Indonesia has plant-based traditional medicine (herbal) that is hereditary and believed to be used for disease therapy and prevention. The well-known of this traditional medicine is jamu, which has a long history of making, and now, some have limitedly explored their benefits on health scientifically. Traditional herbal drinks are part of jamu and are usually consumed as beverages for leisure and refreshment; in addition, they are hereditary believed to have many health benefits. The health efficacy of these herbal drinks is still poorly explored scientifically. This review explores the diversity, preparation methods, and health benefits of the most popular Indonesian traditional herbal drinks, mainly in Java Island, including kunyit asam, beras kencur, sinom, wedang uwuh, wedang jahe, and wedang pokak. Combining a literature review with field observations, it highlights key bioactive compounds such as curcumin, gingerol, and brazilin, known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. The study uniquely integrates traditional knowledge with insights into modern processing techniques, such as ultra-high temperature processing by small-scale enterprises, and examines their cultural and historical significance. By addressing the limited scientific exploration of these drinks’ health benefits, this paper bridges the gap between traditional practices and scientific validation, contributing to the global understanding of functional beverages. Modern adaptations, including ultra-high temperature processing by small-scale enterprises, have enabled wider distribution and commercialization of herbal drinks. However, challenges such as maintaining bioactive compound integrity and scaling production while preserving traditional authenticity remain critical.

Pometia pinnata merupakan tumbuhan tropis yang berasal dari famili Sapindaceae tersebar luas di daerah Indonesia yang dimanfaatkan masyarakat sebagai obat tradisional yang dikenal sebagai daun matoa. Daun matoa mengandung banyak senyawa bioaktif seperti saponin, terpenoid, flavonoid, alkaloid, tanin dan kumarin. Ekstraksi komponen biaoaktif daun matoa umumnya menggunakan metode maserasi dengan berbagai pelarut, antara lain etanol, aquadest, n-hexane, ethyl acetate, dan lain-lain, dengan berbagai jumlah komponen bioaktif yang dihasilkan. Beberapa penelitian melaporkan bahwa daun matoa memiliki banyak manfaat, antara lain sebagai penurun tekanan darah, membantu mengobati diabetes, penyakit perut (diare dan disentri), penyakit ginekologi, dan saat ini daun matoa dikembangkan sebagai suplemen atau fortifikasi pada susu. Penelitian yang akan datang diharapkan dan membutuhkan inovasi baru, terutama mengenai teknologi fortifikasi pangan yang dapat diaplikasikan dengan ekstrak daun matoa, untuk meningkatkan hasil dan ekonomi tanaman matoa.

Using lignocellulosic materials as raw materials to manufacture alternative fuels second generation (G2) is a solution for substituting fossil fuels. One source of lignocellulose is sweet sorghum bagasse. The pretreatment process is essential to increase the percentage of cellulose in the material before fermentation and hydrolysis. So, this study aims to evaluate the NaOH concentration and pretreatment time effect on the lignocellulose composition of pretreated sweet sorghum bagasse. The Factorial Completely Randomized Design (FCRD) experimental design was chosen with two independent factors, namely NaOH concentration with two levels (4% and 8%) and the pretreatment time with two levels (10 min and 30 min). The observed responses data was analyzed using a Two-Way analysis of variance (ANOVA) at a 95% confidence level, and if there were any significant differences, followed by Duncan multiple range tests (DMRT). The results showed that both independent factors affected (p-value ˂ 0.05) the lignocellulose composition of pretreated sweet sorghum bagasse, especially in lignin reduction. The best combination in pretreated sweet sorghum bagasse was found at 8% NaOH concentration and 30 min of the pretreatment time. In this condition, the cellulose increased by 13.56%, and hemicellulose and lignin decreased by 3.09% and 10.12%, respectively, to the raw material.

Porang tubers are an agricultural product from one of the endemic plants in Southeast and East Asia, which found in the Indonesian forest and is a vital source of glucomannan. The simple processing of porang tubers is made into chips, ground using mechanical milling followed by air fractionation. However, porang flour from mechanical milling still has high impurities, such as calcium oxalate more than 2% and not safe for human consumption. The polishing process using a centrifugal grinder is needed to remove impurities that still attached to the glucomannan cells by the friction principle. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the polishing cycle on physicochemical properties of porang flour. The experimental design used polishing historical data and process was conducted in two replication. The results showed the polishing cycle had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on the glucomannan content, viscosity, degree of whiteness, calcium oxalate content, starch content, protein content, and fat content. The best of polished porang flour was obtained on the 5 times of polishing cycle based on multiple attributes calculations.

Corn is a carbohydrate-based food source in the East Nusa Tenggara (ENT) region and is the second staple food after rice. Corn has been a hereditary food ingredient in the ENT region from generation to generation with various local names. However, comprehensive literature studies discussing productivity, diversity, physicochemical characteristics, and traditional corn derivative products from ENT are still rare and limited. The purpose of writing this article is to review corn from ENT by emphasizing aspects of productivity, variety, physicochemical characteristics, and its traditional derivative products from various scientific sources. Literature studies showed that ENT's estimated corn production in 2021 is 750,166 tons from the three cultivated types: local, superior free-range, and hybrid. ENT's local corn has a variety of physical diversity, especially regarding grain color. Regarding chemical characteristics, ENT's local corn has a relatively complete nutritional and mineral content and is suitable for food. The local people of ENT have many traditional derivative products from corn with a total of >10 types of food, which are still sustainable from generation to generation and are processed simply with maintaining local wisdom. One famous traditional and ethnic food from ENT is "Jagung bose".