Sumardi makes herbal brews to ward off bird flu virus

Sumardi makes herbal brews to ward off bird flu virus

Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang

Avian influenza endangers not only poultry, but also human lives.
Three people in Indonesia have died after being infected by
the bird flu virus, with an additional case occurring just
recently.

Between 2003 and 2004, 16.23 million head of poultry have died
because of this lethal virus. Thousands of quails have died
Boyolali, Central Java this year as the bird flu virus spread to
this region from the Asian continent.

In Central Java alone, 8.17 million head of poultry,
comprising layer chickens, broiler chickens, free-range chickens
and quails, died in the period 2003-2004. Thousands poultry
farmers, both small- and large-scale, have sustained huge losses.

Sumardi, 42, a researcher at the Food Technology School of
Semarang's Soegijapranata Catholic University, has come up with
some good news for poultry breeders. In July this year he found
an effective formula to prevent the spread of the virus.

His formula is basically made up of four medicinal plants that
are often used in Javanese traditional herbal medicine: Java
chili powder (Piper retrofractum), white turmeric extract
(Curcuma xanthorriza), temu ireng extract (Curcuma aeruginosa)
and the powder of fragrant wild ginger (Zingiber aromaticum).
Sumardi mixed these four basic materials with honey bees, cane
sugar (as a natural preservative) and some water, used to
dissolve all the ingredients.

He said that it was only by chance that he had found this
particular formula against the bird flu virus.

"Four years ago, my elder brother, Edi Sutrisno, and I set up
Bina Kawula Mandiri Foundation in Tayu district, Pati regency,
Central Java. We intended to help rural people in raising cows
and goats. To boost the growth of cattle, we prepared a
concoction made of the powder of temu ireng and white turmeric to
improve their appetite," he said.

Tayu, which is located in the northern coastal area of Java,
is an area where strong winds often blow, causing many cows and
goats to become sick.

Sumardi talked this over with Bante Suddhamo, a Thai Buddhist
monk staying in a monastery in Lasem, East Java. The monk advised
him to mix his concoction with the powder of Java chili and the
extract of fragrant wild ginger.

"Our modified concoction worked well. No more cattle became
sick because of the strong winds," he said.

Other cattle breeders heard of this news and wanted to give
this modified concoction to their cattle. Sumardi gave his
modified formula to these breeders free of charge.

At the same time, a lecturer at the school of animal husbandry
at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Gatot Murdjito, heard of
what Sumardi had done and asked that this concoction, with honey
bee added to it, also be given to pigs. This herbal concoction
worked well with pigs, so Sumardi and Edi began to sell it.

"Until then I had no idea that our formula could be used
against bird flu. On July 24, 2005, I tried this formula with 400
two-day-old chicks, which were placed close to the carcasses of
chickens that had died of bird flu somewhere in East Java.
Obviously, I could not get the original H5NI virus (Avian
influenza virus) for my experiment. I divided these chicks into
four groups of 100 each. The first group was given no medicine at
all."

"The second group was given a low dose (10 percent) of the
medicine. A moderate dose of 20 percent was given to the third
group and a high dose of 30 percent to the fourth group," Sumardi
said.

On the fourth day, some of the chicks in the first group had
died but all the chicks in the other three groups were still in
good condition. On the ninth day, all the chicks in the first
group had died while all the other chicks in the other three
groups remained healthy.

From this experiment, Sumardi learned that his formula, which
was intended to fatten cattle, could ward off bird flu virus.
Then an acquaintance of his, a staffer of the agricultural
minister, told the minister about Sumardi's experiment. In
August, the herbal concoction prepared by Sumardi and Edi, who is
only a graduate of a technical secondary school, was tested at
the Veterinary Center in Wates, Yogyakarta.

"I took a dozen 22-day-old chicks. When I got there, many
people laughed at me. About 50 other people had come there to
have their formulas tested but none of these formulas worked
effectively against the bird flu virus. Of course, I, too, had my
pessimism," he said.

In this laboratory test, each chick was given 4 million units
of avian influenza virus. During this test, Sumardi continued to
feed his herbal medicine to the chicks. The result was indeed
surprising. None of these chicks died. Clearly, the formula
prepared by Sumardi and his brother, Edi, appeared to be
effective in weakening the virus and helping the chicks develop
antibodies it.

"The test was not over yet. I separated six chicks and gave
them no herbal medicine. The other chicks continued to get their
medicine. These six chicks later died. My conclusion was that
when the concoction is given to a chick and then undergoes a
process in the body of the chick it will be effective against the
virus," he said.

Now Sumadi has got three patents for his formulas. The first
patent is for his cattle-fattening brew, and the second is for
his formula for fattening pigs, cows, chickens and goats (a
mixture of four ingredients: white turmeric, temu ireng, Java
chili and fragrant wild ginger). The third patent is for the
technique of extracting Java chili and fragrant while ginger.
"I'm waiting for the fourth patent for my formula against the
bird flu virus," he said.

Sumardi now sells his herbal medicines. A small bottle (140
cc) of non-bird-flu brew is sold for Rp 12,500. A large bottle
(550 cc) of this concoction is available for Rp 35,000. His anti
bird flu medicine is sold for Rp 20,000 (small bottle) and Rp
60,000 (large bottle). So far, his medicines are available only
in Central Java and Yogyakarta.

"The medicine is intended for healthy chickens and must be
given to the chickens every day. A spoonful of the concoction is
enough for 250 adult chickens, or 1,000 chicks," he added.

Sumardi stressed that his medicines were not intended to cure
chickens already infected by bird flu. It was intended to prevent
chickens from being infected by the virus. "Please note that this
medicine is not for human consumption even though Javanese people
often use the basic materials of this medicine to relieve
fatigue," he added.