Yogyakarta, June 24, 2025 — Stefanie Santi Widhiastuti, a doctoral student of the Biotechnology Study Program at the Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), has successfully undertaken her comprehensive examination. Enrolled in the 2023 cohort, Stefanie presented her dissertation titled “Tracing the Antinociceptive Mechanism of Aegeline in Painful Diabetic Neuropathy: In Silico Study and In Vivo Experimental Verification.”
Her research addresses the growing global burden of diabetes mellitus and its complication, Painful Diabetic Neuropathy (PDN), a condition affecting around 25% of chronic diabetes patients and characterized by excessive pain such as hyperalgesia and allodynia due to peripheral nerve damage. Current PDN treatments often fall short due to limited effectiveness and side effects, prompting the need for alternative therapies derived from natural products.
Aegeline, a bioactive compound from Aegle marmelos, is known for its antihyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties. Stefanie’s research investigates its therapeutic potential against PDN using a combination of computational and animal model approaches. The in silico study employed network pharmacology and molecular docking targeting TRPV1 and NMDAR2B, while the in vivo study evaluated pain threshold and biochemical markers in diabetic rats treated with aegeline, A. marmelos extract, and standard drugs.
Her work was supervised by Prof. Dr. apt. Arief Nurrochmad, M.Si., M.Sc., Prof. dr. Madarin Julia, Sp.A(K)., MPH., Ph.D., and Dr. Jajah Fachiroh, M.Si., Ph.D. The comprehensive exam was chaired by Dr. Tri Rini Nuringtyas, M.Sc., Head of the Doctoral Program in Biotechnology, with examiners Prof. Dr. apt. Agung Endro Nugroho and Dr. Rina Susilowati.
This research contributes to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), by promoting the development of safer, nature-based therapeutics supported by advanced scientific methods.