional foods and the high public awareness of healthy diets and lifestyles. She also emphasized the importance of the slogan “Let food be the medicine, and medicine be the food,” which describes how healthy food can be part of health prevention and care.
Prof. Foo then deepened the material by reviewing the basics of lactic acid bacteria, including their characteristics, taxonomy, and effects on health. She also discussed the paradigm shift in probiotic research and development, covering various types of functional microbes such as probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, paraprobiotics, and postbiotics. Each type is described in detail, including its characteristics, challenges, and health benefits. This guest lecture provided valuable insights for TPHP UGM students regarding innovations in the field of functional microbes and their potential health benefits in line with SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 3 (Healthy and Prosperous Life). It is hoped that through this lecture, students can gain inspiration to continue conducting research that is relevant to global health trends.
Written by: Firstnandita Keisha