FEB NEWS – Three FEB UNAIR students have successfully created a new innovation in cockroach repellent products from natural ingredients, namely bay leaves. The three students are Andini Maulidiyah Rachma (Development Economics 2022), Sofia Naisa Hidayat (Accounting 2022), and Misfa Shafwa Zahidah (Accounting 2022). In addition, they collaborated with students from the Science and Technology group, including Amelia Safira Putri Vaturrachma (Faculty of Pharmacy 2022) and Mochammad Fahd Ali Hillaby (Faculty of Advanced Technology and Multidisciplinary 2022). The five students are members of the Student Entrepreneurship Creativity Program (PKM-K) team under the guidance of Mr. Angga Erlando, SE, M.Ec.Dev., a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Business UNAIR.
The proposal they submitted was entitled "NOMOA: Utilization of Eugenol and Citral Compounds in Bay Leaves (Syzygium polyanthum) as a Cockroach Repellent" and has successfully obtained funding from the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture.
Andini Maulidiyah Rachma, the team leader, explained that cockroaches are one of the most difficult insects to eradicate, are invasive, and can adapt to all environmental conditions. She continued by explaining that poor sanitation increases the chances of cockroaches reproducing rapidly.
"On the other hand, using insecticides to repel cockroaches is also dangerous. So, we took the initiative to create a natural cockroach repellent. After conducting research, it turns out that bay leaves contain eugenol and citral compounds that can repel cockroaches," Andini concluded.
NOMOA is the first natural cockroach repellent innovation in Indonesia. Formulated in gel form, NOMOA has a unique characteristic compared to other cockroach repellent products. "Because there haven't been any natural cockroach repellent products, especially bay leaves, we decided to seize this opportunity and create a new market," added Andini.
NOMOA can be applied to the lower walls near the bathroom floor drain or to the area near the sink hole, a place prone to cockroaches escaping. Furthermore, the NOMOA team mentioned several advantages of its product, including its fresh and non-pungent aroma, its non-toxic effects when inhaled or touched by skin, and its practical and hygienic application method because it uses a pump applicator so that direct contact with hands is not required during application.
NOMOA also supports the achievement of SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), specifically target 3, which aims to achieve access to adequate sanitation and hygiene. This SDG target can be realized by supporting sanitation with cockroach repellents containing natural compounds.
"NOMOA is an economically profitable and innovative business, leveraging natural resources and contributing to the achievement of the SDGs. With NOMOA, we are realizing well-maintained sanitation for a healthy Indonesia, today and in the future," Andini concluded.
For more information, visit the Instagram page @nomoa.id
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